Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just beginning your gardening journey, having the right supplies can make all the difference in nurturing your plants from tiny seeds to flourishing transplants. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the best seed starting supplies that can help you start your garden with success and joy.
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Why You should start your own seeds instead of buying transplants
- Greater Control Over Varieties: Starting your own seeds opens up increased availability to varieties that may not be available as transplants at your local nurseries or big box stores. Online seed retailers offer a wide selection of seeds which allows you to explore varieties that suit your preferences and gardening goals.
- Cost Savings: Growing plants from seeds is often more economical than purchasing mature transplants. While individual seed packets may seem inexpensive, that single seed packet will provide multiple plants for a fraction of the cost of buying individual seedlings.
- Control Over Inputs: When you start your own seeds, you have complete control over the growing process, from seed selection to transplanting. You can tailor your growing environment, seed starting mix, and fertilization to optimize conditions for healthy plant growth and development. If you want to use all Organic inputs, starting your own seeds allows you to do that.
- Control Over Timing: Starting your own seeds gives you the flexibility to control the timing of plantings. You have the ability to adapt plantings to your growing zone and conditions. A lot of times, particularly for early spring planted crops (cool weather crops), big box stores are selling them too late in the season for them to mature and produce in your garden. In the fall, it is often difficult to find cool weather transplants. In addition, starting seeds allows you to succession planting which ensures a continuous harvest throughout the growing season.
- Sustainability: Starting your own seeds promotes sustainability by reducing reliance on commercially grown transplants, which may be produced and transported over long distances. By growing plants from seeds at home, you minimize environmental impact and contribute to a more sustainable food system.
The Best Seed Starting Supplies
- Sharpie Extreme
- This is important because Sharpie Extreme markers are fade resistant and tend to not completely fade away in the sun)
- Masking tape or Painters tape
- I prefer to label the tray with masking or painters tape instead of using plant markers because I have found that it doesn’t get lost since it is attached to the tray
- 128 trays or 72 cell trays
- Cell trays are great if you don’t want to invest in a soil blocker. Most of them can be used for at least a couple of years depending on the quality of tray. You can use these trays with or without the 1020 trays underneath.
- 1020 trays (solid bottom or slotted)
- These trays can be used with cell trays or soil blocks. The solid bottom 1020 trays are great for bottom watering cell trays. The slotted bottom 1020 trays prevent water from sitting in the trays and we prefer to use them with soil blocks.
- Soil blocker
- There many different options for soil blockers, you can see a lot of them from Johnny’s here. We are using the Swift Blocker this year and have really been liking it so far. The Swift Blocker allows you to make an entire tray of blocks at one time. We prefer to use the slotted 1020 trays with our soil blocks.
- Seed starting mix
- A high-quality seed starting mix is crucial for the success of your transplants. We use Vermont Compost and have been incredibly happy with it. Our plant starts look much happier and healthier. Topping seeds with vermiculite is also helpful for retaining moisture.
Optional seed starting supplies
These supplies are optional and not required to start seeds. However, they can enhance your experience and increase your success.
- Heat Mats
- Help increase the soil temperature and aid with germination.
- Grow lights
- Help prevent your seedlings from getting leggy (stretching to reach the sun).
- Wire rack
- A wire rack helps create more space by increasing vertical seed starting space. A huge bonus is that you can easily hang grow lights off of the racks as well as use heat mats under the trays, if you wish.
- Humidity domes or plastic wrap
- Humidity domes or plastic wrap aid in germination by keeping the soil moist and helping keep the soil temperature up. If you don’t want to spend the money on humidity domes, plastic wrap can be used. Just make sure that is removed when seeds have germinated.
- Hand seeder
- These little dial hand seeders are a game changer when seeding trays. They can increase efficiency and be adjusted to a variety seed sizes.
More Gardening Content:
- Steps to Take Now to Prepare for the Upcoming Gardening Season
- How to Take a Seed Inventory
- How to Organize Your Seeds
- How to Start Seeds Indoors Without Grow Lights
- How to Start Sees Indoors Using Grow Lights
SOme of our favorite places to order seeds:
Some of oUr Favorite Gardening Books:
- The First-Time Gardener: Growing Vegetables: All the know-how and encouragement you need to grow – and fall in love with! – your brand new food garden by Jessica Sowards
- The New Organic Grower, 3rd Edition: A Master’s Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener by Eliot Coleman
- The Tiny But Mighty Farm: Cultivating High Yields, Community, and Self-Sufficiency from a Home Farm – Start growing food today – Meet the best … yourself, your family, and your neighbors by Jill Ragan
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