If you have a packet of vegetable seeds you’d like to plant but the directions tell you to start them indoors, this article will walk you through how to do it! I’ll share the soil, tools and tricks I use to get seeds to germinate and grow into strong seedlings that will soon be ready to plant in the garden. Here is what you need to know on how to start vegetable seeds:
How To Start Vegetable Seeds:
Timing Must Be Right
The map and months given on the back of the seed packet are not very accurate. Check your USDA grow zone and refer to a planting timeline for your grow zone to ensure the seeds you start will be able to grow once they are ready to go outside.
Seeds Need Warmth
Seeds like to germinate when it is 70 to 80 degrees. They seem to be programmed to respond to those spring-like temperatures. We can encourage germination indoors by providing a warm room and using a seedling heat mat. (Affiliate link.)
Dirt Needed
Seed Starting mix is a light, fluffy mixture that allows delicate seedlings space to easily unfurl and permits thin roots to begin to sprawl. It is sold by the bag at local nurseries and home improvement stores.
Upcycle Plastic Containers
I put potting soil in shallow plastic food containers, like shallow yogurt cups or deli dip tubs. I use an electric drill with a small bit or pointed scissors to poke drainage holes in the bottom of plastic food containers and fill with them moistened seed starting mix.
Select Good Quality Seed
Whether you are planting heirlooms or hybrids, you want to sow good seed. Local stores sell various brands but I have had the best luck with seed purchased from Baker Creek, Botanical Interests, Johnny’s Seed and MI Gardener, just to name a few. Seed purchased from Amazon has been some of the lowest quality or the wrong seeds were sent.
Sow Your Seeds
I start all my seeds for one variety of plant in a single cup of dirt. I sprinkle multiple seeds across the soil surface and lightly water them in. Each cup will then get a plant label and the little plastic container goes on the heat mat until seedlings emerge. Once I know the seed is viable and growing strong, then I will pot each one up into its own container. I have found this method requires less seed starting mix and lets me use just one heat mat for multiple smaller cups of seeds, saving material costs and space.
Pricking Out and Potting Up
I use a technique called “pricking out” where you use a seedling dibber or a pencil to carefully remove the seedling from the starter cup and plant them in a larger seed tray or pot with potting soil where they will continue to grow. If any have gone leggy, I can plant them a little deeper to develop a strong root system and sturdy stem. I use Charles Dowding’s thick plastic seed trays but there are a number of smaller or disposable seed trays that you can use. Using red Solo cups is also a popular option. You may also find seed trays on clearance in July through September, which is a great time to snap them up!
It really is as simple as removing the tiny seedling from it’s starter cup and planting it by itself in a seed tray, Solo cup or 3 inch nursery pot. Now the seedling can be moved under grow lights or outside to harden off in filtered sunlight if the temperature is warm enough.
Remove Tomatoes From the Heat Mat Quickly
Tomato seedlings go leggy fast when they are left on the heat mat after germination. Once you see a single tomato seed has germinated, remove them from the heat mat. If you don’t, all of your seeds will go leggy – which means their stems grow multiple inches long searching for a source of bright light and then flop over. If you are using seed trays, dedicate one to only tomatoes so you can move the entire tray off the heat mat once the first seedling emerges. (Affiliate links.) This YouTube video can help show you how to pot up leggy tomato seedlings.
Bell Peppers & Hot Peppers Need Heat Mat Warmth
Pepper seeds typically need a full 14 days of very warm soil, around 80°F, before they slowly germinate. It can take weeks of sitting on the heat mat before you have a pepper seedling that is ready to prick out and pot up. Always start more peppers than you need because they tend to have lower germination rates than easier veggies, like tomatoes.
Remove Seed “Helmets”?
Sometimes seedlings will emerge still wearing their seed shell covering a bit like a helmet. You can very gently remove these and let the leaves unfurl on their own. This can happen a little more often with older seeds, and is especially common with older tomato seeds, but a seedling with a helmet does not always indicate the seed is old. A certain percentage of all seed will sprout wearing their helmets. Most will have them fall off without any intervention from you.
Start Early and Have Fun!
It takes some planning to start seeds 4 to 8 weeks before they are planted outside but it really is the best way to try unique new varieties! It is a fantastic skill to have and can take your gardening hobby to a whole new level. It may also prove to be a profitable side-hustle, producing enough spring veggie starts that you could sell locally, especially since most people don’t have heat mats nor the patience to learn how to start vegetable seeds.
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