Tomatoes: Transplants vs. Seeds

Although tomatoes are easy to start from seeds, I purchased several different varieties of heirloom tomato transplants from Home Depot.  They were selling them for $3.48 each, and they came in 5" peat pots.  So why did I purchase transplants if tomatoes are so easy to grow from seeds?

1. Early Harvesting Time.  Transplants have been started indoors from seeds several weeks prior to the spring planting season.  This means my newly purchased tomato transplants will set fruit much earlier than a tomato plant started from seed during the normal planting season.  It will continue to set fruit until the first frost in fall.  
2. Cheaper for People with Limited Gardening Space.  Unless you harvest seeds from an heirloom tomato from the market or can get them on the cheap, it may be slightly more expensive to buy a standard pack of seeds.  For example, Burpee is selling a packet of 50 Black Krim seeds for $3.95.  That packet of seeds cost $0.47 more than a transplant.
3. Limited Space.  I do not need 50 Black Krim tomato plants.  I only want one for now.  I do not have the space for it, and I am more interested in having a variety of plants in my garden.  
4. Free Future Seeds.  I can still easily save seeds from the tomatoes my transplants will produce this year, and start my own transplants early next year.   

Bell Pepper Plants from Scraps

Some people find it difficult to start bell pepper plants from seeds, but I find it really easy to start new bell pepper plants from kitchen scraps.  All you have to do is cut your bell pepper in half lengthwise.  Then scrape the seeds on to a paper towel or newspaper with your fingers or a spoon.  If you want to store the seeds, allow the seeds to dry out in a cool, dry place before storing them in a cool, dry area.  Otherwise, plant the seeds in soil.  

I planted my red bell pepper seeds in my new Burpee 72-Cell Greenhouse Kit on March 15, and 10 days later red bell pepper seedlings are beginning to emerge from the soil!  I planted one to two seeds about 1/4" deep in each cell.    

I am really impressed with the Burpee 72-Cell Greenhouse Kit.  It is easy to use, re-useable, mess-free, and really eliminates the guesswork in creating just the right environment for seeds to germinate.  I only had to do the initial watering of the Burpee seed cubes, and the cells are still moist 10 days later.  Just make sure all of the seed starting cubes are standing upright before pouring the hot water so they expand correctly.  

Disney Tree Planting Kit

Disney Toy Story Space Alien Tree Planting Kit

This Disney Toy Story Space Alien Tree Planting Kit is a cute, inexpensive gift for kids and other garden enthusiasts.  For $9.99, you will get maple seeds, terra cotta pot, peat pellet and planting instructions, all in an adorable gift box.

Get FREE SHIPPING on your entire purchase when you use coupon code KIDATHEART and buy one qualifying adult clothing or accessories purchase.  May I suggest purchasing the earth-friendly Disney Reusable Tote for $2.95 to fulfill that requirement.  It can double as a gift bag and re-useable grocery shopping bag.

Grow Avocados The Easy Way

Anyone can germinate avocados from seed!  Forget the toothpick method.  You do not even need any soil.  Just wash away the flesh from the avocado pits, and wrap the pits in a damp paper towel.  Then place the wrapped pits in a plastic bag.  I used a snack bag (See Photo 1).  After you seal the bag, place the bag in a warm, dark place.  I placed my bag on top of my refrigerator.  Now just ignore it for a few weeks.  It will take about two to four weeks for your pits to sprout (See Photo 2).  

  

Photo 1: Avocado pits have been cleaned, wrapped in a damp paper towel, and sealed in a snack bag.

  

Photo 2: Both avocado pits have germinated

Local Harvest

Do you crave fresh, organic produce, but lack the time or space to create your own garden? Visit Local Harvest's website at http://www.localharvest.org/. This website is a public nationwide directory of small farms, farmer markets, and other local food sources. You can find CSA farms that will either deliver food to you or make produce available for pickup at regular intervals. You can also shop at their store for fresh produce, meats, heirloom seeds, flowers, syrups, preserves and more.

