I am no gardening expert, so don’t listen to anything that I have to say, but if you do listen, here are some incredibly simple secrets that I have learned about starting seedlings.

Strong Seedlings

1. Set up a florescent light, about 2-3 inches about your plants 16 hours a day for maximum growth

2. Small seeds can be started in a layer of damp paper towel, check daily, and as soon as you see roots, move them into planting trays

3. 1-2 hours before planting, add soil to planting containers, in a large tray, and add warm water, to hydrate the soil.

4. Plant your seeds or sprouts, and mulch with a layer of perlite, or vermiculite,

5. Once planted, cover your seedlings with a clear plastic lid or large ziplock bag, to maintain moisture levels, (if using a bag, make sure it doesn’t touch the soil, and allows room for the seedlings to grow.

6. If you are planting in a cold room, add a heating mat to warm the soil, and start your seedlings off right. While this isn’t necessary, it can help a lot.

7. Put your florescent light, about 4 inches above your seed trays, and make sure that you rotate your seed trays daily, so that each side of the tray has a chance to face the window, your seedlings will follow the light, and this helps them to grow thicker and stronger.

8. As soon as sprouts appear, open the ziplock bags, or prop up one side of the clear dome. The sprouts need air circulation, and we don’t want them to get mould or rot.

9. After a couple more days, remove the dome, and bags, and lower the light so it is about 1-2 inches above the seedlings (you will need to raise it daily, to maintain this height) if you have the light higher than this, the sprouts will be spindly, as they try to reach for it.

10. Put a fan on in the room for a light breeze, This increases circulation, and helps the plants to grow stalkier. You can also lightly brush the leaves of the plants with your hands, to encourage growth.

11. Speak softly, to your plants, and avoid loud noises, or abrupt changes in temperature.

12. Be sure to keep the seedlings watered, I prefer to water from the bottom of the tray, with luke warm water, I put 1 inch of water in a non draining tray, and check it regularly, the plants will drink what they need this way. Make sure not to overwater the plants by adding to much in the tray, as this can encourage mould.

13. Once the seedlings are about 1 inch big, remove the extra seedlings with a pair of sharp scissors, don’t pull it out, this will disturb the roots of the healthy seeds.

14. Once the plants are touching neighbours, it is time for a bigger container. Do this within a day or so, so the plants don’t become stunted.

15. RELAX, planting should be fun, and educational, not stressful!!

Selecting The Right Seeds

Don’t choose seeds that are smaller than average, or deformed, chose the most average looking seeds. You can usually put 2-3 large seeds in one hole, and 5-6 smaller seeds in a hole, to guarantee germination.