We begin our journey as dormant, sickle-shaped seeds, brown or black and about half an inch long. Our outer coating is tough, designed to protect the life within. To encourage a swift and strong germination, you can help us by soaking our seeds in lukewarm water for 6-8 hours before planting. This process softens our hard exterior, signaling to the embryo inside that conditions are favorable for growth, allowing us to readily absorb the moisture we need to burst forth.
We require a comfortable and nourishing home to establish our roots. A lightweight, sterile seed-starting mix is ideal for us. Garden soil is too dense and may harbor pathogens that can harm our delicate seedlings. Fill a clean container—a cell tray, small pots, or even recycled egg cartons with drainage holes poked in the bottom—with the moistened mix. Proper drainage is non-negotiable; our roots must breathe and will quickly rot if left sitting in water.
Plant us at a depth of about ¼ inch into the prepared growing medium. We are photoblastic, meaning we require light to germinate effectively. Burying us too deeply will consume our energy reserves before we can reach the surface, ultimately causing us to fail. Gently cover us with a fine layer of the soil mix and mist the surface with water to settle us in without disturbing our position. A light covering of a plastic dome or plastic wrap will help maintain the high humidity level we crave at this early stage.
Place our container in a warm location, ideally between 70-75°F (21-24°C). We do not need light until we emerge, but we desperately need this consistent warmth to activate our metabolic processes. Within 5 to 7 days, you should see our cotyledons, or seed leaves, break through the soil surface. Immediately remove any plastic covering and move us to a location with very strong, direct light—a south-facing window is best, but a grow light positioned just a few inches above us is even better. Without sufficient light, we will become leggy and weak, stretching desperately for a sun we cannot find.
Keep our growing medium consistently moist but never waterlogged. Water from the bottom by placing our container in a tray of water and allowing the soil to wick up moisture, which encourages our roots to grow downward strongly. Once our first set of true leaves (the leaves that look like miniature marigold leaves) appears, you can begin feeding us with a very diluted, balanced liquid fertilizer every other week to support our vigorous growth.
We have grown accustomed to the stable, protected environment indoors. Before we can be transplanted into your garden, we must be gradually acclimatized to the harsher outdoor conditions of wind, sun, and fluctuating temperatures—a process known as hardening off. About 1-2 weeks before the last frost date, begin placing us outdoors in a sheltered, partially shaded spot for a few hours each day, gradually increasing our exposure to sun and wind and the length of time we spend outside. This careful process strengthens our stems and thickens our leaves, preparing us for a successful life in the garden.