Free Tomato Seeds

Wintersown.org is giving away your choice of 6 packs of heirloom tomato seeds for free. All packets are a minimum of 6 seeds each. All you have to do is to fill out their form, and mail in a #10 long envelope with two first class stamps.

Here is a list of tomato seeds available:

All tomatoes are OPs. (unless noted otherwise)

Ace 55 ~ Globe-shaped, red fruits up to a half pound, very reliable and tasty, described as low-acid, DET, 75 DTM

Amana Orange ~ Tasty orange beefsteak from Amana, Iowa, pretty, most about a half pound, IND, 90 DTM

Amish Paste ~ Productive cropper makes loads of plum-shaped fruits, most about 8 ounces, IND, 75 DTM

Arkansas Traveler ~ Delicious pink tomatoes about 8 oz., good cropper for hot and humid climates, IND, 85 DTM

Baby Beefsteak ~ Small red fruits shaped like beefsteaks, are much more juicy, about 1 - 2 oz., good cropper, IND, 75 DTM

Banjan Roomii ~ Red beefsteak from Afghanistan, most about a half pound, very nice flavor, IND, 85+ DTM

Beefsteak ~ Meaty red fruits usually over a pound, classic and traditional, it's what Mom grew, IND, 80 DTM

Big Dave's Red Blend ~ A wonderful assortment of red types, lots of different shapes and sizes, all so yum. includes DETs and INDs, 65 - 85+ DTM

Black Cherry ~ Clusters of plum-brown fruits, 1" across, delicious, IND, 65+ DTM

Black Krim ~ Mahogany-brown fruits with green shoulders, have green gel around seeds, delicious, IND, 75+ DTM

Black Prince ~ Dark brick-toned fruits about 2 - 3 ounces each, very productive, quite yum, IND, 72+ DTM

Bonny Best ~ This great classic tomato makes delicious red fruits, about 8 ounces, IND, 72 DTM

Bradley ~ Makes loads of 10 ounce red fruits, fine for fresh eating and nice canning type too, Semi-DET, about 80 DTM

Brandywine Yellow ~ Golden-yellow tomatoes weighing up to a pound, very delicious and pretty too, IND, 80 - 90 DTM

Burbank Red Slicing ~ Hisorical tomato developed by Luther Burbank circa 1915, loads of yum red fruits, DET, 70, DTM

Burpee's Big Boy Hybrid ~ Pretty, bright red beefsteaks usually over a pound, IND, about 78 DTM (These seeds were dear to obtain. We ask your understanding in that we can only share this remarkable hybrid with SASEs that include a donation.)

Campari OP ~ Delicious small red fruits, large vines, excellent cropper, IND, about 80 DTM

Caspian Pink ~ Simply delicious beefsteak, usually 12 ounces or more, IND, 80+ DTM

Celebrity ~ Tasty red fruits weigh up to a half pound each, good cropper, disease resistant, DET, 72 DTM

Cherokee Purple ~ Deep, dark rose-tone beefsteak, known for great flavor, most fruits over a half pound, IND, about 80 DTM

Chico III ~ Plum-shaped paste, red fruits about three ounces, excellent cropper and disease resistant too, DET, 70 DTM

Chocolate Cherry ~ Clusters of maroon-brown fruits, about an inch across, IND 70 DTM

Chudo Rinka ~ Ukrainian tomato sets plenty of yum red clusters, versatile, good fresh or cooked, DET, 75+ DTM

Cold Set ~ Canadian saladette has red fruits up to four ounces, fast and early, DET, about 65 DTM

Coyote ~ Pretty yellow cherry tomato is prolific and delicious, IND, 75 DTM

Delicious ~ Holds world record for size but red fruits usually weigh about a pound, nice for salads and BLTs, IND, 78 DTM

Dr. Carolyn ~ Abundant cherry tomato, nice for snacking, paler form of Galinas, IND, about 75 DTM

Dr. Wyche's Yellow ~ Delicious golden-yellow beefsteaks, most weighing over a half-pound, large plants, IND, 80 DTM

