How to save money when you plant your garden. Step by Step instructions on starting seeds at home

Spring is a fun time for me. I love to garden and in the spring I get to start planning my summer vegetable, herb, and wildflower gardens. One of my favorite weekend activities is to visit the gardening departments at Lowes, Builders Square, and Walmart as well as my local mom and pop nurseries to see all of the great plants they have available. I don't buy many though, because my absolute passion is starting my own plants from seed. It's easy, fun, and can save you hundreds of dollars over the planting season.

I began "seeding" about a dozen years ago after teaching my first graders all about plants and seeds. The students were able to grow some awesome plants and I took some of them home to start my first vegetable garden. I had so many tomatoes that year I couldn't give them all away so I learned how to sun dry them and make my own sun-dried tomatoes.

• Starting your own seeds gives you the opportunity to have a larger variety of plants in your garden; you aren't limited to just the varieties carried by your local garden departments. I love to use zinnias in cut flower arrangements but have you ever seen a zinnia plant for sale at Walmart, Lowes, or Builders Square?
• You can save hundreds of dollars by using seeds rather than purchasing established plants. A single tomato plant can cost up to $3 while a packet of 25 seeds can be purchased for as little as 10 cents.
• You can either sell or give away your extra plants. Vegetable, herb, and flower plants make an excellent gift for your neighbors or friends. We have two new families moving into our neighborhood and I plan to give them some of our leftovers as a housewarming gift. My daughter plans to take the remaining ones to our local farmer's market to sell.

Starting your seeds is extremely easy. You need:

• seeds
• peat pots or styrofoam cups
• dirt
• water
• ziploc bags

Prepare your pots or cups by filling them with dirt. If you use styrofoam cups poke a few small holes in the bottom for drainage purposes. Add 2 or 3 seeds to each cup then water them in. Place each cup or pot in a ziploc bag, seal the bag, and put them in a sunny spot in your house. The bag will keep the inside atmosphere humid which is exactly what the seeds need to sprout. Once your seed have sprouted take them out of the bag, place in a sunny spot, and water them regularily.

You can purchase a mini greenhouse that uses peet pellets at most Walmarts or drug stores. The greenhouse kits are available in several sizes and are reusable. I have several and recently purchased replacement pellets for $2.50 at Walmart. The only thing I don't like about the greenhouse is the need to repot the plants within 2 weeks after they sprout otherwise they will become root bound.

I recently purchased striped zinnia seeds from Lowes and paid $2 for the packet. Later I purchased the exact same seeds for 10 cents from a local drugstore. The picture on both packages is exactly the same, the planting instructions are the same, and they are manufactured in the same place. The only difference is that the more expensive pack carries a nationally recognized name. My tip? Check out the cheaper seeds display before you purchase more expensive seeds-it could save you a lot of money.

You can purchase an 8 pack of peat pots for around $1. You can purchase 30 styrofoam cups from your local dollar store for $1. If you choose to use the peat pot be aware that they are designed to decompose once you plant them directly in the garden. Several of my peat pot rotted in the ziploc bags and had to be thrown away. If you use the styrofoam cups remember to poke a hole in the bottom otherwise water will stand in them and could kill your young plant.

 I hope you found this hub helpful. If you have any questions don't hesitate to email me. Happy Planting.