How to Start Your Own Seedlings- 6 Easy Steps!

Starting your own seedlings is incredibly rewarding and once you try it you'll never go back to buying transplants from the garden center! Learn how to start your own seedlings with these 6 steps to seedling success!
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00:00
00:53 Step 1- Seed Starting Media
01:44 Step 2- Water
02:46 Bonus Tip
03:38 Step 3- Light
04:26 Step 4- Heat
05:23 Step 5- Air
06:23 Step 6- Food
08:21 Bonus Step- Harden Off
#zone6gardening #ohiogardening #seedstarting

[@rogerbeaird5742]

Jen😄😃😃...and the award goes too ...😄🇺🇸👋👋Jenna for the gardeners planters award 😃

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

🤩

[@RichardHart-bx9np]

Hello Jenna, I started following you last year and have continued for 2023. Learned a lot from you and admire all the work you do with all these vegetables. I thought today, are you a vegetarian or vegan? I will continue to work hard at this because there is nothing better than fresh vegetables. Thank you for your knowledge .

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Hello Richard! I would tend to agree with you- there's not much that beats garden fresh, homegrown veggies. I am not a vegetarian or vegan... just eat a lot plants 😄.

[@conniehoeppner4536]

Very good information

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Thanks, Connie!

[@helenmansuy2169]

Thank you so much.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

You're welcome, Helen!

[@charliehoos9773]

Thank you 😊

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

You're most welcome!

[@helenmcclellan452]

Great video, thank you!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Glad you liked it- you're welcome!

[@GogWarrior]

Very helpful video..i learn a lot😍

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kygal2873]

Very helpful! Thanks again Jenna

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm glad you found it helpful, Jill- you're welcome! Have a great weekend!

[@lyndapierce2333]

Thank you,very helpful to have all the steps covered in one place.👋🥰👋

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Glad it was helpful!

[@conradofm]

nice

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Thanks

[@RichardHart-bx9np]

Jenna, I just watched your garden tour 2021, I am truly inspired, motivated and excited about this coming year. Although you have 5 times the area and plant an incredible amount of plants, flowers and veggies in which I have no idea how you do it except for a love of gardening and work. Anyway your great attitude and determination has ignited the spark. Thank you for everything you do.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm so glad to hear this- I hope the '23 season is a fantastic one for you!

[@JulesGardening]

Must say, this winter was nice. Like you said. Variety is the key for starting your own. We have had a pretty good go of it. This one company, wow their seeds just HIT. Won't say here for commericial reasons, but very happy with everything we have going. Having a mess with the onions, well the sweet onions. So much WATER. lol. I agree on the seed starting media. Used, hmm, Sungro seed starter. Good stuff. Good advice on the watering Jenna. And yeah, really like the humidity dome trick. Very handy. Yep. Got the grow light thing figured out. Getting better Jenna. lol. Hey I got that heat matt. And yep. Made that mistake too. Heat mat under the brassicas. BAD idea for me anyway. oooh. Did not know that per fertilizer. THANK YOU Jenna. 👊 Good show as usual. Thanks so much. 👍

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm going to take a guess that it's Johnny's 😉 I've always had awesome results with their seeds. It's one big continual learning experience isn't it? I think that's a big part of why I love it- there will never cease to be new things to learn, and new challenges. It's got to be good for your brain in that way! Thanks Jules, and have a great week!

[@williamaber2791]

Very helpful video. Thanks for sharing

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

You're welcome, William. I'm glad you found it helpful- take care!

[@johnroydelacruz1433]

Taking care seedling is like taking care children

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

You are right- it absolutely is. Except the seedlings don't talk back 😆

[@borwaywong]

very clear and easy to understand video. thanks!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Glad it was helpful! Take care & have a wonderful week!

[@myretiredhobbiesgainesvill8140]

Good information, very helpful and just in time. My pepper seeds have germinated, I got a fantastic rate, I think every seed sprouted. My tomato, broccoli and sage seeds are planted. Thanks for sharing.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm glad to hear it! I'm getting ready to plant my peppers soon-- hope my germination rate is as good as yours. Have a great evening!

[@CBsGreenhouseandGarden]

Awesome tips as always Mrs. Jenna. Thanks for sharing this information with us. Stay safe and have a wonderful weekend.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Thanks CB! Hope you have a wonderful week- take care!

[@hekkaunique9347]

Needed this! Thank you!🌿♥️

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

You're very welcome! Have a great evening!

[@PeachyBeanInc]

I've been binge watching your channel. I am embarking on year 3 of gardening but am scaling up quite a bit this year to produce as much as I can. Thanks so much for all the great tips, info and videos Jenna :)

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

You are most welcome, Renee! Best of luck on the bigger garden this year!