Early Girl ~ Well known variety for short-season gardens, fine tasting red tomatos, most about 4 - 5 ounces, IND, 62+ DTM

Early Kus Ali ~ Clusters of mostly three-inch red fruits are delicious fresh or cooked, reliable cropper is great for sauce, IND, 70+ DTM

Flame ~ BiColor fruits are yellow to gold with pink to red streaks, yum and pretty, can weigh over a pound, IND 85 DTM

Fuzzy Peach ~ Golden-yellow fruits are blushed pink with soft fuzzy skin, about 2 oz, IND, 75+ DTM

Garden Peach ~ Pale-yellow tomato develops rosy tinge as it ripens, has fuzzy skin too, yum curiosity, 3 - 5 ounces, IND, 80 - 90 DTM

German Johnson ~ Virginia heirloom makes large deep pink beefsteaks, yum and pretty, IND, about 80 DTM

Gartenperle ~ Dwarf plants, loads of small red, tangy cherries, novelty for patio containers and baskers, DET, 75+ DTM

Giant Belgium ~ Deep pink fruits can weigh nearly two pounds, meaty tomatoes have excellent flavor, IND, 68+ DTM

Giant Oxheart ~ Large red oxheart, often over a pound, very tasty and sweet, IND, 90 DTM

Goji Faranji ~ Iranian ruffled red beefsteak, about 6 - 8 ounces, a bit tangy and so yum, 85+ DTM

Golden Delcious ~ The name says it all. Golden beefsteaks can weigh up to a pound or more, IND, 80+ DTM

Golden Jubilee ~ Wonderful variety grown for decades, 3" yellow-orange globes, delicious, IND, 70 DTM

Granny Bradley ~ Pink heirloom has fruits about 3" - 4" acrossm fine flavor for slicing or salad, IND, 78+ DTM

Great White ~ Creamy-white beefsteak is both beautiful and delicious, IND, 85 DTM

Green Grape ~ Heavy croppers have yellow-green fruits about 3/4" long, great flavor, DET, about 70 DTM

Green Zebra ~ Pretty, 3 ounce fruits ripen to light green with dark green streaking, very tasty, IND, 78 DTM

Gregory's Altai ~ Delicious red fruits crop early and abundantly, IND, 67 DTM

Heinz 1439 ~ Makes tasty 6 oz. red fruits, excellent cropper, good for sauce and salad too, reliable canner, DET, 80 DTM

Hillbilly ~ Beautiful fruits are yellow-orange with pink to red streaking, can weigh a pound or more, IND, 85 DTM

Homestead ~ Floridian tomato developed for hot southern climates, good cropper, DET, 60 - 70+ DTM

Hong Yuen ~ Clusters of two inch red maters, consistant size for whole canning, yum for salad and sauce too, IND, 75+ DTM

Huang Se Chieh 'Gold' ~ 2 - 3 inch yellow fruits with golden skin, has rosey blush when fully ripe, tastes yum, good for salad or sauce, IND, 80+ DTM

Huang Se Chieh 'Moon Yellow' ~ Same fine taste as Huang Se Chieh 'Gold', has clear skin and very pale yellow fruits, IND, 80+ DTM

Isis Candy ~ Warm yellow cherries are uniquely marbled with a red blush to full streaks, lovely and delicious, IND, 80 DTM

Isis Candy Cross ~ Colorful, has large cherries up to 1.5" across, unusual dirty-orange hue, quite tasty, fruits could differ a bit but all are yum, IND, about 70 DTM

Italian Market Wonder ~ Disease resistant, beautiful red variety has great taste, nice fresh or cooked, IND, 75 DTM

Jeff's Mystery Pink Oxheart ~ Delicious pink hearts, medium to large fruits, IND, about 90 DTM

Juliet Grape ~ Large plants with loads of sweet, oval cherries, great for salad or snacking, IND, about 70 DTM

Large Red Cherry ~ Bigger cherries, about an inch across, sweet with a touch of tang, IND, 75+ DTM

