A fear-free guide to seed starting

When it comes to marigolds, I'm a traditionalist.

I'll pass on the giants with pom-pom heads and the off-white freaks that are trumpeted as breeding breakthroughs. Give me old reliables like Queen Sophia and Janie, both of which usually can be found in garden centers.

But what about another old favorite, Lemon Gem? It's a plant well worth growing, with ferny leaves, tiny edible flowers and a citrus smell. An Internet search shows you can buy Lemon Gem from several seed companies for about a penny per seed.

Of course, that means you have to start the plants yourself.

If your stomach lurched at the thought of starting (and perhaps killing) plants, have no fear. Marigolds are easy to start in the house, as are many other annuals. It's fun, you'll learn something and you can try unusual varieties that you'll never find at a garden store.

Generally speaking, the bigger the seed, the easier it is to germinate. For beginners, annual flowers like marigolds, zinnias, cosmos and bachelor buttons are pretty foolproof. Veggies like tomatoes also are easy to grow, if you figure out how to create the conditions seedlings need.

Always read the back of seed packets and follow directions. The packet should tell you when to plant seeds. No matter how itchy you are to get your fingers in the dirt, don't plant too early or you'll end up with floppy, overgrown plants in May.

Fill your pots or flats with soil and soak with warm water before you plant. Use a finger or the eraser end of a pencil to poke a shallow hole in the soil. Drop the seeds in and gently cover with about ⅛ of an inch of soil. Don't bury seeds too deep.

Cover your flat with clear plastic wrap, taping it at the edges so it's taut. (Commercial flats come with a plastic dome.) Put the flat in a warm place. You should see seedlings poke their heads up from the soil in about a week.

Morning glories are another easy-to-germinate seed, but you'll have more success if you first nick the hard seed coat with a knife or soak the seed for 48 hours in a glass of water. Just to be sure, I do both!

Plant the seed ¼ inch deep. Morning glories should be planted a month before they are transplanted outside. Be aware that most morning glories may not bloom until August because flowering is prompted by day length.

Most vegetable seeds should be planted directly in the garden, but it's wise to start tomatoes, peppers, broccoli and cauliflower inside. Broccoli should be started in early March; cauliflower and peppers in mid-March. Plant tomato seed at the end of March or beginning of April. Peppers can be slow starters, so soaking the seed for a day before planting may help. Broccoli and cauliflower seeds are planted about  ½ inch deep; tomatoes and peppers ¼ inch deep.

With plants like peppers, not all seeds germinate, so plant two or three seeds per pot. If more than one germinates, gently pull out the extras or use a scissors to snip the heads off the unneeded seedlings, leaving the best plant. Plants will grow stronger if they have the room to thrive.

Once seedlings are up, remove the plastic cover from flats and move the seedlings to a bright location.

The last few weeks seedlings are inside are actually the touchiest times for your little plants. Remember these tips:

• Hang lights from adjustable chains or balance the ends of shop lights on stacked bricks so you can raise the lights as plants grow. Lights should be no more than 3 inches from the tops of the plants. Raise the lights as the plants get taller. Be sure to keep the lights on for 14 to 16 hours a day. (Using a timer makes this easy.)

• Don't water too much.

Water lightly and make sure your seedlings never sit in water. Give your flats some room, too, to allow for good air circulation.

• You'll get sturdier, tougher plants if you move growing seedlings to a cooler location. Find a place where the temperature is 70 or lower. I've grown nice tomatoes and other annuals in a basement where the temperature was 60.

Once the danger of frost has passed, move your flats outside to a sheltered, shady spot to let the plants harden off before planting. Try to pick a location where mischief-making squirrels won't gut your pots. I put mine on the deck next to a wall where rodents know the risk of encountering a dog is high.

As the days pass, you can gradually expose your seedlings to more sun.

It's kind of a miracle to watch plants that have been babied inside quickly grow sturdier and healthier as they're jostled by breezes and get used to the sun. (Don't be afraid to give seedling tomatoes new to the outside a little help by tying them to a stake to help them adjust to wind and rain.) After a week or so, they should be acclimated enough to go into the ground.