In this article: Get 5 Seed Starting Tips to help you start more plants for your vegetable garden!

Every year I spend hours carefully planting and caring for what seems like thousands of seeds. On average we start about 300 tomato seeds, 100 peppers, 25 eggplant, dozens of brassicas.

Plus herbs, cucumbers, and squashes. When you have a large garden, starting you own seeds is the only cost effective way to go! Plus I just love try unique varieties that you just can’t find in stores!

Starting seeds isn’t always easy. You may come across problems along the way, but if you follow these tips you’ll be off to a great start!

 

 

When it comes to plants, they all have the same basic needs: sun, food and water.

When starting seeds indoors you have to create an optimum environment that provides all of these basic needs, and then some, to help make your seeds germinate into strong and healthy seedlings for your garden.

 

5 Tips for Starting Seeds Indoors

 

Use the Right Temperature

Though plants have different temperature needs, most seeds require an average soil temperature of about 75 degrees F to germinate. This means if you are starting your seeds in an unheated greenhouse, cold basement or other area that is not at a controlled temperature you will need to provide supplemental heat to ensure proper germination.

This can be as simple as adding a heated growing mat to your indoor setup. There are some exceptions to this rule- seeds that require lower or warmer temperatures- so it is best to check out your seed packet for any important soil temperature info.

Once your seeds have germinated they will also need the correct temperatures to grow correctly.

Cool weather crops, such as those in the brassica family, prefer cooler growing temps and will not grow as well in a sweltering hot house. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplant on the other hand will grow much more quickly once the air temperatures are warm. Still 65-70 degrees is still a nice temperature to keep your seedlings at to ensure that they don’t grow too fast and get long and leggy.

Pay Attention to Planting Depth

Poor germination rates are often a result of incorrect planting depth. This is because if you plant the seed too deeply it will run out of energy before it reaches sunlight to make more.

If you plant the seed to shallow, you run the risk of letting the seed dry out- and it will die before germinating.

Some seeds, such as lettuce, actually require light to germinate, so you will need to simply press the seeds into your soil as opposed to covering them- the back of your seed packet will usually inform you if this is the case. A good rule of thumb is to plant the seed no deeper than it’s diameter.

My Yearly Gardening Planner is perfect for keeping track of everything- from your seed inventory to planting dates to disease and pest problems. Start planning your best garden today!

 

 

Consistent Water (Important!)

Water is one of the most important part of starting seeds. Too much leads to disease, mold or fungus and too little will lead to….dead plants.

When starting your seeds it is best us a spray bottle to lightly mist the soil to keep it evenly moist.

You will have to water more often to prevent drying out, but you will lessen the risk of disease or rotting seeds. Keep in mind that starting your garden from seed is more time consuming- if you use small seed trays or peat pellets- you may have to spray your trays a couple of times a day to keep the soil moist.

Once your seeds have germinated, you can begin to water more deeply, allowing the soil to dry in between waterings. You can even allow your seedlings to wilt just slightly before watering to help them toughen up and strengthen their roots.

 

 

Related Reading: 11 Easiest Crops for Beginning Gardeners!

 

Give Ample Light

Most seeds do not require direct light to germinate, but once they sprout they will need about 14-16 hours of light per day.

You can place your seed trays in a south-facing window, under artificial grow lights, or in a green/hoop house- provided they are at the right temperature. If you are using artificial lights make sure that their height is adjustable so that they can be moved up as the seedlings grow.

You will want to place the lights as close to the plants without touching. If you are growing on a windowsill you may still need to provide some artificial light- especially if you are starting your seeds in the winter when the days are shorter.

Don’t forget to turn your trays often so that all the plants have an equal chance at the light to prevent legginess!

 

Use the Right Soil

Your seed starting soil is what gives your seeds the best start possible. Many people agree that a soilless mix is the best way to go. You can buy peat pellets, a premixed seed starting mix, or mix your own.

Usually this mix would be equal parts of vermiculite, perlite, peat moss. I, however, usually mix mine with (approximately) 1/2 organic potting soil and 1/2 peat moss and have no problems. If you do some looking you will find that most people have their own versions of seed starting mediums- from soil straight from the garden to a mix of many ingredients.

To get an idea of others’ mixes you can check out Better Hens and Gardens Mix or The Organic Goat Lady’s Seed Starting Mix. You can also check out this thread on my Facebook page where lots of others shared their seed starting mixes!

Personally, I think if the seeds I plant straight outside in the garden can germinate in a rich, compost-filled, non-sterile medium- then my indoor seeds can too.