Since you are asking this question, it is safe to assume that you are trying to grow some vegetables from seeds for the first time. Well, if that is so, welcome to the club! I hope your journey to growing vegetables from seeds is an amazing one.
The first thing you will need to know is that it is important to understand that seeds grow into plants naturally, all you have to do is provide the right circumstances. And that part is pretty easy.
Seeds simply need a growing medium, water (or moisture) and the right temperature to germinate and begin growing. Watch this video to learn more or keep reading.
OKAY, back your question. How long does it take to grow vegetables when you are starting out with just seeds.
The answer is dependent on what type of seeds you are using and the environment.
Some things that impact the germination process are temperature. For example, pepper seeds are going to germinate best in warm soil, so it is best to do them in a warm environment, even if that means putting a heat pad under the growing medium.
Of course all vegetables are different, but typical vegetable seeds will germinate between 1 and 2 weeks (or 7 to 14 days). This will change based upon a number of environment factors and the type of vegetable being grown.
Also, fresher seeds seem to do better than older seeds, so keep that in mind.
Vegetable seeds are rather cheap, so it’s best to error on the side of freshness and order a new batch of vegetable seeds (or harvest some from existing plants).
Once you’ve waited up to 2 weeks (or 14 days), you will have a pretty good idea of which seeds have germinated and which seeds are not going to germinate. If the seeds are not germinating at this point, it may make sense to start over with fresh seeds.
Also, temperature makes a difference. For example tomato seeds prefer to be in 85 deg soil, while peppers will prefer to be a bit warmer. Vegetables like lettuce will prefer a bit colder, usually closer to 70 deg. Keep this in mind when planting during the cold seasons, you may want to supplement some heat to get things moving.
Lastly, while you don’t want your seeds to be under water, they do need air, you will want them to stay moist during the germination process.
There you have it. Germinating seeds is not that tough and is rewarding and a great learning experience.