Liz Birt ~ Brandywine-type tomato honors late autism pioneer, IND, 70 - 75 DTM

Luther Burbank's WonderBerries ~ Solanum x burbankii,Historic, garden huckleberry makes small deep blue berries on short plants, best used for pies or jam, DET about 85 DTM

Manitoba ~ Favorite for short seasons, produces loads of good tasting red fruits, 4 - 6 ounces each, DET, about 70 DTM

Marglobe ~ Great flavor from yesteryear, this fine cropper deserves a spot in every garden, red 6 - 7 ounce globes, DET, 75 DTM

Marion ~ Red and round Rutgers-type, good flavor and disease resitance too, weighs about 8 ounces, IND, 75 DTM

Mister Stripey ~ Loads of red fruits with gold stripes, early, lovely in salads, tangy and delicious, IND, about 60 DTM

MoneyMaker ~ Good cropper for hot and humid regions, has quite tasty red fruits, most about 4 ounces, IND, 75+ DTM

Murray Smith ~ Large red fruits developed by Dr. Howard Brown of Cal Poly, named for his friend Professor Murray Smith, IND, about 70 - 80 DTM

New Yorker ~ Great old favorite crops well in short seasons, classic round and red fruits about 4 ounces, DET, 66 DTM

Old German ~ Mennonite tomato has gold and yellow fruits with red and pink streaks, yum and pretty, IND, about 85 DTM

Oxheart ~ Heart-shaped pink tomatoes grow up to a pound, excellent flavor, IND, 80 DTM

Peiping Chieh ~ 2 to 3 inch red fruits, fine sliced or makes yum sauce, good cropper, 75+ DTM

Persey ~ Moldavian red tomato, flavorful, about 2 - 4 ounces each, good cropper, DET, 60 - 70 DTM

Pink Brandywine ~ Deep pink fruits, often over a pound, heirloom, well known for great flavor, IND, 80 - 90 DTM

Plum Lemon ~ Russian variety has yellow, lemon-shaped fruits, delicious and so pretty, nice for salads, IND, 75+ DTM

Ponderosa Pink ~ Old variety, large rosey-pink beefsteaks weigh up to a pound, yumyum, IND, 80 DTM

Ponderosa Red ~ Dark red beefsteaks weigh up to a pound, delicious classic grown and loved for decades, IND, 80 DTM

Powers Heirloom ~ Pale yellow fruits are sweet and fruity, this paste-type is nice for sauce or salad, IND, 75+ DTM

Pruden's Purple ~ Deep pink beefsteaks are quite yummy, sets fruit earlier than similar types, IND, 75+ DTM

Ramapo F1 Hybrid ~ Large plants have red fruits about 8 to 14 oz. each, great flavor, may be the original "Jersey Tomato", IND, 80+ DTM. (These seeds were dear to obtain. We ask your understanding in that we can only share this remarkable hybrid with SASEs that include a donation.)

Red Beef ~ Red beefsteak can weigh a pound or more, good for slicing and salads, very yum, IND, about 80 DTM

Red Brandywine ~ Red-fruited Brandywine strain, weighs 8 - 12 ounces, delicious for salad or slicing, IND, 85 DTM

Red Pear ~ Loads of small, pear-shaped cherries, yummy garden snacker, cute in salads, IND, 78 DTM

Red Thunder ~ Tasty red fruits about 2 - 4 ounces each, IND, reliable cropper, 70 - 80 DTM

Riesenstraube ~ German name means 'bunch of grapes', red cherry tomato with pointed ends, yum, IND, about 80 DTM

Rio Fuego ~ Blocky red paste is known for high sugar content, makes great sauce, excellent for salad too, DET, 75+ DTM

Rhoades Heirloom ~ Large bi-color orange and red fruits, weighing a pound or more, pretty and fine tasting, IND, 70 - 80 DTM

Roma Paste ~ Classic red paste tomato, good fresh or cooked, IND, 75 - 80 DTM

Russian Persimmon ~ Yellowy-Orange fruits about 3" - 4" across, great flavor, good cropper, DET, 70 - 80 DTM

