Seed Starting

Starting seeds is easy - and ultimately delicious!

Learn how to start seeds in this third post of the Kitchen Garden series.

When I first started getting into gardening, it was as though I was experiencing my inner child again. The wonder of seeing little tiny seedlings pop out of the soil is a feeling like no other when you’re working on building your garden. This is when your garden is fragile and small, yet has so much opportunity. Little plants have the promise of what’s to come through the shapes and smells of their leaves, and it’s obvious that they are eager to get big and produce. They stretch towards the light and they perk up when they’ve been watered. It’s a mystical and rewarding experience.

There are several different ways that you can start seeds. There are seed starting kits, seed trays, and mini greenhouses – all viable options, but I am going to show you how we start seeds in my home.

There are three different types of containers that you can use to start seeds:

• Toilet paper rolls (or paper towel rolls)
• Paper pots
• Old pots or trays from your local garden store, usually plastic

Make your own seed starting pots

The advantage of using homemade paper pots is that when you do have a plant that is ready, you can just stick the entire thing into the ground since paper is biodegradable. Taking a plant out of a plastic container can sometimes be tricky, which doesn’t always end well for the plant. That said, I’m a fan of using and reusing plastic if that is what you have.

How to make toilet paper roll pots

This is a fantastic way to use what you already have on hand, and to recycle these rolls instead of throwing them away. You can also use paper towel rolls, although you will need to shorten them – you can probably get a couple of pots out of a paper towel roll.

Supplies:

• Toilet paper rolls
• Scissors

Take a toilet paper roll and press it down so it is flat. Use your scissors to cut about 1/2 inch in the middle on one end.

First step in making a toilet paper roll seed pot

Fold the toilet paper roll along the cut edge, and then cut again for the same amount that you cut the other portion. The key is to have four cuts at one end of your roll that are evenly spaced.

Once you have it cut you will then open up your roll, and then fold the ends together. Think of it like the end of a box, fold one side, then the next, then the next, then finally tuck the last side down partway under the initial side. Press the end in a little bit so that the bottom will not bulge (thus making it harder for it to stand on its own).

Folding the sides down.

Once you’re done, it should be able to stand on its own (although I have had a few that like to stand like the Tower of Pisa).

Completed toilet paper roll pot

How to make a paper pot

This is probably one of my favorite methods, but it does require that you purchase a pot maker. Good news is that it’s wood, so it is at least biodegradable!

Supplies:

• Paper pot maker
• Newspaper, cut into long strips about 3 or 4 inches wide
• Scissors

The pot maker comes with two parts: the top part is what you will wrap your paper around, and the bottom part is what makes it so that the paper is well compressed on the end so that it will stay together better.

Paper pot maker

First, take a strip of newspaper and wrap it around the top part of the pot maker. Then, fold down the end of the paper, so that the bottom of the pot maker is completely covered. Press the top of the pot maker onto the bottom of the pot maker, and turn a little bit. Once you are done, you will have a small free-standing paper pot.

Super easy!

How to start your seeds

Supplies:

• Large plastic bin with lid (if you are not starting very many seeds, you can do a smaller bin)
• 1 small bag of potting soil, or more if you need it
• Seeds
• Plant labels and weatherproof marker
• Grow light, optional

Once you have your pots ready, stand them on a tray or the inside of a lid of a large plastic bin – this will make them easier to move around if you need to, as well as create a quick and easy mini greenhouse. If you don’t have this, or do not care to buy it, then do try to find something in your house that you can set all of your pots on – believe me, it will make life easier.

Our various seed pots

It's like a little greenhouse!

Once you are ready, grab some potting soil and start putting soil into your pots one by one. This can get messy, so be sure to do this in an area that is easy to clean (garage or over a non-carpeted floor or work table).

You may wonder why I advise using potting soil versus dirt you may already have on your property. The primary reason is because potting soil does not contain weed seeds. If you are using dirt from your property, then you will more than likely see other seedlings coming up. If you are new to gardening, it will be a while before you know if you are growing what you intended or if what you are growing is grass or flowers from the backyard. I’ve used old soil before, and while it’s not the end of the world, it does make it easier if you start fresh.

Putting dirt into seed pots

Once you have all of your pots filled, grab your seeds, plant labels and a weatherproof marker (I’m currently testing out a laundry-proof marker that I am hoping will give me the same result as a weatherproof marker). You must, must, MUST label your seeds and plants. If you are growing five different varieties of tomatoes, label them all. You don’t want to wind up in the annoying situation of hating that tomato but not remembering what it was, then growing it again in abundance next year. Believe me – I’ve been there, done that.

This is a MUST.

I also want to point out that your average permanent marker is sadly not permanent when you have it outdoors. It fades, period. Get a weatherproof or waterproof or laundry-proof marker.

Each seed package will say different things on how to plant your seeds, with some of them saying for you to direct sow. You can start any seeds indoors, so do not be intimidated by the fact that it is saying to start your seeds outside. If it is late enough in the season, then yes, you can plant outside, but if you are still experiencing cool weather, then starting seeds indoors will give you a good start on your garden once it does warm up enough.

Here are the basic steps you need to follow when starting seeds:

1. Poke a small hole in your soil (you can use the tip of a plant label for this).
2. Place 3-6 seeds in each hole if you have very small seeds (i.e. dill or tomatoes); for larger seeds you should plant up to 3 seeds (i.e. squash or watermelon).
3. Gently cover each hole with dirt.
4. Don’t forget to label what you’ve planted!

Planting seeds!

Once you are done, water all of your seeds.

So much potential!

Move your seeds to a window and/or place them under a grow light. This is especially advantageous if you do not get a lot of sun in your house. Additionally, if you place a clear container over your seeds, you will create a mini greenhouse where there is a lot of humidity. These two things will help your seeds grow more quickly.

A grow light and a mini greenhouse can help your seeds grow

Monitor your seeds on a daily basis, and make sure the soil does not completely dry out. Depending on what you plant, you should see your first seedlings pop out of the soil after about five or seven days.

Once your seedlings start getting bigger, pay attention to their coloring and if they are droopy. If leaves are yellowing, this means that you are over-watering them. If they are droopy, then you are not watering them enough. Some plants love water, so you will need to religiously water them every single day. Some plants also like to droop no matter what and may also have their leaves start to turn yellow. In this case, err on the side of watering less.

Once your seedlings are large enough and the weather is cooperating, you can then transplant your seedlings to your garden. I’ll show you how to do this in a future post.

Have you started your seedlings? If so, what are you growing?

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