This question is the logical follow-up to the one about ordering seeds from mail-order catalogues. Now that we have our seeds, the question becomes what to do with them?

But first, the obvious question to the new gardener must be why bother starting the seeds indoors in the first place? Why not just wait until spring and plant them directly in the ground?

Well, in short, the reason is to one-up mother nature. Our growing season is only so long, and if you live in northern climates as I do, it is just not very long at all. If we want our annuals to be in flower for most of the summer, or our vegetable crops to reach maturity before the fall frosts set in, we have to give many of them a head-start by starting them indoors.

Starting seeds indoors is not that difficult. Seeds want to grow. They are perfect little packages just waiting for the right conditions, and when they have them they will sprout away. If you have any doubt about that, just recall what happens in the spring when you turn over the garden soil exposing all those weed seeds to the sun and rain - that's right, they start growing, and without any special help from you or me. The trick in starting them indoors is to recognize their natural needs, and provide for them. Then just stand back and let nature take its course.

..next..

1. How do I start seeds indoors, and why would I want to do it?
2. Seed preparation
3. When to start the seeds
4. Materials required
5. How to sow the seeds
6. Damping-off disease
7. Looking after the seedlings
8. Hardening off
9. Planting outdoors
10. Further Reading (web links) and References

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