Rutgers ~ Red fruits weigh about 6 ounces, well known reliable cropper, DET, 75 DTM

Saint Pierre ~ Old French variety makes large red fruits about 3" across, reliable and tasty, IND, 78+ DTM

San Marzano ~ Loads of long, meaty red pastes, excellent for canning or sauce, IND, 80 DTM

Sheyenne ~ Red round fruits crop early with abundance, quite tasty, rarely offered in catalogues, DET, 70 DTM

Siberian ~ Extra-early Russian variety produces 2" - 3" red fruits on small plants, nice for fast tomatoes, DET, 57+ DTM

Skorospelska ~ Red tomato from Eastern Europe is excellent for canning or slicing; crops in two waves. NICE! DET, about 70 DTM

Slavianskii Shedevr ~ Russian origin, red fruits about 8 - 12 ounces each, IND, 70 - 80 DTM

Small Red Cherry ~ Classic, red cherries are delicious and plentiful, IND, 75+ DTM

Speckled Siberian ~ Oblate Russian variety produces red fruits with gold-flecked skin, about 2 - 4 ounces each, IND,
70 - 80 DTM

Super Marmande ~ French heirloom has delicious red fruits weighing about 6 - 7 ounces, fine cropper, IND, 70 DTM

Sugar Lump ~ Delicious cherry tomato, exellent cropper, this variety is also known as 'Gardener's Delight', IND, 72+ DTM

SunMaster ~ Beautiful red fruits, excellent cropper for hot summer regions, disease resistance too, DET, 75+ DTM

SuperSteak ~ Grows huge red beefsteaks, most over a pound, good cropper with disease resistance too, IND, about 80 DTM

Super Sioux ~ 4 - 6 oz red globes, said to be reliable for hot gardens, IND, 70 - 80 DTM

Tamina ~ Extra-early, small red fruits are very tasty, excellent choice for short-season gardens, good cropper, IND, 70 DTM

Tennessee Surprise ~ Large golden fruits have blushing bottoms ;-) IND, 78 DTM

The 'Blend' ~ WinterSown's own fun and fascinating mix of assorted sizes, shapes and colors--there is something for everyone! Plenty of seeds, DET to IND, no dwarf-types, most about 70 - 90 DTM

Tigerella ~ Sunset red fruits are streaked with golden yellow, great cropper has loads of lovely salad-size tomatoes, IND, about 80 DTM

Tomatillo, Purple ~ Husk tomato has yum fruits which ripen to purple, harvest when fruits begin to split their husks, can be cooked or eaten fresh, IND, 75+ DTM

Tomatillo, Verde ~ Husk tomato important for Mexican cuisine, harvest when fruits begin to split their husks, excellent for Salsa Verde, IND, 65+ DTM

Tommy Toes ~ Healthy plants make red cherries, about an inch across, excellent cropper too, IND, about 70 DTM

Tondina Maramenno ~ Beautiful red, Italian variety, excellent cropper, clusters of fruits weighing 4 - 6 ounces each, DET, about 60 DTM

Toni's Terrific Tomatoes ~ OP blend of classic slicers and cherries for early to mid-season gardens, includes: Alicante, Better Boy, Bonnie Original, Early Girl, Large Red Cherrie, Sweet Baby Girl, and Sweet 100, IND, about 58 - 75 DTM

Van Wert Ohio ~ Delicious and vigorous heirloom produces many red 4 - 8 ounce fruits, IND, 70 - 80 DTM

Vera Pepper Tomato ~ Novelty cariety of pepper-shaped tomatoes are great for stuffing, yummy filled with tuna or macaroni salad, IND, 75+ DTM

Volvograd ~ Volga region variety has red fruits about 4 - 8 ounce each, DET, 70 - 80 DTM

Wild Card ~ Will be a tomato variety not on this list. It could be a classic old-time favorite, or it could be something rare ;-)

