Victory garden, anyone? Here's how you can grow food indoors during the pandemic

We're constantly being told that the best way we can fight the COVID-19 pandemic is by staying inside our own bubble. If you're someone with a tactile day job, or someone who isn't accustomed to stillness, you might be finding this whole thing a little unnerving.

You're probably pacing around the house, wishing you could help in a more immediate way.

I have a practical idea:I propose you start an indoor victory garden.

Victory gardens, or war gardens, began in England in the First World War. Food shortages and rations were a way of life and the British government encouraged citizens to tend gardens in both their own yards and in public spaces.

Victory gardens became popular again in the Second World War, in countries around the world including here.

These gardens eased the burden of food shortages and gave people the feeling that they were contributing in some meaningful way.

They also boosted morale.

Some indoor gardening will boost your morale too. It's a great way to pass the time, it's rewarding and it will make you feel like you're contributing.

I touched based with my favourite horticulturalist, Sarah Pritchett of Good2Grow Garden Centre, to create this handy guide to starting seeds indoors.

First, gather your supplies

You'll need the following things: seeds, cell packs with trays and or pots (you can save money by using egg cartons or cardboard berry containers; just make sure you poke some drainage holes in the bottom), a light, a spray bottle filled with water, a table or cart to place your trays upon, a fan, and some good potting soil.

Local garden centres are doing curbside drop-offs and deliveries, so you don't need to flout physical distancing guidelines to get equipment.

Next, consider lighting.

Lots of folks will assert that you don't need to buy any fancy indoor lighting equipment to start seeds, just a nice consistent bright light. Well, I live in an old downtown row house and I haven't seen a full day of consistent bright light throughout this entire hellish winter, so I bought a four-foot-long full-spectrum fluorescent light. Once my seeds pop through the soil, I'll jury-rig it to hang from the ceiling.

Start small and grow things you'll actually eat.- Sarah Pritchett

This fancy new light doesn't use much electricity, doesn't create too much heat and was reasonably priced. I felt thatwas an important factor, as like most of us, I'mwithout work for the next few months.

If you do opt to start seeds without a light, just know that your seeds may stretch and become weakened. They have a better chance in the most sunlit spot in your house.

Your seeds don't need light yet, but they do need labels! I can't tell you how many times I've planted seeds and have had to wait months to figure out what I've grown. Once your seedlings begin poking through the soil, they will start to straighten and unfurl. This is when you'll move the little guys under a light source.

Sarah suggested placing the lights about an inch above my trays. As the little shoots emerge, I'll also need to raise the light.

Choosing seeds

Hang tight, because there's a lot to say on the topic of seeds.

Most important, Sarah wisely cautioned against starting too much too soon. "People tend to overdo it, get overwhelmed, and then give up on gardening as a hobby," she said. "Start small and grow things you'll actually eat."

For me, that means tons of greens, herbs and tomato seeds, and chamomile for tea (I drink buckets of the stuff). If you plan to garden indoors, then all of your seeds will eventually need to be transplanted into larger pots that will take up way more space. Make sure you have room at the end of the process.

Once you get more comfortable with gardening, you can expand and grow other things. Sarah grows pineapples, olives, lemons, and avocados all indoors. Anything is possible!

If you're planning on transplanting your indoor victory garden to the great outdoors, then don't start too early.

Seeds are fairly affordable. You can always grab them at the supermarket when you're out for your weekly trip. Check the date and make sure the seeds aren't too old.

For meit's importantmore than everto support local businesses. I bought seeds from Gaze Seed, Good2Grow and Murray's Garden Centre. All of these businesses are open for curbside pickup.

Sowing the seeds is the easy part. Just place a few seeds on the surface of the seed starting mix and gently press down.Some seeds, like thyme, can be left entirely uncovered. Other seeds will need more darkness to germinate, so read your packets carefully.

I planted about three seeds per each individual cell. Some won't germinate and even if they do, you can thin them out later.

Choosing and using soil

I grew up in a house that went through bags and bags of peat moss each spring. To be honest, I never spared a thought toward the sustainability of that product I just thought it was what gardeners used.

"Peat is actually not a renewable resource," Sarah told me.

"The bogs that it comes from in Europe release massive amounts of CO2 when peat is harvested and it causes damage to these wetlands."

Sarah suggested I buy coco coir soil instead.

She describes it as "a more sustainable potting mix that mixes a byproduct of coconut fibres with soil. It works really wonderfully and I just feel better about using it."

A common mistake that new gardeners make is giving extra nutrients to their plants. The seed already contains everything that the plant needs to spring to life. They don't need more food yet!

You'll want to fill the trays two-thirds full of your potting mix. Lightly shake the trays so that the soil can settle. Don't pack it down.

Watering and fans

I've been known to baby my plants to death via overwatering. Sarah pointed out that I need to ditch the watering can, because seeds want to be lightly misted, and "they don't have proper root structures yet, so a spray bottle is your best method."

My other big mistake is that I feel the soil to see if it's dry. If it is dry to the touch, I water my seedling. Sarah confirmed that this is a big no-no.

"Yeah, don't do that," she said.

"Judge by weight instead. Pick up your trays just before you water them. Pick them up after you've watered them. Feel the difference. Once your trays are light again, it's time for another light watering."

New seedlings are susceptible to damping-off. That's a gardening term for a fungus that enters seedlings via the soil and causes them to die. Luckily, you can prevent this by placing a fan near the seedlings. Don't set it on high though. We're not looking to create indoor Wreckhouse winds, just a gentle breeze. I'll keep my fan on during the day, but shut it off at night.

• More columns by contributor AndieBulman

Finally, make sure you have a plan.

More specifically, if you're planning to transplantyour indoor victory garden to the great outdoors, then don't start too early. Most plants are ready to go outside four to six weeks after you start the seeds, so keep an eye on the local weather forecast and don't stick them outside if there is a risk of frost. Talk to experienced local gardeners about their own sense of a good transplant target date.

When you'reready to transplant, your little plants need to acclimatize outdoors. Think of it as an orientation week at university. You want to ease them into this new environment. Expose them to the outside world incrementally over a period of time.

Happy victory gardening!

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