Starting Seeds

 I can't wait for planting time to arrive, so I pre-sprouted some lettuce leaf basil seeds and some blue bedder salvia seeds, leftover from last year.


My method is simple. Take a paper towel, fold it and wet it thoroughly and place it on a dish. Sprinkle seeds and cover with plastic wrap or a zip-lock bag. In a few days little white rootlets will show and then you know which seeds are worth planting.
This time I saved some egg cartons and planted my new sprouted seeds in them. Cutting off the top and using it for a tray, and poking a drainage hole in each recess, I then dampened my potting mix in a big bowl in the sink. Why it took me this long to figure out this simple and cheap method...all I can say is Duh!

Here's a close-up of the once black basil seeds. They are now white-ish and covered with a gooey layer which forms after a few days in the wet environment of the paper towel/plate. I use a tweezer to pick up the seeds and place them into the soil.  I hope you can see the tiny rootlet coming out if the seeds.

Then out comes the trusty Rubbermaid! Using the lid as a base and turning the bin upside down, I have a mini greenhouse!
There are a few more eggs to use up and I will make a third seed bed from that carton too.