I share my indoor seed starting setup: grow light rack, seedling trays, seed starting medium, fertilizer and accessories, as well as which seeds I’m starting in mid-February for my Ohio garden.
𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬:
🌱ᴄʜᴀʀʟᴇꜱ ᴅᴏᴡᴅɪɴɢ ꜱᴇᴇᴅ ᴛʀᴀʏꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀʟʟ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀʀᴅᴇɴ (affiliate link): https://allaboutthegarden.com/?sca_ref=3177483.OMdSez9uOx
🌱Grow Rack from Harris Seeds: https://www.harrisseeds.com/collections/grow-lights-plant-stands/products/40971-t8-grow-light-plant-stand-12-trays
Shorter, 4 level version here: https://www.harrisseeds.com/products/40151-4-tier-grow-light-plant-stand-heat-mat-kit-4-trays
🌱Timer: https://amzn.to/3YqR9JE
🌱Clip-on Fan: https://amzn.to/3lqqkXw
🌱Heat Mats: https://amzn.to/40RhCSg
🌱Grow Plug Seed Starting Kit: https://www.gurneys.com/product/gurneys_seed_starting_kit
🌱Pro Mix Ultimate Organic Mix: https://www.menards.com/main/outdoors/gardening/lawn-plant-care/compost-soils-amendments/pro-mix-reg-ultimate-organic-soil-mix-1-cu-ft/1010071rg/p-1444451345240-c-1463608034794.htm
🌱Green Eden mycorrhizal inoculant: https://amzn.to/3YNnwCh
🌱Coco Bliss Coconut Coir: https://amzn.to/3lss3LV
🌱Super Thrive Fertilizer: https://amzn.to/3Xok5ki
🌱Fox Farm Big Bloom Fertililzer: https://amzn.to/3jXSjxc
🌱Dr. Earth’s Pot of Gold Plant Food: https://amzn.to/3YmXA0z
🌱Dr. Earth’s Pure Gold Plant Food: https://amzn.to/3YKgUoc
🌱Espoma’s Organic Grow Plant Food: https://amzn.to/3xh6kt6
🌱Rev Plant Growth Stimulant: https://organicrev.com/
ꜱᴇᴇᴅ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛɪɴɢ ᴍɪx ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ: https://youtu.be/6hWrdIg7nzQ
Seed Starting Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4zzslvkscX37Yxp5QR-WcrL-PSYwdO5l
00:00 Intro
00:26 Grow Light Stand
04:48 Seedling Trays
06:44 Seed Starting Medium
10:46 Seedling Fertilizer
15:41 What I’m Starting From Seed Today
#seedstarting
45 Comments
I have a wire shelf with LEDs attached to it. I use cardboard boxes to elevated the trays towards the lights until the seedlings grow larger. I generally use coco peet or peet moss with perlite for the starting mix. I tend to do bottom watering so I can use a granular fertilizer but I use it at half the recommended strength to avoid over fertilizing and potential burning of the plants. This is only used once the plants have put out their first true leaves.
Last week I got my brassicas, cilantro, some lettuces and spinach, along with some flowers for the wife's flower garden started. Some have already sprouted and I'm watching them closely to see if they get leggy because this is my first year with this system. It's my budget friendly way of having the cool seed starting system you have.
when i clean my 2 aquarium and filter i use the waste in my indoor plant and doesn't smell. In my aquarium i only use mechanical filter, good bacteria grow on it. My pepper, tomato and cucumber love it
Awesome video! My onions are inches tall, Leeks just popping through. Time for cabbage n bok choy. I'm also searching for fertilizer so hopefully we find a good one.
I'm in NW Oregon (zone 8) in a small town which makes finding fertilizer, especially quality fertilizer difficult. I found Tru Organic liquid replant starter (222) at Ace. I'm trying it out this year, so far so good. I have been fertilizing only once a week, I'm going to try every watering and see if that makes a difference. I have used Espoma products in the past and like them, just hard to find here. Thank you for your real gardening info. We are in different climates; your info is easy to understand and adjust. We do have the same last frost date, that helps.