[@bobbywilliams2839]

Wish I saw this video last year. It's basic no non sense and concise which is hard to find all in one place. Good video.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Thank you, Bobby! I'm glad you found the video helpful and wish you the best of luck with starting seedlings. Take care!

[@biglipL]

I think I’ve been causing too much humidity for my seedlings. The pictures are extremely helpful

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm glad you found the pictures helpful, Leslie! Hope your next round of seed starting goes well!

[@jeffbergeron3288]

Jenna, When using the seed starter kits that have wicking mats, should fertilizer be added to the water tray below or just water above as you did? Thanks

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

You can add the fertilizer to the water tray below in this case.

[@ktsls82]

Next Step Fertilizer is out of stock. Do you have any other recommendations for seedlings fertilizer? LOVE your videos! I live in Kimbolton, OH. Thanks,

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I've been on the lookout, but haven't had a chance to try any of these personally: I though this one looked promising, very similar-- www.shelmerdine.com/product/organic-seedling-starter/ A granulated formula, a little higher in nitrogen, but low amounts overall should work fine for seedlings-- parkseed.com/espoma-bio-tone-starter-plus-4-lb/p/35875/?msclkid=cebf3a554eb713b2446c5841bb790421&Bing%20Shopping%20(Shopping)&GS_supplies%20%26%20tools And I suspect this would work in a similar way: foxfarm.com/product/big-bloom-liquid-fertilizer There are also a lot of liquid, fish-based fertilizers on the market which will work-- but beware of the smell! I can't use them for my indoor seed starting because they stink. But I do use them sometimes on my greenhouse plants.

[@ktsls82]

@@GrowfullywithJenna Thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate it. With the heat mats do you use the thermometers that can be bought separately for them? Thanks!

[@rayehodgson1409]

Just found your videos🙂 Last year I planted asparagus in January. Worked well, as long as I got them into 6" deep flats, and provided some high quality nutrients.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Perfect! I wish more folks knew how easy asparagus is to grow from seed- I'm glad it worked for you!

[@tammynelson9568]

Hello from your Ohio neighbor. I hope you survived this last big ice and snow storm we just went through. I have a question. I have a new garden shed (not a greenhouse). I has three windows and a ceiling fan in it. Sooo thoughts of using it for hardening off my seeds. From my house to there. Or would I need to keep the temperature warmer than a certain temp?

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Hello neighbor! Yes- we survived just fine, it was less severe here than the news made it out to be (only about 6" and not much ice). I hope you all fared well. Regarding the shed- it depends on what you're hardening off, but in general you just want to make sure it remains above freezing. When I'm hardening off cold hardy starts in my greenhouse, I generally run a small space heater to keep the temps at around 50-60F.

[@tammynelson9568]

@@GrowfullywithJenna have you ever considered a website with a list of what flowers and food that you plant at what timeframe in Ohio. For example when to start the seed indoors and out. Or should we just follow the seed package and count back from the average frost date. You are just full of experience and knowledge. I think it would be awesome for all of us if you wrote it all down also. 😃. You inspire us all.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

@@tammynelson9568 I've considered it... the trick is finding the time to do it!

[@tammynelson9568]

@@GrowfullywithJenna I completely understand that. You will need an assistant before too long. That is a good problem to have. 😁

[@kiravanderzanden]

How do you harden them off if the weather is hot, and you have work most of the day? Thanks!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I will move outside into a protected area that receives full shade and gradually move them to areas which receive more and more sun- usually over the course of about 2 weeks

[@stephenmoberg8807]

Bottom water

[@bbtruth2161]