Willamette ~ Medium-sized red, developed by Oregon State University is well suited for cooler climates, DET, 70 - 80 DTM

Yellow Jubilee ~ A yellow form of Golden Jubilee has lemon-yellow orbs, very attractive and tasy, IND, 80 DTM

Yellow Pear ~ Miniature pear-shaped tomatoes on large plants, mild tasting, abundant cropper, favorite of children, IND, 70 - 80 DTM

Harvesting Cilantro Seeds

I just harvested coriander from my cilantro plant. I was pleasantly surprised by the abundant supply of coriander my small cilantro plant produced. "Cilantro" is an annual herb. The tender aromatic leaves are often used in the last stages of Mexican and Asian cooking. "Coriander" is the cilantro seed and it is also used in cooking. For example, I use ground coriander to flavor my meats and stews. I plan on using the bulk of my cilantro seeds for culinary purposes, but I will save a few to grow some more cilantro.

How to Harvest Coriander:
Harvesting coriander is simple and effortless. Your cilantro plant will eventually produce tiny white flowers with lavender accents (See Figure B below).

Once these flowers are pollinated, they will produce seeds (i.e., coriander) in its place (See Figure C below). Small flowers normally do not need help pollinating. However, if you are growing cilantro indoors, you will want to gently shake the cilantro plant or place it in a windy area to assist pollination. This will help the plant produce higher yields of coriander.

It took two to three weeks for my cilantro seeds to fully mature. You will want to pick the cilantro seeds when they are ripe. Cilantro seeds are ripe when the seeds are just starting to turn brown (See Figure C). Snip off the stems of plant, and place it in a paper bag. Allow the seeds to dry in a cool, dark place. After the seeds have dried out, collect the seeds and store them in a glass jar or other airtight container until you are ready to use them.




Figure A
Young Cilantro Plant



Figure B
Blooming Cilantro Flowers



Figure C
The round balls are cilantro seeds a.k.a. coriander

Blooming Chamomile Buds

Just thought I'd share a few photos of my blooming chamomile buds. At first I thought my chamomile was blooming without any petals, but a day or two later the petals grew out from the buds to form perfect little chamomile flowers.

Photo of Chamomile Buds

Photo of Chamomile Petals Growing

Photo of Chamomile Flower in Full Bloom

Photo of Chamomile Flower Going to Seed

Space Saver: Germinate Seeds By Using The Plastic Bag Method

I received a bad batch of seeds, and wasted a lot of window sill space trying to get these puppies to germinate. I decided to use the plastic bag method with the remaining seeds to save space on my windowsill. The basic idea is to "plant" a lot of seeds in a bag, and only transfer the seeds that sprout. If you have never used this method before, it is a cool project to try out.

Note: I would not recommend using this method for very tiny or delicate seeds if you plan to transplant the seeds.

Materials:

• Large Clear Ziploc bag or other clear resealable airtight bag.
• Paper Towel
• Water
• Seeds
• Pen
• Spray bottle (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Wet a paper towel with water, and squeeze out the excess water. The towel should be moist, but not dripping wet. If it is too wet, the seed can "drown," develop bacteria and/or rot. If you have a spray bottle handy, you might want to use it to lightly mist the paper towel.

2. Spread out the paper towel and then drop the seeds on one half of the paper towel. Space out the seeds so that they are not too clumped together. Fold over the other side of the paper towel over the seeds, and gently press your hands over the edges and the spaces between the seeds. This will create a seal and keep the seeds from falling out.


3. Slide the paper towel holding the seeds inside the plastic bag. Seal the plastic bag. The bag will keep the water from escaping and provide constant moisture to the seeds, which is key to a successful germination.



4. Use the pen to label the bag. I write down the name of the plant and the date. Hang the plastic bag up. You can use magnets to fix the bag to the refrigerator or weave the top portion of the bag in and out of the window blinds. Then wait for the seeds to sprout.


