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5 Great Reasons to Start Seedlings Indoors
Starting seedsHave you been thinking about starting seeds indoors but just aren't sure if it's right for you? Well, here are 5 great reasons you might decide to start your seedlings indoors.
Why You Should Start Seedlings Indoors
Prolong Your Growing Season
The most important reason to start your garden inside is to extend your growing season. Long-season vegetables need extra time to mature, and short-season vegetables can get in some extra productive time. Annual flowers might need to be started indoors if they’re going to bloom during summertime.
Grow More Varieties
If you live in a cooler climate, starting seedlings indoors can give you the opportunity to grow plants that may not be possible otherwise.
Some plants, like watermelons and tomatoes, have a very warm germination rate and then take a very long time to reach maturity. If you live in a climate that takes a while for the soil to reach 65° F outside and has an early frost date in autumn, then time just isn’t on your side. You won’t have the opportunity to eat a nice juicy watermelon at all if you don’t get started a little early!
If you live in a warmer climate, your summers may be too hot for some vegetables. Getting a jump on the growing season can give you a little more time to grow varieties that can’t withstand high temperatures or dry conditions of your summers.
Improve germination rates
Some seeds have very particular requirements for good germination rates. For some vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers, temperature is an important factor. If you have a well-controlled environment, you can provide your seeds with exactly what they need to get a great start on life. If you start them outside, you may be rolling the dice a little bit with more persnickety varieties.
Make better use of space and time
Starting seeds indoors can allow you to do succession planting. If you are low on space right now but know you’ll have a spot in your garden in a few weeks after another plant is finished, you can get a jump on things by starting your seeds indoors while you wait.
Protect seeds from garden pests
If you have a problem with pests in your garden, you may have experienced the frustration of having your seeds become someone’s lunch. You can protect your seeds during the tender stages of germination inside a lot better than you can outside.
If you decide to start seedlings early inside, you’ll also have a little bit of extra time to get your garden in order in spring. That extra time might make a big difference in how your crops turn out.
We think it’s definitely worth the effort to start certain varieties indoors, and with a little help, we think you will, too!
Written by Teresa Chandler
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