The Best Way to Create a Seed Starting Station at Home
Growing seeds seems like it should be simple: throw a few seeds in the soil, park them near the window and wait for your new green friends to join the party, right? Unfortunately, it is not. It’s definitely doable, but it will require a little tweaking to be successful. There are a number of reasons why you might want to consider whether you’re ready to start sowing seeds, but if you decide you are, you’ll need the right equipment to provide enough heat, moisture and light. , and space.
There are many ways to grow seeds, and if you have a method that works for you, don’t let me discourage you from continuing to do it. But I use a method that does not require much time and physical work, with little waste and a high probability of success. My methods are based on the experiences of the many great gardeners I have had the privilege of learning from over the years, and now I am excited to pass that knowledge on to you.
Making (or purchasing) suitable shelving
Start by planning your shelving. You’ll most likely start your seeds in what are called “1020” trays (more on that below), which are a standard size of 10 by 20 inches. The important thing here is to plan shelving of the right depth and width to accommodate these trays. Whether you buy commercial shelving or build your own, a shelf depth of at least 11 inches means you can only install trays in a long way, and a shelf depth of at least 21 inches means you can install trays next to each other along shortcut.
Shelves that work as seed sowing stations:
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Holds eight 1020 trays with 39″ shelf height: 5-Tier Heavy Duty Steel Garage Rack without Bolts (48″ wide x 78″ high x 24″ deep).
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Holds 14 1020 Trays with 39″ Shelf Height: 4-Tier Freestanding Industrial Black Steel Garage Rack (77″ Wide x 78″ Height x 24″ Deep).
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Holds 32 1020 Trays with 22″ Shelf Height: 5-Tier Steel Freestanding Garage Rack in Black (90″ W x 90″ H x 24″ D).
Spacing between shelves is also important: plan to place grow lights hanging from the shelf above, and leave room for plants to grow by spacing the lights far enough apart to avoid burning them. As you continue to grow seeds over the years, you will notice that different plants grow to different heights inside before emerging. For example, you plant your herbs long before they get too tall, but your tomatoes may need a lot of vertical space. For this reason, you can space the shelves at different heights, but I spaced the shelves at 25 inches, 25 inches, and 22 inches as shown below.
Lighting settings
The biggest mistake I see when starting seeds as a hobby is not getting enough light. The reality is that you need to imitate the sun, and a little directional plant light won’t do the trick. Without enough light, seedlings stretch out in search of it and become leggy and weak. You want these watts to be as close to the plants as possible without burning them. Traditionally, the manufacturers I follow have stuck with incandescent and fluorescent bulbs because they have a ton of power and a little heat. They also absorb energy and are difficult to get rid of, so like many people I switched to LEDs. In the setup described above, you will use lighting along the entire length of the shelves. If you have trays along a long path, you will only need two (but three wouldn’t hurt) lights along the entire length. If you are using short path trays, use four lights.
These lights will emit a beam that is wider than the light itself, but you must make sure that all trays are closed tightly. Fixtures come in a variety of lengths, so you can buy the length you need for your specific space to cover everything. I’ve been using Barrina lights since I started, and I haven’t had a single burnout in the last six years. There are of course other brands, I just haven’t tested them personally. LED lights can usually be snapped together, and although they come with a variety of extension cords, you can easily buy more if needed. I like to change the fixture configuration a few times a year depending on what I’m growing and how many fixtures I need.
When hanging lights from a shelf above, keep in mind that you will need to be able to adjust them up and down throughout the season. They start very low, just above the seed trays, and rise as the plants grow. Shoot from 6 to 8 inches to avoid getting burned. You can install one hook and eye chain at the end of each light, but I would recommend creating a system where all the lights are attached to one bar or post that you can raise and lower. I created a frame like this from a piece of wood (1″ x 2″), attached the lights to the bottom of the frame, and then hung the frame using the eye and chain method described above. I’m sure there is an even more efficient way to use pulleys if you know how to do it.
Temperature control
It’s really simple: the seeds wait until the sun warms the Earth enough before they germinate. In order for the seeds to germinate inside, they need to be heated without cooking. To do this, use thermomats specially made for this purpose, as well as a thermostat. Choose thermomats that will cover the shelves without overlapping each other. If you are only growing in one 1020 tray, you may find a mat in this size , but they come in other sizes.
Next, you’ll need a gauge to ensure the soil doesn’t get too hot or cold. Since it would be expensive to have a thermostat for each mat, I purchased a thermostat that can be connected to multiple mats. When the soil is too cold, the mat turns on, and when it’s too hot, it turns it off.
Heating mats and thermostats:
Set up growing trays
Now we get to the good stuff: the cells themselves. It is important to consider that different seeds need cells of different sizes. Fortunately, 1020 trays come in a variety of mesh sizes; You’ll typically find trays with 50, 72, or 128 cells. Tomatoes and most nightshades do better in larger cells in a 50-cell tray, while many flowers do well in a 128-cell tray. Over time you will understand what you need.
Many companies make these 1020 plastic seed trays, and you’ve probably seen them at the nursery. They are typically single-use plastics that degrade in the sun and create a lot of waste. To avoid this, some people have switched to a method called soil blocking, which doesn’t use a tray at all, but instead uses a tool to create small blocks of soil that can stand on their own and you transplant them directly into the garden. . I’ve used this method for years, but making the blocks is a lot of work – to reduce this workload, I’ve switched to a new generation of heavy duty molded plastic seed trays that are reusable, with built-in aeration, so they work the same as seed blocks without any work. When it’s time to pull them out of the seed tray, you simply poke the bottom with your finger and they’ll pop out with a fantastically developed root system.
Since I grow indoors, I use a system called bottom watering, which places seed trays in a bottom tray filled with water. This way, the seedlings will be able to absorb only the water they need. Although I have a lot of these, I’m slowly replacing them with the Neversink version because it’s much more durable, which will become important when you want to use them year after year.
Finally, during the germination stage, the trays should have a dome. This keeps the seeds moist and actually reduces the need for watering since there is virtually no evaporation from the surface. You will remove them once the tray has sprouted. Neversink also sells them, but they can be purchased inexpensively; Any will do.
Seedling trays, bottom watering trays and humidification domes:
Use a fan to stimulate strong stems.
The mistake I made the first year of starting seeds was thinking that I needed the most humid environment possible, but that’s not entirely true. Plants need moisture to begin to germinate, but after that, too much humidity can promote the spread of disease and lead to fungi and mosquitoes.
To avoid this, I now always have a small fan attached at the end of each row to blow air over my little seedlings once they have enough leaves. Wind helps strengthen the stems of these plants and move air. Any small clip-on fan will do .
Start small
If all of this seems overwhelming, remember this: You can start with one tray on a small heating mat under decent grow lights and see how you like it before investing in setting up a full rack. If you have tried sowing before without much success, try this system to see if it is more efficient and productive.