How to start vegetable seeds that become prolific producers!

Just about everyone who's got a bit of land or even a south-facing balcony, is in to growing vegetables this year. Produce is expensive these days, which makes growing your own an attractive idea. Besides, garden fresh produce beats the supermarket product every time. However, if you've never grown a garden, how to start vegetable seeds may rank as one of the great mysteries of the modern world. There's really nothing to it. Unlike some fussy perennials which require many months of stalwart coddling, vegetables absolutely want to sprout, grow and bear their fruit, despite your lack of experience. Here we provide the basic process you need to start vegetable seeds and bring them right through to the harvest and your table.

Your first consideration is to buy top quality seeds. Avoid the sale racks, which seem tempting at 10 cents a pack. Those seeds may be of inferior quality, outdated or too late to plant this year.

If you want to start vegetable seeds that you'll be growing on your balcony, be sure that that vegetable will thrive in a large pot. For example, you want tomatoes. Your balcony pot won't be large enough to support a large variety of tomato that needs the room afforded by a large garden. Look for varieties of cherry or 'patio' tomatoes.

Now that you've chosen your seeds, it's time to get them started. The most successful method I've found to start vegetable seeds is the peat pot method. Peat pots are made of compressed peat, which dissolves over time. Peat pots give you an advantage over the little plastic trays and pots many people use to start vegetable seeds, in that you need not disturb the root system by removing them from the pot when you're ready to transplant to the permanent location. You just plant the entire pot! Once in the ground, the peat pot dissolves quickly, allowing your vegetable to grow unfettered and undisturbed by your transplant efforts.

Read the instructions on the seed package carefully regarding the depth at which the seed should be planted. Small seeds, like tomato seeds, buried to a depth of an inch, may never sprout. Use a Popsicle or craft stick, marked in increments with a permanent marker, to measure the depth and create the hole to start vegetable seeds.

Once the weather and soil have warmed and the night temperatures don't dip below the point recommended on the seed packet, you can also plant directly in the garden. However, if you've got rambunctious kids, pets or local critters, you might want to use the peat pots to start vegetable seeds. An established seedling stands a greater chance of surviving the elements and any roughhousing.

Make sure your seedlings are watered daily. Avoid watering in the heat of the day, or at twilight. The best time to water is in the morning, after the dew has dried. If you're growing in pots, check twice daily. Don't let them dry out!

Apply a fertilizer that's formulated for vegetables according to the package instructions.

That's about all you need to know to start vegetable seeds that will thrive and produce prolifically. Eat well!