A $100 Johnny’s Seeds gift certificate giveaway is happening right now on my Instagram (@chicagogardener) until Monday, January 13th and 12pm CST. It’s almost impossible to contact people on YouTube which is why it’s running over there.
0:00 Intro
0:40 Giveaway
2:07 What I do and Don’t start from seed
4:12 Seed starting kit
8:29 Lights
16:45 Timer
17:34 Fertilizer
19:40 Shelves & Setup
Video from last year showing how I use the seed starting kits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4Fyqvh5Dvw
**Amazon links are affiliate links and I make a small commission on qualifying purchases**
~ Items Mentioned ~
Jiffy Seed Starting Kit: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Jiffy-Tomato-Starter-Greenhouse-J636-10H/202250741
Gardener’s Supply Grow Lights: https://amzn.to/4fZT7sI
Barrina Lights I’m Testing: https://amzn.to/4h59XqQ
Outlet Timer: https://amzn.to/4j9Xnbx
Grow Big Fertilizer: https://amzn.to/4fR03bh
23 Comments
Hi, so I'm new to gardening not so much to plants as I have a lot of house plants and I use the barrina lights for them and they work amazing. Those are what I plan on using for my seedlings once I start ❤
I think I’m going to try one of those seed starting trays this year. I’ve had such bad luck with seed starting and subsequently, not successful plants. I also don’t use grow lights, but I figure if I start earlier, I can use window light in my bathroom to let them take a little longer to grow. Fingers crossed!
Cool video, couldn't be more timely for me.. I've been shopping for grow lights and boy can you quickly fall into the rabbit hole with those… I've seen the lights you are trying out so I'm curious to see how they fare. In defense of so called actual "grow lights" I have seen, they do seem to better mimic sunlight and tend to come with additional features such as water resistance and overall better efficiency which might be worth the price….
I have similar growing conditions to yours, growing on a condo rooftop deck, in a similar climate in Canada, and am planning on setting up a grow space of similar size to yours in a walk in closet. I'm lucky enough to also have a large fully south facing window, but it gets crowded and messy pretty fast. I'm the exact opposite of you by the way, as I grow mostly veggies and take pride in starting them from seed using varieties that can't easily be found while I usually buy my flowers are the store lol .. but I'd like to create a tidier system with perhaps room for more seedlings, notably some flowers. Anyway keep up the good content and keep us posted !
Very helpful! If you can’t add magnets, try hanging them from zip ties. They’re easy to raise as needed.
Great setup. Just wanted to add that those new lights may have a thin film that needs to be pulled off before use. Many people don’t realize that then have issues. Love your videos! Your zone is closer to my own than many other channels so I really appreciate learning how you do things
Hello Bethany, I am located in zone 5A in Montreal . I also have a bakers rack similar to yours. I am able to make use of that top (4th shelf) by putting 2 jiffy self standing grow lights one in front of the other, daisy chained together ,say on the left side of the 4th shelf ,and placing a 10×20 tray under them. Then on the right side of the 4 th shelf , I can fit a 10×10 tray with a clamp style spotlight fitted with an led grow light bulb over it. That clamp style spotlight is held in place by clamping it to a vertical piece of wood that has been taped to the back vertical legs of the bakers rack. That way I get full use the 4 the shelf. I hope this suggestion helps. Have a great day!
Great video! That Jiffy starting kit seems like a good option to get going 🙂
I use Barrina (6 Pack) LED T5 Integrated Single Fixture, 4FT, 2200lm, 6500K Super Bright White. They are about $43 right now for six of the four foot length. I love them BUT I raise and lower them with my seedlings. Can’t wait to see how your testing goes. 🤞
Thank you for that video. It suits my small scale needs perfectly. Where did you get your bakers rack?
Thank you. I’ll check it out.
Amazing! I’m in 5b and have started some perennials and herbs already! I try to get the tiny slow growers started about 10-12 weeks before last frost. Thank you for your videos!
We're practically neighbors – (Elmhurst – here) and we use heat mats to avoid the dreaded Damping Off, which occurs whenever we don't keep them warm from underneath.
Great info. Instead of raising the lights on my set up I raised and lowered my flat by putting something under the flat to raise it up. Much easier than raising the light up and down. Do you have success using the Jiffy pods? Last year I had terrible germination using them. But, maybe it was me and not the Jiffy pods.
I just ordered the seed starting kits, etc. Can you have a link for shelf on wheels? amazon? thank you!
I have used the Barrina lights for 4 years. I like them. I use zip ties to attach to rack. You will like.
Why don’t you just get magnets and attach them to the new lights? Would that work?
@ChicagoGardener do you water them manually? I want to do this but can't water them myself everyday.
Such great info. I am interested in those grow lights – the ones I bought last year work fine but only came in a pack of two and my rack is similar to yours, so I need 4 more – but that 6 pack is a fantastic price. I think we are in the same growing zone (6a-6b) – I am in Missouri but only about 6 hours south from Chicago. I am going to start onions soon (indoors) but that is an experiment since I have never grown those before. Very impressed with your container gardening. You do so much with the space.
I have the good fortune of being able to do my seed starting at the office. We have huge south-facing windows and the temperature is kept around 72F (as opposed to at home where the furnace struggles to maintain 64F).
Plus, my coworkers can cheerlead "the babies" and then get to reap the rewards come summer in the form of bowl after bowl of cherry tomatoes and flowers.
Thanks for showing your seed starting setup. Have you ever tried winter sowing?
I remember from one of your videos you mentioned liking thumbergias. Some of mine produce seed and others do not. I learned about a fun seed collecting trick online. You pinch off where the seed is and after you have collected several in a container, plate etc. You can put them in your bathtub with the shower curtain closed and the drain closed and over the course of a few days you might hear them popping and bursting out. I spaced them about an inch apart. It was a fun experiment and easy if you have an extra bathroom. Maybe it would work in a large plastic storage container. The last few years, many of my gorgeous vines did not produce seed.
Have you try the seeding snail method?
Try not putting the rack in front of the window when it's cold out the seeds will be warmer and germinate better in the warmth away from the window. It has worked better for me.