Tips and Tricks for Starting Seeds Indoors

Making your own vegetable garden is a healthier and cheaper alternative to buying store-bought vegetables and is incredibly satisfying. Get the ball rolling with your garden by planting seeds indoors with the help of our experts.

Best Seeds to Start Indoors

Pick your veggies based on what your family members eat and buy high-quality organic seeds for optimal results. For those who live in areas with colder temperatures, it could be advantageous to plant a larger range of indoor plants due to the shorter growing season. Choose from the following options:

• Basil
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Eggplant
• Kale
• Parsley
• Peppers
• Tomatillo
• Tomatoes

When to Start Seeds Indoors?

In general, you should plant your seeds indoors for between six to eight weeks after the typical date of the last frost for your area. Check the instructions on each seed packet for the recommended dates to start planting.

How to Start Seeds Indoors?

Start by building your tools and equipment to ensure all the tools and materials you will require are in your reach:

• Top-quality seeds
• Seed tray to plant seeds
• A top-quality seeding mix for potting
• A pencil with an eraser
• Fertilizer (optional)
• Heat mat for seedlings (optional)
• Lights for growth (optional)

1. Check the instructions on the package to determine whether you'll require chilling, scratching, or soaking seeds prior to planting.

2. Place your potting mix in the container of your choice and then moisten it by mixing it thoroughly.

3. Fill the containers with the mix to just below the edge.

4. Check the label for each type of seed, and follow the instructions for planting. Select the largest seeds and then use the eraser at the tip of your pencil to gently push the seeds into the soil.

5. Put a layer of plastic wrap on the sides of the tray. Then, utilize a skewer for poking numerous holes that allow air circulation.

6. Take care when you water, as force could displace the seeds.

7. The ideal temperature to start sprouting your seeds is between 65 and 75 degrees, and bottom heat is the most effective. Your refrigerator's top might be a good option, and you could also choose to make use of a heating mat.

8. Be sure that the potting mix stays wet. Once the seedlings begin poking through the soil, you can remove the wrap of plastic.

9. Transfer or move your tray(s) to an east-facing window or put them in a grow light. From 14-16 hours, lighting is essential for the best growth, which is why grow lights are the most preferred option.

10. After the seedlings have developed their second set of leaves, it's time to transfer the seedlings into pots that are individually filled with pots of soil. Place the new pots in bright, indirect light and allow them to have a few weeks to adjust. The first set is not real leaves but cotyledons that form an element of seed. Most vegetables will have two cotyledons emerging before the first set of real leaves.

11. Plant the seedlings in a hard, sturdier place prior to transplanting them outdoors, by watering less frequently during their last week in the indoors. A week before transplanting, you can begin putting the pots in a protected place for a period of several hours making sure the soil is damp.