Things I have to make seed starting easier.

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I hope that the first two Art of Seed Starting posts have helped you understand that gardening and/or seed starting is not as complicated as you thought. I know that when I first started this journey I was confused. I didn’t know what perennial or annual meant. I didn’t know what hardening off was. Everything seemed to have these unspoken rules that I didn’t know yet.

And let me tell you, that is OKAY. You have to start somewhere. And taking it step by step is perfect.

Now, you’re ready to plant some seeds. I start my seeds inside. I have a garage downstairs that has plastic shelves and grow lights. There is where I take a seed and help it have the environment to become a producing plant. It’s not glamorous. But it gets the job done.

A few things that I personally use when starting seeds:

• Indoor “grow lights”: https://amzn.to/3E4Akzg
• Heating mat: https://amzn.to/3FMq4MA
• Self watering trays https://amzn.to/429mi7t
• Plastic reusable pots https://amzn.to/43AfrGJ
• Egg cartons

Egg cartons?! WHAT? Yes. I use egg cartons for germinating (sprouting) seeds. I think this is a good way to reuse something. I can use it in the initial stage of starting off my seedlings. Meanwhile not feeling bad for throwing it away when I am done with it. It’s inexpensive (free99), and it does the job.

Here’s the thing:

1. You need grow lights to mimic sunlight. Most plants need light in order to sprout and grow.
2. The heating mat is a wonderful bonus for growing plants that love heat. (Peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, etc.) You do not want to use heat mats for things like brassica’s. (Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc.) Which typically love cooler weather.
3. Self watering trays I think are more self explanatory. The benefit of having those is, that you can keep your plants watered for days on end. And without having to go in and water each individual plant. You simply place them on the tray with the material mat cover and add water to the bottom. The material stays soaked, thus keeping your plants hydrated by their bottom drainage holes.
4. Plastic reusable pots. There are obviously nicer things you can use. Like seed starting trays. I personally have not used them before, but the aesthetic is nice. I use reusable pots because again, I can reuse them, they’re easy to clean, and they’re inexpensive.
5. The egg cartons are nice because for the initial phase of having the seeds sprout, it does the job. You don’t want to have a seedling grow in one ginormous container. Their roots will grow too wide and all over the place. You want it a little bit smaller of a space. Then transplant (transfer) it to a larger container as you see the roots showing up slightly at the bottom of its current container.

I hope this helps you know or get an idea of what you’ll need for starting your seeds.

Until next time!