So much really great info in this one video. Thank you😊
I use aluminum foil around some of my seedling trays but I've found the aluminum foil pans we get from restaurant orders work well too and they're free, I just prop them up leaning on edge of my seedlings flats.
Also, forgot to mention a potential future topic (or maybe something you’ve already covered)
But would love to know how you clean all your seedling trays for the upcoming season, i always hate that job and would be interested to see how you go about it
Thanks Jenna. My one light rack looks very similar to what you showed in the video but mine is only two tier. I'm surprised you go 12 on 12 off. I've always done 14 or 15 on. Not sure where I heard to do that but have done it that way for 25 years.
I saw in the comments you're not near the train wreck. Glad to hear that. Terrible situation.
Thanks for so much information! I subscribed to see how your tests work out because there really are a whole lot of products out there. It's overwhelming. I really want to handle my food as close to nature's way of doing things but I'm still new and learning so much. Looking forward to more!
Thanks for this video, Jenna! I am about to start my cool crops this weekend in my south facing window, that gets an average of 4-6 hours of sun per day. Question, should I use a heat mat also? I am growing in zone 6a Michigan
Last year in the garden I had a barrel that I stuffed with comfrey and other garden cuttings and then let the rain wash through these cuttings. The barrel has drain holes on the bottom and I catch the drippings. I am sure this system has a name of permaculture something but I do not know it. What I did not use on the garden by last fall, I bottled up and I now use it on house plants and my seedlings. So far so good. Your posts are well done and very informative. Thank you!
Thanks for the video. Will be following your fertilizer trials with great interest here in NE Ohio. I use a mylar emergency blanket to reflect the light on my grow shelves.
Would you mind recapping everything about sunflowers for zone 6? Watering feeding staking, bird protection. 🐦 thank you 😃
Jenna you might look into biochar to add to your mix.
Possibly stupid question:
If you use a fertilizer with a higher N:p:K rating can you lower it by diluting it more.
For instance I have a 10:10:10 if the normal dilution is one cup per gallon could I make it closer to the 2:4:2 by diluting a half cup into three gallons?
It wouldn't be exact obviously but would that work or is my math and my understanding of fertilizer incorrect?
Another idea that we've adopted is using the inexpensive mylar emergency blankets. We have some tacked to the wall behind our light set-up, and you could drape more over the edge of yours.
Thanks for the great video!
Have you ever tried planting tea? I'm moving to the dayton area soon and have no clue how a tea plant would do there
What is the amount/size of the coco coir brick you are using? Or, how many bricks is considered "one part?" I've never used them before so I'm not sure how many or what size to buy, but want to try them out in my seed starting mix this year. Thanks for this video!
I love your indoor setup. Your full of great knowledge!
Great tip about size
I'm confused about whether or not to bump up seedlings to larger pots if I've sown them in cell trays. What's the smallest pot or cell I can transplant into the garden from without having to bump the seedling up into a larger pot?
Regarding seed starting mix, Pro-Mix Premium Moisture potting mix is labeled for seed starting, and is sold at Walmart in 2 cu. ft. compressed bales for just under $14.00. That's a bit of a bargain, especially if you're using it for seed starting.
Four varieties of onions, leeks, cabbage, echinacea. And an apple seed just for fun. Zone 6b
I’m across the country in Idaho but we are zone 6B. I love your videos and tips for the garden. We have sown our broccoli, leeks, onions, celery, mustard, chard, dandelions, hot peppers, mizuna, cilantro with more herbs getting sown next week!
We used fish emulsion outside last year for seedlings- raccoons. All the raccoons. Destroyed half the seedlings. So I wouldn't recommend it outside either! 😅
6A in PA- Fava's in ground 2-12-23 under row cover's and still harvesting turnips planted last fall. Thank you for sharing, I liked the video.
