Growing Plants From Seed

So, what’s the big deal about starting a plant from seed?

Why not just buy the plant from a garden center.

There is nothing wrong with buying plants from a garden center. But if you want to control the quality of your plants, have a wider variety of what you can grow, and get a big bang for your buck, starting from seed is the way to go.

My first experience starting from seed was pretty good. I didn’t know what I was doing, or what the outcome would be. But I went for it and was so excited when I saw the little seedlings make their appearance.

It was seriously like having a baby (but without the pain and weight gain)!

I bought a kit from online, followed the instructions to a “T”, and started my garden. But what I didn’t know was the kit I bought didn’t align with my desire to grow the best quality, nutrient-dense plants that I could grow.

Through research and experiments I learned that if I use my own, custom soil mix, and find organic seeds with a great germination rate (the probability that something would grow from the seed), I could get exactly what I wanted.

Steps to starting seeds

Before you can jump in and grow some seedlings, there are some steps to take.

Step 1: Decide what you want to grow.

It would be wise to decide what you want to grow before going out to the store (or online) to buy seeds. Buying more than you need will be a waste as seeds do have an expiration date. I use this WORKSHEET to determine what plant to start from seed.

From there I compare what I want to grow to this LIST of what can grow indoors.

step 2: Purchase Your Materials

Containers

There are a large variety of what you can grow in to start your plants from seed. You can buy seed trays, individual pots, or peat pots. You can even up-cycle things you have in your home like water jugs, yogurt containers, sour cream or butter containers, egg cartons, etc. Just be sure to wash them thoroughly with bleach or vinegar to ensure no animal product will contaminate the soil.

Another important thing to consider is if the container has holes in them and something to catch the water that drains from those holes. Having drainage holes is important to avoid overwatering and rotting the seed. Having something to catch the water also helps to not underwater the seedlings.

Potting Soil

Soil is very important in the garden, and it is no different for the potting soil for your seed. You can opt to purchase your soil or make a mix yourself. I make mine with compost, topsoil, and coco coir.

When purchasing your potting soil, try to get an organic mix. But this is completely up to how you choose to grow your veggies. I always say to go with your convictions and what works for you. Yes!

Seeds

I always suggest visiting your local nursery to buy seeds. One reason is because shopping local is always best, and because those seeds are usually best for your geographical location. If your local nursery does not have seeds, or the seeds you want, try online at places like Seedsnow.com or rareseeds.com. These are my two favorite places to get organic and heirloom seeds.

Grow Lights and Heat Mats

In the colder months a grow light is absolutely necessary. The heat mats you might be able to bypass if you keep your home really warm. But I’ll talk about that in a minute.

Planting your seed in a tray then sitting it in a window sill is not enough. Those little seedlings need powerful light. In the summer, I simply sit them outside because they will get all the warmth and light it needs. Many times when the seedlings do not get enough light, they grow too fast because they are stretching to reach the light. This causes the stems to be long, weak, and leggy, and there will be little leafs at the top. That is NOT what you want.

Placing grow lights directly over the seedlings is the best option. The seedlings will have all the light they need and will happily grow.

Heat Mats

Here in Fayetteville, NC it doesn’t get too cold. We rarely get snow, no matter how hard I will it to happen!

But I still have to keep my little seed babies warm. This is where the heat mat comes into play. The way it works is you place the seed mat underneath the seed tray. Make sure to follow the directions on the package so the seeds are not overheated. After the seedlings make their appearance, I generally remove the mat because the grow light provides heat as well.

You can purchase these on Amazon, a garden center, or a home improvement store.

step 3: LABEL YOUR POTS

When I first started to grow plants from seed, I often forgot to label what I planted. And believe me, a lot of these plants look identical when they start growing! Do yourself a favor and label the pots. Popsicle sticks are an easy plant marker.

step 4: Plant your seeds

This might be the easiest part. There are tools out there you can use to make a hole in the soil (called a dibber), but generally, that is not necessary. Most seeds are so small that you literally sit the seed on top of the soil and brush a little soil over the top of it.

Pressing a seed too far into the soil will make it hard for the tiny seedlings to push through. So we help it out by planting no more than twice its width.

BUT WAIT!

Before you plant the seed and before you put the soil in the tray, make sure the soil is moist. You do this by putting the soil in a bowl and water it little-by-little. Grab a handful: if water is dripping from your hand, its too much water; if its nice and wet (and a little heavy) it is ready.

Now you can put the soil in your container and plant your seed.

When it is time to water the seeds (which usually turns into seedlings after a few days), I like to add the water directly to the “ catch” tray so I do not disturb the seeds’ position in the soil. When water is added to the tray, the soil will soak up the water when it is needed.

Put it all together

So, follow these steps and you will be on your way to growing your own garden from seed.

You can also watch our free Seed Starting Workshop to walk you through it.

If you need more guidance or coaching, visit us at 31eden.com/consult and we can help you virtually or in person.

Happy growing!