Flower seeds are often much smaller than vegetable seeds. Some are so tiny, almost like dust, that handling them is a real challenge. So if your flower seeds fail to germinate, you–rather than the seed–are probably at fault.

Good germination of flower seeds takes proper temperature, moisture and oxygen. The procedure is a lot easier to do indoors than in an outside flowerbed.

Small seeded flowers such as begonias, impatiens, geraniums, snapdragons or salvia need to be sown in February so that plants are large enough to set out by Memorial Day.

To grow your own plants, a small greenhouse would be best, but few of us are fortunate enough to have one. The next best option is use of fluorescent lights in an area of your home where you can have some control over temperatures and where spilled water won't be inconvenient. A corner in the basement or an unused room work well. The use of 40 watt, cool, white fluorescent tubes about six inches apart and set just above the plant tops should provide enough light to keep the plants growing normally until time to move them outside.

In addition to light, you'll need to figure out some way to give the seeds the right temperatures they need for germination, 70 to 80 degrees F in some cases. Sometimes a plastic tent over the lights will hold sufficient heat around the seed flats.

Use a light, porous medium for germinating the seed. The ready-made brands available from your local greenhouse or seed store work well. These mixes are sterilized, so be sure you take every precaution to maintain sanitation. Don't use dirty old containers or tools.

Timing is often the most difficult decision for starting annuals indoors. If you start too early, you will need a lot of room and light to keep the plants spaced so they don't become leggy. If you start too late, plants are too small to set out and you lose the advantage of the early start. As a general rule, plant seeds of the slowest-growing varieties about 12 to 15 weeks before planting out time, May 1 or so in central Illinois.

That means sowing seeds as early as the first week of February. Fast growing seeds such as marigolds can be sown as late as April 1 and still make sizeable plants by early May.

Growing your own seedlings is quite a challenge. Expect to have a few problems the first time you try. But, once you master it, there is a lot of satisfaction in knowing you did it yourself.

Source: David Robson, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator, Springfield Center, (217)782-6515