County of Wetaskiwin No. 10 Horticulture Services would like to welcome a segment called Horticulture Corner — a small bi-weekly Facebook segment that highlights the joys of horticulture including garden planning, seed starting, garden harvesting, pests and disease identification, and landscape maintenance. This segment will be a way of sharing information with local gardeners. If you have a tip, question, or interesting article to share, please leave a comment below. Let’s dig in and grow together this season!

Horticulture Corner: Garden Planning and Seed Starting

After a long winter, spring is finally here. A little planning now and starting seeds indoors can help set you up for a productive growing season.

Here are a few helpful tips for planning your garden this year:

1. Keep a small garden journal or logbook to help you remember what you planted each year.
2. It is important to have a 3 to 4-year crop rotation in your garden plots to manage soil fertility and limit soil borne diseases.  
3. Grow nitrogen fixating plants such as beans and peas after heavy feeders such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.

Starting seeds indoors gives your plants a head start on the growing season, especially crops that take longer to mature. Here are a few tips to get started this season:

1. Follow the instructions on the seed packet; this will give you an indication when to start seeds indoors before the last frost date.
2. If re-using seed trays from previous seasons, make sure to disinfect pots and trays to avoid soil borne diseases from previous plantings.
3. Consider using a heat mat, as bottom heat will increase the germination rate and promote healthier roots. It can also help prevent damping off --- a disease that can cause weak seedlings and seedling losses. Damping-off is caused by pathogens on the surface of the potting mix or soil.
4. Use grow lights for 12 to 16 hours per day, which is ideal for seedlings. Avoid leaving grow lights on continuously, as seedlings require periods of darkness for proper development.
5. Keep the grow lights 2-3 inches above the seedlings, as lack of lighting will cause stem elongation causing seedlings to become leggy.
6. Do not forget to harden off seedlings 1-2 weeks before transplanting outdoors to reduce transplant shock.

Resources

For more information on garden planning and crop rotation, click here.

For more detailed information on starting seeds indoor and damping-off please visit: Starting seeds indoors and How to prevent seedling damping off.

For any additional information or help getting your garden started please contact Stefanie at email or 780-352-3321 ext. 2271

References

Grabowski, Michelle. “How to Prevent Seedling Damping Off.” Extension.umn.edu, 2024, extension.umn.edu/solve-problem/how-prevent-seedling-damping.

University of Minnesota. “Starting Seeds Indoors.” Extension.umn.edu, 2018, https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/starting-seeds-indoors.

University of Saskatchewan. “Rotating Your Vegetables.” Gardening at USask- College of Agriculture and Bioresources, 2024, Rotating your vegetables - Gardening at USask - College of Agriculture and Bioresources | University of Saskatchewan.