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GLT's Grow: Starting Seeds For Spring

Candy Tale
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Flickr via Creative Commons

With spring looming, gardeners can get a leg up on their work outside by starting inside—starting seeds inside, that is.

  • Figure out how much space you have to fill and purchase seeds according to how big they will get and how well they will get along with plants close by.
  • Most annual flowers and vegetables can be sown indoors about 6 weeks before you anticipate the last frost. Consult with your local Extension Office or The Farmer's Almanac to get that date.
  • Fill clean containers with a soilless mix of your choice.  Gently press your seeds into their new home.
  • Water carefully and make sure they get around seven hours of light a day. If you can't get the seedlings that much sunlight, a lamp will help out.
  • Don't let the seeds get too cold.
  • Check your seeds daily to monitor their growth.
Reporter, content producer and former All Things Considered host, Laura Kennedy is a native of the Midwest who occasionally affects an English accent just for the heck of it. Related to two U.S. presidents, Kennedy appalled her family by going into show business.