Follow this handy step by step guide for indoor seed starting and grow your very own seedlings for your garden this year. Download and print my free seed starting chart.
After more than 10 years of starting my garden from homegrown seedlings, one would think I would have it mostly figured out. Well, I’m here to tell you that even after all those years I still am learning new tips and tricks. I have learned some helpful things along the way. Hopefully this guide will help you be successful as you start planning and planting your garden.
Why Start Seeds Indoors?
It is very easy to stop by a nursery and grab a couple of plants when the spring rolls around. But there are several reasons to consider growing your own plants from seed.
- One of the most obvious reason is to save money. The cost of a seed packet is much less than the cost of one seedling grown from one seed. You can save a decent amount of money each year by just growing your own plants from seed.
- Another reason you might want to grow your own seedlings is the varieties of plants you hope to grow aren’t available at your local nursery. It can be fun to branch out from your basic plant varieties and grow something a little different.
- Harkening back to older times and becoming more self sufficient is a growing movement in recent years. One way to do that is to know how to grow plants from a seed. You will be able to extend your growing season on both ends if you know how to start seeds indoors and plant them out when the time is right.
- While the above are great reasons for starting seeds indoors, one of the biggest reasons I start seeds early is because I can’t wait for the weather to warm up to get my hands in the dirt again.
Let’s get into the how to now!
Indoor Seed Starting Guide: Free Printable Seed Starting Chart
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Start With a Plan
Before you begin planting seeds you must first plan. This is a step I am often tempted to skip but I always think back to how much trouble I would have saved myself if I only took some time to plan.
Here are some questions to answer before you begin buying seeds.
- What do you want to grow this year?
- Do those seeds need to be started early or can they be direct sown into the garden?
- Where will you purchase your seeds?
- Do you have the supplies and space you need to grow them inside?
- How many plants do you need?
Gathering Supplies
Before planting anything you will need to make sure you have all the supplies you need. Here is a list of supplies you will need to successfully grow your seeds indoors.
- Seed trays or containers – this could be actual seed starting trays, old cardboard egg cartons, plastic cups, or if you really want to get adventurous you could try soil blocking.
- Seed starting soil or potting mix – miracle gro, coco loco, giffy organic
- Seeds of course! Places I’ve ordered seeds from – Seeds Now, Johnny’s, True Leaf Market, Rare Seeds
- Grow lights or a very sunny warm window
- Watering can or spray bottle
- Something to label your seed varieties with
When to Start Seeds
First, you will need to identify the best time to start your seedlings. This information is often found on the backs of seed packets or can easily be found by searching online. You will read on the back of your seed packets something like start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost. Using a frost date calculator will help you find your last frost date for your particular area.
Once you have identified your last frost date, count back from the date to find out when to start your seeds indoors. Some plants need to be started really early (as early as Jan or Feb) because the time it takes for them to reach maturity is much longer than other plants. Other types of seeds can be started early indoors because they can handle colder temperatures and starting them indoors can extend your growing season considerably because you are able to plant them out sooner.
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Soil and Preparing the Containers
Picking a good seed starting soil will make all the difference in growing your seeds. It can be tempting to grab any seed starting mix at the store and while most of them will work, some do work better than others.
Here are a few that I’ve used or have come recommended by others:
- Miracle Gro seed starting mix
- Coco Loco potting mix
- Giffy Organic seed starting mix
- Burpee Greenhouse indoor seed starting
This year I am planning to experiment using wool pellets in my starting mix as an organic fertilizers for my seedlings.
Begin by filling your seed trays with your starting mix. Fill all the way to the top and lightly press soil into all the cells as the soil tends to sink down over time. Plus adding in as much soil as possible will help your seedling have more nutrients while they are growing.
Before planting into your trays, you will want to get the soil nice and damp. This can be difficult to do as seed starting soil tends to be resistant to water when initially wetted. Sometimes it is easier to wet the soil in a big bucket before putting into your trays. Another way to do this, is to fill the trays with soil and then set them in water and allow it to soak up through the tray bottom for awhile before planting. This can take some time for the water to soak up.
Planting the Seeds
Begin by making a small hole in the soil with either your finger or a pencil. Be sure to read the back of the seed packet for planting depth. Place 2-3 seeds into each hole and lightly cover with soil. If you soil is damp you can lightly water the seedlings in from the top with a shower spray from your hose or watering can.
I prefer to start some of my seed by sprinkling a bunch of seeds into a small container. Then once they have sprouted I will prick them out carefully and plant into individual seed cell trays. This can be helpful if you lack space to start lots of seeds by making sure every cell has a live plant in it.
Light, Temperature and Water
There are a variety of things that are needed for your seedlings to grow and thrive.
It can be tempting to just place your newly planted seed trays in front of a window but you will find as your seedlings grow they can tend to get leggy and weak as they reach for the sunlight. Unless you have a really sunny window It is better to grow them under a grow light. The grow light can be lowered while the seedling are small and raised up as they get taller.
A consistent temperatures between 65-75°F (18-24°C) is necessary for most seeds to germinate and grow well. Keeping the trays in a warmer place in your house will help the seeds start to grow. Most seeds don’t need light until they have started to sprout.
Keeping the soil moist before the seeds germinate so their roots reach down into the soil is very important. To maintain consistent humidity and damp soil, place a plastic dome or some plastic wrap over your trays. Remove the cover once the seedlings have emerged. The soil needs to stay consistently moist while the plants are getting established. Once they are stronger you can allow the soil to slightly dry out between waterings. Water from the bottom is preferred over top watering as it is gentler on the tiny seedlings.
Caring For Your Seedlings
Once your seedlings have emerged from the soil you will want to thin them down to just one per cell. Although it can be hard to end the life of some of your tender plants, this will be better for the health of your seedlings in the long run as they won’t be competing for nutrients and light. Be sure to rotate your seedling trays so the growth of your plants will be even.
Over time the seedlings will use up the nutrients in the soil you started them in. Once your seedling have been growing for a few weeks you will need to assess if they need fertilizer or to be potted up to keep them healthy.
Use a natural liquid fertilizer like fish emulsion (1T per gallon of water) to water any seedlings in need of more nutrients. You can tell they need fertilizing if they are starting to yellow.
Hardening and Transplanting
If your seedlings have been growing indoors they will need a little time to acclimate to the great outdoors. Gradually increase the amount of time your seedlings spend outside over one to two weeks. This will help them to adapt to the the sun, wind and temperature changes. Be sure your seedlings don’t dry out when left in the sun for a prolonged period. Be sure to bring your seedlings inside if the weather is dropping below freezing!
After hardening off your seedlings, you can plant them out into your garden. Be sure to space them according to the recommended guidelines. If your garden space is limited, I highly recommend using a square foot gardening plan to grow your plants. Be sure to water them in well and mulch them heavily with well rotted hay, leaves, straw or whatever other mulch you might choose to use. This will protect them from the sun, wind and drying out while they are getting used to their new home.
Indoor Seed Starting Guide: Happy Growing
I hope with this indoor seed starting guide to help you that you will be able to have your own seedlings to plant out in your garden this year.
Be sure to tag me oninstagramif you decide to start seeds indoors this year. Happy Growing!
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