Many gardeners want to get started from the earliest stage of the process. This involves planting flowers and vegetables from seeds. Starting a garden from scratch is possible, as long as you follow all the basics.

Flowers and the majority of garden plants are divided into three groups: annual, biennial and perennial. These are started from seeds. The seeds would grow into seedlings, which can be planted in the garden.

Preconditions
To get plants started from seeds, you will have to consider several factors. The first thing to plan is the type of soil. You may want to plant the seeds in pots and then to move the seedlings to the garden.

Go to a garden store, where you will be advised about the best type of soil for the needs of the specific plant.

The water that you use for the plants should contain no chlorine or salts. Fill a container and let it stay overnight before watering the plants.

When it comes to light, you will have to be more careful. Some seeds need darkness to germinate. These seeds should be covered by soil. Others need sunlight and have to be placed on the surface of the soil (petunias, for example).

The optimum temperature for the germination of the majority of seeds is 15 to 18 degrees Celsius during the night and 21 to 23 degrees Celsius during the day.

Planting the Seeds
For best results, you will have to plant seeds into pots before moving them in the garden. Fill a pot with soil and get it wet. Press the soil slightly with your hands so that it becomes more compact.

Put the seeds on the surface of the soil and use some more soil to cover them. Sprinkle water over the seeds. Place the pot on an even surface and cover the pot with plastic foil, which should not touch the soil.

Maintain the soil wet until the seeds germinate. Once the young plants sprout, the amount of moisture can decrease. The surface of the soil should be dry before you water the plants once again.

Fertilizing Seedlings
To grow, the plants use the nutrients and energy stored in the seeds. You will have to start fertilizing the plants only after several leaves get formed.

Fertilize the plants once a week. Choose a proper water-soluble fertilizer. You can also choose an organic fertilizer, in case you are planting vegetables and you want to keep the plant production ecological.

If the seedlings grow to be too tall before you plant them in the garden, you can cut off the top. Always cut the area above a leaf or above the place where a branch has formed.

Moving the Seedlings to the Garden
In order to get the plants naturalized, you should start taking the pots outside one or two weeks after the seed germination. Maintain the soil moist.

In the first few days, take the plants to a shady part of the garden. After that, you can position the pots in a sunny place. Before you plant the seedlings in the garden, you need to keep them outside at least two times overnight.

Plants That Can be Started from Seeds
Which types of plants can be started from seeds?

You can give various flowers and vegetables from seed. These are easy to take care of and grow.

Try some of the plants which are best for beginners. You can try more difficult tasks once you gain some experience and get acquainted to more complicated planting procedures.

Some of the flowers that you can grow from seeds include marigold, convolvulus, dahlia, petunia, nasturtium, cyclamen, primrose, mimosa and aster.

Other plants that are easy to start from seeds include hibiscus, mountain ash, juniper, chestnut and sycamore.