5. Once the seeds sprout, remove them from the bag and plant them in the ground. Do not pull on the seeds or seedlings because you are likely to damage the tender root system. Just take two fingers, place one finger on either side of the seedling, press down onto the moist paper towel and gently pull or tear apart the paper towel to free the seedings. If a bit of the paper towel remains on the root system just leave it and plant the whole thing in soil. It will eventually break down. Discard all of the seeds that did not sprout.

Gardening in Winter

Free Seeds from wintersown.org

Who says you have to wait until spring to start gardening? You can successfully germinate seeds throughout the winter both indoors and outdoors.

• Indoors - You can easily start seedlings indoors if you have a sunny windowsill in your apartment. See Blog Post Dixie Cup Seedling Starter for more information on inexpensive seedling starters.

• Outdoors - You can sow seeds directly outdoors and encourage germination by using a green house method. See Blog Post Homemade Greenhouse: Germinate Seeds Easily Outdoors to learn how to make a green house with materials you already have at home.
  

Visit wintersown.org for more information about sowing in the winter. Trudi Davidoff has an informative essay on selecting seeds for winter sowing and recycling materials into seed flats.

Seed Organizer

I purchased a set of two 7.5" x 7.5" photo albums for $4.99 at my local Target store. The 3.5" x 5" photo pockets are perfect for storing and keeping track of my seed packets. I write down the names of the plants, the date I received the packets and/or the date I sowed the seeds, and other important information about the plants in the margins.

Dixie Cup Seedling Starter

Seedlings (from left to right): Red Bell Peppers, Sweet Basil, Plum Tomato, Black-Eyed Susan

This is an inexpensive and convenient way to start your seedlings indoors.
Materials:

• Dixie Cups
• Seeds
• Potting Soil
• Pencil or Pen
• Water
• Empty Water Bottle
  

Instructions:

1. Fill a Dixie Cup at least halfway full. Leave at least 1/2″ space from soil line to the top of the cup.
2. Press your pinky finger (or use the end of a pencil) to make an impression in the center of the soil. The depth of the impression will depend on the seed sowing instructions, but is usually between 1/8″ and 1/2″ deep.
3. Place 1 or 2 seeds in the impression, and then lightly cover the seeds with soil.
4. Gently pour water onto the soil.
   
   
   
   • Caution: Do not over-water the soil. You want moist soil, not soggy soil.
5. Write down what you are growing on the cup to keep track of what you are planting.
6. Place the cup on a sunny windowsill.
7. Check the plants daily and keep the soil moist. The trick to getting seeds to germinate is to keep the soil moist and warm.
   
   
   
   • Tip #1 (Transporting Seedlings): You can place Dixie Cup seedlings on a tray or in a shallow box (e.g., shoe box) so that you can move several seedlings around at once. If you keep them in a box, make sure there is proper air circulation to prevent the growth of fungus.
   • Tip #2 (Watering Seedlings): When seedlings begin to sprout do not pour water directly on the tender seedling shoots. Spoon water directly on the soil around the seedling shoots.
   • Tip #3 (Retaining Soil Moisture): You can rest a piece of plastic wrap or other transparent material over the cups to help the soil retain moisture. If the plant shoots above the cup line, place clear plastic bags (like Ziplock bags) over a group of seedlings to create a mini-greenhouse tent.
   • UPDATE: It is a lot easier and more economical in the long run to use re-useable seedling starters.  The great thing about these miniature plastic pots is that they help keep the soil from drying out and they can be used over and over again.   
8. Transplant seedlings when they are 3″ to 4″ tall.
   
   
   • Fill 4″ or 6″ pot with potting soil leaving about 2″ or 3″ of space. Place Dixie Cup in the center of the pot and continue to fill pot with soil. You want to leave about a 1/2″ of space between soil line and top of gardening pot. Water plant thoroughly.
   • Tip #4 (Removing Seedlings from Cup): Position the cup so that the seedlings point to the ground at about a 45-degree angle. Then roll the bottom half of the cup in your hand to loosen up the soil and slightly tap or shake until the seedling falls in to your hand. Place in the new pot.