Praying for all those directly effected by the train crash and disastrous clean up attempts. when the wind blows that cloud of toxins on to other states and it rains, we will all be effected at some point.
I have a small backyard with no option to do an in-ground garden, so I use grow bags on my large outdoor patio. I also have 2 GreenStalk vertical planters that work well for a limited growing area. I live in zone 8b where the heat is a challenge to gardening. This is my 1st year to grow indoor seedlings. Using a metal wire shelving unit with adjustable shelves. My grow lights are Walmart LED shop lights with 5000 Lumens and daylight kelvin. The light has 2 LED strips and am using 2 shop lights per shelf. So far, my seedlings are growing well under the lights. I did a lot of garden research for my area and developed a planting guide for better timing with seed starting. Like you, I didn't want to use any fertilizer indoor with fish product, because it stinks so bad. I am using Fox Farm Grow Big 6-4-4 and VermisTerra earthworm casting tea at seedling strength. I don't have a huge seedling production, so it's not a big expense to use Fox Farm. Most of the liquid fertilizers were about the same price. BTW, I love your large orange scoop. I bought that same scoop last year and recently used it to redo potting mix in 1 of my vertical planters. It was a huge time saver. Like your channel and subscribed. Looking forward to watching your gardening tips and tricks.
We are just getting our first seeds started this week here in zone 7a 😃😃😃- Cara
I am in easter Ohio and in the same zone as you. I started onion seeds (first time for onion seeds, always did sets) last week and marigolds. I have used Miracle Grow Quick Start for seedlings and when I transplant into my garden.
I like your set up
Bootstrap make a hardy tray and your in ohio you should check out yoders produce in millersburg
I started using “AgroThrive Organic Fertilizer – General Purpose “3/3/2” at manufacturers directions “ last year and it works great!!!
beautiful flowers
Could you tell me what lumens and kl seedlings need to grow? Thank you
Has anyone here tried using soil blockers? Basically you iust make compressed seed starting blocks and don't use any plastic forms. I'm a bit skeptical if they actually work and would love to hear anyone else's opinions!
I am also in Ohio! Where are you? I get conflicting zones here in Canfield, Oh! Really enjoying your videos!
What about compost tea.
Carhartt Cutie 😉
I always use a fan(s) to simulate wind, it is a must, your plants for sure love you for it.
Cool you always product test too, awesome!
Time to address the tab water; it contains so much chlorine and even other unhealthy stuff! The tab water is actually an issue. A filter is necessary to keep you as well as your plants out of chlorine; even in the shower an bath tub. The skin is said to be the body´s biggest organ, and your immune system is depending on the probiotics in your gut, intestines; not a very good idea to kill the probiotics then, is it. There are filters that are not that expensive, appr 70 dollars on line; easy to install; no tools needed.
You appear to have very good success, but it looks like you have a large amount of money invested, to get that success. I started gardening, partly for distraction/stress relief, but also for help feeding my family. If you spent a lot of money, is it worth doing it yourself, rather than just buying groceries from the store?
Nice setup and info. I like your homemade seedling mix, and I’m also a Promix fan, but it’s pricey around here.
I have a T5 light which is intense. I can put my seedlings 12-18” away and they do just fine. In fact, it’s so powerful that even though it’s fluorescent, it actually heats up the grow area a bit, increasing the temperature around 10°, which is actually OK, because it’s in my otherwise chilly basement.
I’m in zone 7a Maryland, but our last frost dates are only a couple weeks ahead of you, so I have only cool season crops going so far.
LOVE this kind of video with all the useful info 👌 Thank you so much and 🙏 for a plentiful growing season to all! So worried about all the efforts to destroy farmers in this country. Duck and cover people 🙏🙏🙏
Ohio earth food has an amazing seed starter mix.
We are also in 6A, sewed brassicas (minus cabbage) 2 weeks ago and up-potted. Cabbage last week. Luffa, onions and peppers we start in January. We use cheap LED grow lights over a table to start, when we up pot, they go under a Mars Hydro grow light. The rest will be done mid march.