This weekend I did a bit more research into starting plants from seeds. I really want to do it that way for two reasons:

1. I think it will be fun to grow heirloom veggies that you can’t buy in the shops, for a bit of added motivation
2. I want to save seeds from the plants I grow so that I can best follow the suggestions offered by permaculture

Originally I tried sowing outdoors but in a protective broccoli box to keep them warm. Nothing has germinated in 3 weeks though so this weekend I bought an espresso thermometer with a probe to check the temperature of the soil in the modules in the box. The temperature was only 2 degrees warmer than the outside temperature! Not so useful when it is 0 degrees outside overnight in October.


My research suggests there are a few different things that can be done though:

1. build a greenhouse or cold frame (not happy with that suggestion straight away due to money considerations and lack of building talent!)
2. sow outdoors when fear of frost is gone (locals rule of thumb is that frost-free zone is between Melbourne Cup day in November and Anzac day in April)
3. sow indoors at the right temperature and with plenty of light and then gradually harden off and transplant outdoors

So, given that #1 is out for now, I’ll have to experiment with #2 and #3.

#2: Melbourne cup day is not for another 3.5 weeks, but conveniently I am moving house in 2 weeks anyway. I was hoping to grow some seedlings in modules to move with me and then plant them out when I have created some garden beds, but I guess with my first seed sowing attempt failing this can’t be helped. I will definitely try sowing in situ after we have moved.

#3: Other people on the internet who live in cold zones (Canberra is in cold zone 9a - average absolute minimum temperature of -7 degrees according to diggers website) say that their germination rates have improved considerably by germinating indoors on a heat mat, preferably with a thermostat so that you don’t accidentally cook your plants on warmer days.

To get enough light, either put the plants in a sunny windowsill or set up some fluorescent lights directly above. The windowsill is the easiest, but is likely to cause tall leggy seedlings due to not enough light.

I went to Plants Plus nursery at Pialligo to enquire about heat mats and they had never heard of such a thing! Feeling disappointed, I called a hydroponics shop, and the person who answered the phone knew exactly what I was talking about, but his prices were double what I have seen on the internet. No point in buying on the net when I’m about to move anyway and its already the middle of Spring! I’ve scrapped the heat mat idea for now given how late in Spring it already is, and I’m not going to invest in any fluorescent lights before I move house. (reminder to self - price the reptile/pet mats with thermostat - maybe I can pick one of these up for a better deal)

So waiting and sowing in warm temperatures it will have to be. On the plus side, a number of sellers were out with their seedlings at Woden trash and treasure today, so I can always pick up a few seedlings there while I learn how to germinate the seeds properly.

Useful info about temperature zones:

Diggers heat zone diagram
Diggers cold zone diagram