A beginner's guide to starting seeds indoors

You can gain up to 10 weeks extra growing time if you start certain vegetables indoors. Peppers, eggplant, cauliflower, and tomatoes are among the vegetables seldom sown directly in the garden; they are usually started indoors and transplanted. Here are some basic rules to follow when starting plants from seed.

Larger seeds can be sown in individual pots of clay, plastic, or peat. Peat pots can be put directly into the ground, where they will decompose; thus, the seedlings suffer less shock from transplanting.

Schedule indoor plantings with an eye to how long each vegetable takes to grow and when it can be set out. Peppers, for instance, need eight to 10 weeks indoors and should be planted outside well after the last frost.

•  Keep flats or pots in a warm spot. Cover until seeds sprout, to keep out light and retain moisture.
• Keep track of expected germinating times. If, for instance, no eggplant sprouts appear by three weeks after sowing, something has gone wrong, and you had better buy a few plants to replace them.
• After the seeds sprout, place them where they will get maximum light.

The warmth and humidity that encourage seed germination also encourage the fungi that can prevent germination or cause seedlings to collapse.

• You can prevent this "damping off" disease by purchasing sterile potting soil, by not overwatering or overfertilizing seedlings, and by keeping a watchful eye on your seed trays for signs of too much moisture.
• If water drops collect on the insides of the plastic or glass coverings, remove them and wipe or shake the water out before replacing them.

When seeds have sprouted and young plants have their first set of true leaves, thin them out, removing smaller specimens so that the stronger ones will have room to grow.

1. Snip stems with a small scissors; do not pull or you may disturb root systems. Later on, when seedlings are established and the pot is crowded again, prick out the seedlings.
2. Very delicately, take a label stake or fork, and use the pointed end to separate the seedlings and transplant them into individual six- to eight-centimetre (two and a half- to three-inch) pots.
3. If they have been growing in soilless mix, transplant them into a compost-based mix in the new pot, which will provide nutrients for continued growth.
4. Water transplants with a weak solution of manure tea to reduce the shock of transplanting.

Seedlings grown indoors must be toughened — that is, conditioned to lower and more variable temperatures and to far less water — before being transplanted. The easiest and safest hardening-off method is to use a cold frame.

• When the spring sun begins to warm, and certainly no later than one week before you plan to set out your seedlings, put them inside the frame.
• If the weather is bright and sunny, protect the tender plants from too much sun by anchoring newspapers over the glass cover.
• Prop open the lid of the frame a little more each day as the weather warms, making certain the temperature inside the frame never rises above 21°C (70°F).
• Close the frame at night if temperatures drop below 13°C (55°F). If a cold snap occurs, cover the frame with a blanket. By the time you are ready to plant them in the garden, the seedlings should have had two or three nights uncovered. If nights are too cold for this, delay planting.

Follow these basic steps to growing your seeds indoors and you will get a head start on your planting for the spring.