before you start:
Welcome to the exciting world of seed growing! Starting seeds can be tricky, but so rewarding! The key to success is giving your seeds exactly what they need, so please follow the setup guide closely.
We recommend starting with just a few seeds first, just in case you need to tweak your setup and try again. You may not get 100% germination rates(it's nature, after all, and the reason why we always add extra seeds!), but we're here to help make sure you grow a little army of plant babies!
step 1) check your seed's instructions to see if they need any seed preparation prior to planting
pre-soaking
Pre-soaking helps break down the seed's outer coating and is particularly helpful for the seeds with tougher coatings!
To pre-soak your seeds, simply drop the seeds in room temperature or warm water for 12-24 hours prior to sowing.
optionally: you can also pre-soak the seeds in hydrogen peroxide for 2-3 hours to make sure the seeds are sterile prior to planting them!
stratification
Stratification is an essential step for certain seeds that would experience a winter(e.g. olive seeds, pine tree seeds) Oftentimes, these seeds won't germinate without a stratification process. But don't worry! This is pretty easy to do and you can replicate winter for your seeds with a fridge.
To stratify seeds, place the seeds in a container like a baggie or tupperware container with sphagnum moss or soil(or sown already in your planter) and place that container in the fridge for anywhere from 1 week - 2 months before planting the seeds. Check the planting instructions for your specific seeds to see how long to stratify them for.
Learn more about stratification here!
scarification
Scarification is all about giving your seeds a head start in breaking down the outer coating so water can get in and start the germination process.
You can do so by gently cutting the outer coating of the seed with a knife or more commonly, by using some sand paper to sand away a bit of the hard shell.
Learn more about scarification here!
step 2) pick your planter & humidity dome
select a non-porous planter with good drainage
This can be anything that helps seal in moisture, such as plastic, ceramic, metal or our personal favorite, rice hull!
avoid: planters made of breathable materials such as terra cotta, coconut coir or peat biodegradable planters (these are great for plants, but not the best for starting seeds)
prepare a humidity dome, whether pre-purchased or diy
Humidity domes are essential for seed starting, but you don't need to buy one! Pre-purchased domes like those that come with mini greenhouses are convenient to use, but you can also just cover your planter with plastic wrap, a ziploc baggie, a glass jar or whatever creative solutions you can come up with to seal in the moisture.
step 3) pick your soil
select a well-draining, fresh, and sterile potting medium
The soil you use can make or break your setup. Make sure to select fresh and well-draining potting mix for your seeds. Our seed-starting potting medium of choice is these coconut fiber soil pods.
avoid these planting mediums!
Stay away from heavily fertilized potting mixes, used potting mixes, or garden soil.
It's also best to avoid chunky potting mixes or mediums like leca- the seeds will get lost in those and they need more moisture than chunky mediums can provide.
step 4) plant your seeds!
get the soil very wet. Sow the seeds at the recommended spacing & depth, water again(gently), and cover with your chosen humidity dome(with the air vents closed).
step 5) pick your lighting
Use grow lights OR indirect or filtered sunlight. NO DIRECT SUN.
step 6) set the temperature
An extremely important and often overlooked step: seeds need consistent temperatures of 70-85F(ideally 75-85F) to germinate! A heat mat is worth the investment, but not necessary if your home stays in that range.
Seeds hate temperature fluctations! So make sure the setup isn't by heat/air vents or open windows.
step 7) do nothing: less is more!
Sometimes doing nothing is the hardest thing to do. But that's exactly what you need to do now! Let the setup and the seeds do their thing.
Make sure your humidity dome has consistent condensation on the inside. You can open the humidity dome ~1 a week to check on the seeds and add some extra water. From there, make sure to check your seeds' estimated germination time and keep an eye out for sprouts!
step 8) plant parenthood: hello sprouts!
start to remove the humidity dome
If your humidity dome has air vents, then open them. If not, take off the dome for an hour a day to start. It's crucial to start giving the seedlings fresh air.
Once most of the seeds germinate, start removing the dome for longer periods daily so within a week you can leave it off for good.
adjust lighting (if needed)
Provide more light. If you're using grow lights, great! If you have them by a windowsill, make sure they're getting bright indirect light and supplement with a grow light if needed.
set a watering schedule
Keep the soil moist. Many sprouts die from underwatering. So check in regularly to make sure moisture levels are good.
set the right temperature
Do you have them on a heat mat? Acclimate them to be off the heat mat, so the soil doesn't dry out too much. Keep them warm, but they don't need as much warmth as seeds.
step 9) caring for your seedlings
when to re-pot your seedlings
Re-potting: If your seedlings are in a greenhouse with their 1st or 2nd set of leaves it may be time to move them! Keeping the roots intact, move them to a home that will give them space to grow. You only want to size up planters 2" at a time, so if they're in a greenhouse, move them to a 4" planter.
Learn more about when it's time to repot your seedlings here!
adjust lighting (if needed)
Light: Seedlings need more light than the adult plants. If they are under a grow light they should be doing well! You can start gradually acclimating seedlings to more sun. South-facing windows work well, just make sure they aren't overwhelmed with sun. Giving your seedlings 1-3 hours of sun a day can boost their growth!
when to fertilize your plant babies
Fertilization: If your seedlings have their 2nd or 3rd set of adult leaves, you can start fertilizing them with diluted liquid fertilizer. We recommend Noot or any of these fertilizers. Dilute the strength by half, and water the seedlings once a week to once a month with the fertilized water.