Ah, growing seeds!
Not everyone masters this art, but it continues to grow in popularity. To optimize our chances of success this
spring, we contacted Lyne Bellemare, the artisanal seed producer who, along
with nutritionist Bernard Lavallée,
developed the beautiful seed boxes sold in our boutique. Get your garden gloves ready!
When she first started growing her own seeds, Lyne Bellemare
was kicked out of her community garden because her project was taking up too
much space! “We grow vegetables
here, not seeds,” she was told. Not enough information was being circulated
about the self-production of seeds. An entire ancestral know-how was being
lost. Along with her involvement with Seeds of Diversity Canada and with the
creation of her company Terre Promise, Lyne Bellemare is developing this
know-how and is growing ecological seeds of rare or endangered vegetable
varieties. She is a passionate woman with a green thumb who was kind enough to
share her infallible tips for the sowing season.
1. Choose the right
materials
Everything begins with the seed. To make the best selection,
Lyne Bellemare suggests turning to Quebec seed companies whenever possible (for
fresher and healthier seeds). Then, she mentions the importance of choosing a
good potting soil (not black soil). “Ask
your local nursery consultant which potting soil to use based on the seeds you
have chosen for your seedlings,” she explains. “Finally, make sure you have
good lighting. Seedling lamps will always offer a better yield than the sun,
which is often not present enough in March.”
2. Read the seed
packet carefully!
“Usually, all the relevant information you need is on your
seed packet,” she reminds us. “Since not all seeds have the same requirements
(buried or not, deposited on the surface…), the instructions come in handy. I
work hard to develop these contents, hopefully they will be read!”
3. Choose the right
time
“It is very difficult to provide a rule of thumb to know
when to start your seedlings,” admits Lyne. “It all depends on the plants you
wish to grow and especially on the last frost date in your region. For example,
if the last frost in Montreal is on May 25th, you should not
transplant before that date. To avoid ending up with overgrown and bulky
seedlings indoors, consult a sowing calendar for your region or read the seed
packet in relation to the last frost date.”
4. Check the seeds’
germination rate
“People will often plant one seed per pot and wait for it to
grow,” Lyne says knowingly. “If the germination rate is low, it is better to
plant several seeds in the same pot to get better results! The advice I give is
to sow more, then eliminate the weakest plants and keep the strongest ones.”
5. Water without
soaking
“If there is one thing to remember about watering, it’s that
the roots need water, but they need air as well,” reminds the seed producer. “If
you drown them, they won’t breathe or grow,” she observes. “So, you have to water without
soaking and you must do it regularly. The seed must remain moist to germinate.
The best way to know when to water them is by touching and looking.”
6. Prevent damping-off
disease
Damping-off disease is very common. To help prevent it from
attacking your seedlings, Lyne recommends choosing a well-ventilated room. She
also offers an old wives’ recipe that works every time: “Sprinkle cinnamon on the soil when the
seedlings start to grow. Cinnamon has antifungal properties that prevent the
fungus from proliferating. I was skeptical at first, but I haven’t had any
seedling damping-off since!”
7. Let the plants harden off
“A
seedling that has been pampered indoors for weeks will have a hard time once
it’s moved outside,” explains Lyne Bellemare. “One trick is to put a gentle fan
near the seedlings to get them used to the wind, which will allow the stem to
harden off,” she suggests. “Getting into the habit of turning off the lights at
night also helps get them used to day/night variations.”
8. Transplant fuller plants
When
plants are too crowded (think tomatoes, peppers, or eggplant) and feel
smothered, it’s important to transplant them. “When the root system invades the
entire container and the plant feels cramped, transplant by moving to a larger
container: from a 4-inch to a 6-inch pot,” she gives as an example. “Be sure to
use transplanting soil or the same starting soil to provide it with all the
nutrients afterwards! Depending on the advice you get from your nursery
consultant, you may need to add fertilizer if the potting soil you are using is
deficient. It is best to choose organic potting soil!”
9. Get seedlings used to the outdoors
Should you
put your seedlings out on the first day of good weather in full sun? Your
plants will end up with a nice sunburn on day one. Instead, the seed producer
suggests taking a gradual approach by first putting the seedlings in the shade
for a few hours every day. You can then expose them to the morning sun (not at
noon!) for a few days to help them get used to it. For the first two weeks,
take the seedlings out during the day and bring them in at night.
10. Repeat every year!
Your
seedlings didn’t do very well last year? Don’t give up! Since when does one
learn something so complex after one go?” exclaims Lyne. “Seeding is something
you learn and once you’ve mastered it, it becomes easy. Every year, depending
on the weeks’ selections, new discoveries are made!”
To learn more
Small-scale
seed production seeds.ca/books
Booklets
and seed sets: demaindemain.co/en/collections/semences