How To Start Seedlings At Home In 4 Easy Steps
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Are you looking to grow your own plants from seed this upcoming spring season? It can be so rewarding to see your seeds grow into big, beautiful flowers, but there are a few tricks to doing it successfully.
Before you begin, collect your supplies.
You can find these items at your favorite local garden store like Tagawa Gardens in Parker and we also provide a link to purchase online.
Examples of supplies:
- Seedling tray with cells, drip tray and cover
- Seed-starting soil mixture
- LED grow light
- Heat mat
- Spray bottle
- Watering can with rain nozzle
- Plant labels
- Seeds: Find seeds at your favorite local garden store or places like Home Depot or Walmart.
1. Moisten soil mix
Fill a large bowl or bucket with your seed-starting soil mixture and add a little bit of water to moisten the soil evenly.
2. Fill seedling tray
Place your seedling tray inside of the drop tray and fill each cell to just below the top with your seed-starting soil mixture.
3. Sow your seeds
Now it’s time to sow your seeds. If your seeds are tiny, sprinkle just a few of them over the soil. If your seeds are larger, you can push 2 seeds into the soil in each cell. Sprinkle a little more soil over the top of the seeds and mist with water until the surface of the soil is damp.
4. Label your trays
Label your trays with each variety so you don’t lose track of what was planted. Cover the tray and place it under your lights or a sunny spot.
Caring for your seedlings:
Watering: Check your seedlings once per day for moisture. The surface of the soil should stay lightly damp so your seeds do not dry out. Dried out seeds will not germinate, but seeds that are too wet can rot. When soil is feeling dry, mist evenly with water and keep them covered. Once the seedlings sprout, you can remove the cover. Keep seedlings moist. Once your seedlings are more mature and larger, begin watering with a rain nozzle watering can. Don’t forget to check your seedlings at least once per day.
Light: Most seeds can germinate in darkness or light, but once they have sprouted, they need to be in light 12-16 hours per day. Keep your grow lights 2”-3” above the seedlings.
Fertilizing: After two sets of true leaves have sprouted, you can begin fertilizing with a water-soluble fertilizer. Be sure to dilute to ¼ the amount of recommended on the package. Fertilize your seedlings every 2-3 weeks.
Need some inspiration for seed varieties to start with? From February until March we recommend:
- Arugula
- Broccoli
- Eggplant
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Pansies
- Parsley
- Snapdragons
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Marigolds
- Zinnias
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