Seed Starting Indoors

Frank207 wrote: 1) When to start seeds Indoors? 
 I am currently comparing what Mel's SFG book  and  Johnny's Seeds Web site say about start dates for starting seeds indoors.  Mel's book says to start broccoli seeds 12 Weeks before last frost date and Johnny's Seeds Web site says 4-6 weeks?  This is a big difference and it's this way for most of the other vegetables I plan on planting.  Who should I believe?

Cold hardy plants, such as broccoli, cabbages, etc., can be started early and transplanted several weeks before the last frost date (assuming they have been hardened off first), which allows them to be started much earlier than warm weather plants, such as tomato, pepper, eggplant, etc.

I personally start the cool weather plants 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost, and the warm weather plants 6 weeks before the last frost date.

2) Seed Starting Mix?
I was going to use Mel's mix but after reading some of the comments it doesn't sound like a good idea based on the compost being added. I was wondering if a 50/50 mix of peat moss and vermiculite would work?

You should use either a seed starting mix, or a home made one, not just peat and vermiculite.  If you use something similar to Mel's Mix using finely screened compost, it will work very well. But, a small bag of seed starter mix from one of the big box stores is inexpensive for a small number of seeds.

3) Seed starting trays/containers/pellets etc.?
Because I have a small amount of seeds to plant and the germination period will be different for various plants, what might be my best alternative for planting the seeds in?  As I understand it grow lights( I'm planning to use one 4ft. two bulb shop light) won't be required until the seeds start to germinate.  Will I have to separate the plants that germinate from the ones that haven't and just put those under a light?

The type of seed trays is mostly a personal preference. I don't like the pellet-type due to the nylon mesh on the, which never deteriorates. But, some people find them very handy.  I use Cowpots (similar to peat pots, but made of composted cow manure), because I like having individual planting pots that can be buried without disturbing the plant roots. Some seeds require light to germinate, so I put all seed starter trays under lights which are on for 15 hours a day.  I also use heat mats under the seed trays, and plastic dome covers over the seed trays to speed germination.

Frank207 wrote:This will be my first time starting some seeds indoors and I will be planting around 50+/- seeds for around 15 vegetables plants. My questions are:
                                                              1) When to start seeds Indoors? 
 I am currently comparing what Mel's SFG book  and  Johnny's Seeds Web site say about start dates for starting seeds indoors.  Mel's book says to start broccoli seeds 12 Weeks before last frost date and Johnny's Seeds Web site says 4-6 weeks?  This is a big difference and it's this way for most of the other vegetables I plan on planting.  Who should I believe?

The following quote from High Mowing Organic Seeds e-letter offers some good insight on this subject:

While some early spring crops prefer to be direct seeded into the soil just before the last frost of spring, many can be started indoors somewhere between 6-10 weeks before this last spring frost. Transplanting these developing baby plants 2-3 weeks before last frost gives you a jump on the season and the advantage of earlier harvests down the road."

Frank207 wrote: I tend to have a heavy hand when it comes to watering and I'm looking for some method to avoid this.

Over watering will kill far more seedlings than under watering will. Damping off is a common symptom of too much water.  Don't let the seedlings set in water, and there is really no reason for a wicking system for the short time the seedlings are in the house.

Before planting the seeds in the pots, ensure the seeding mix is thoroughly damp - damp, not wet - and then place the seedling trays under cover to keep moisture constant until they germinate.  After the seeds germinate, water from the bottom, and only when the soil feels dry to the touch. Don't saturate the soil.

sanderson wrote:The only change I am trying to make this year is to start peppers 2 weeks before everything else as they take longer to sprout and grow large enough for planting.

I did this last year, and it worked out much better than starting them at the same time as the tomatoes and egg plants. Will do it again this year, but I am going to plant less peppers this year.

markqz wrote:I find that transplanting from plastic containers works better than peat containers.

Curious why you find that better.  The peat pots can be buried in the garden without disturbing the roots. That seems to be better for the transplant.

markqz wrote:
Probably because once the plant is in the ground, disturbed or not, the roots can immediately begin to propagate. Whereas they seem to have trouble breaking out of the peat pot.

That makes sense.  I use the CowPots instead of peat, and the roots are usually growing through the pots before they get planted. Many years ago when I used peat pots, the next year there would still be pieces of the pots in the ground that never decomposed. After I switched to CowPots that was never an issue.

I use 48" LED tubes in regular shop lights suspended from shelves so that I can lower or raise the lights to keep them within 3" above the seedlings. The important thing about LED lights for seed starting is to ensure the light's Kevin rating is around 6500K (bright white).  Note: I had to modify the shop lights to remove the ballast since the LED tubes don't use it - fortunately, for an electrical engineer, that wasn't a problem.