Another great video. I've been gardening for a while now, but only in recent years have I really started learning, hence my continuing experiments. That was one of the best start to finish seed starting lessons I've seen. In my experimenting this winter I've got lots of oops and you know better than that moments, things like damping off etc... try as I might, my house is so dry in winter with wood heat, but I think I have my water ph figured pretty well. I was one that tried making some soil from my gardens with out too much success and quickly gave up on that, especially for seedlings and because I don't want other issues brought in with it. That said I have a few plants like my banana and my pineapple, some overwintering peppers that are doing really well potted up in some of my barn scrapings. Live and learn, just have to get used to the idea of having to buy seed starting mix and potting soil. On that note, my experimenting with coir vs. peat is having mixed results. I like the coir for drainage and fewer ph issues. My best results though seem to be with plain pro-mix which has the mycos, perlite, and lime in it. The mixes I made did not have the mycos added. So I'm thinking my results are kind of in line with yours in that the worm castings and mycos added are probably the way to go on a home made mix. Jury is still out on the lights. They all seem to work to some degree or another. I use a liquid organic fertilizer for seedlings, but very diluted. I will have to check out the kind you use. Good reminder for everyone on hardening off. Mess that up and those babies will fry. My deck works perfect. Saving the south facing side of my house for a lean to style greenhouse and I may build a few cold frames. Lots to do. Not long till the big seed starting push in my zone. Keep up the good work! Your seedlings look great! Take care.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Thanks @bb truth! So good to hear about all the things you're experimenting with... and you're absolutely right- live & learn! The ProMix is good stuff for sure- I just wish it were a little more affordable in my area. I've been playing around with other store bought mixes- I've tried the Espoma organic seed starting mix and the Burpee coir-based seed starting mix so far... the Burpee was pretty good, but I like the ProMix and my homemade 'deluxe' mix better. I'm finding that with my lights, the fluorescent T-5s do just fine for seedlings, but if I want to grow anything past seedling size (my indoor greens for example) the full spectrum LEDs are better. Optic LED asked me to try out one of their new LED lights for growing indoors- I'm going to be trying indoor tomatoes & peppers with that one-- should be fun! Thanks for all the updates & I hope you have a great week- take care!

[@bbtruth2161]

@@GrowfullywithJenna let me know how you like the lights your going to try. Again I seem to have similar observations on the soil and lights. The burpee coir isnt too bad but liking my mixes better.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

@@bbtruth2161 I will- planning on doing several video updates on the progress as well!

[@susanhousley6901]

Hi Jenna, so glad I’ve found your videos. Moving here from the UK where anything grows, you just have to chuck it in the ground, to somewhere with heavy clay and a short growing season was a huge learning curve for me. One thing I feel compelled to mention is the growing medium. Many varieties here offered in stores still have a peat mix. Stores and providers of compost etc. in Europe are working towards peat free mixes in an effort to protect the environment. Thousand year stores of peat are being decimated in the name of profit. These habitats are crucial to many creatures we share this planet with. Sorry for the preachy, preach but it’s an area us gardeners and wildlife lovers need to be aware of so we can help to fix it.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm so glad you brought this up, Susan. I mentioned the peat issue in a couple of my other videos, but in hearing folks' opinions on the matter (via the comments) and trying to do my own research, I've hit on a lot of conflicting info. My main sticking point is this-- In the U.S., if one were to purchased peat from Canada which is verified as sustainably harvested, is that not a better option than purchasing the coconut coir which, in theory, has a larger footprint due to shipping distances? I'm not in any way being snarky- I genuinely don't know the answer to this quandary and would love some insight. Any thoughts on the matter are most appreciated!

[@susanhousley6901]

Hi Jenna, thnx for your response. My comment was also not to be critical, it was a way to get people talking about it. When people are talking there’s a good chance a solution will be found. I confess I too don’t know enough about it to be an expert but will make it my mission to become educated on the Canadian sources of peat etc. Unfortunately, unless we can rely solely on stuff we create ourselves, ergo compost, everything will have undergone some sort of transportation to get to its market. I love the fact that many folks are now growing their own produce which is a huge help in offsetting their carbon footprint. But sadly we are at the point where much more effort, in many areas is needed to repair the damage we have created.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

@@susanhousley6901 Thank you! I will also be 'digging' (pun intended 😆) into this issue more this year to see what I can learn. I appreciate your insight. And you are absolutely right- focusing on things we can make ourselves is the way to go! Take care!

[@susanhousley6901]

Sorry about my very fat fingers and typos hahahaha, they are used to gardening not typing 🤗

[@copyrighteduser]

I use worm compost to start my seeds, probably not the best, thought about mixing it with peat moss or coconut coir but there is so much conflicting information that I did a bit more digging (hah). This was my conclusion peat moss grows 1mm a year, it traps CO2 (which might release when harvesting) the bog needs to be drained etc (so an involved process) regardless of the “sustainable “ label this is what happens in order to get the product. Coconut coir is a byproduct of coconut harvesting, the husk of the coconut is turned into coir, the trees don’t need to be cut down and will continue to produce husks and trap CO2. Both of these mediums undergo transportation to their destinations. To me Coconut coir seems to have less of an impact, especially in the long run, due to how it’s made.

[@akhtarali9854]

Whole video is very helpfull & informative , do you use vermicompost to grow seedling ?

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm glad you found it helpful & informative, Akhtar! I typically use just earthworm castings in my seed starting mix, as this is what I have access to. Vermicompost would work really well also. Take care!

[@FaithHopeCharity523]

Jenna, what is your thought on soaking seeds before planting them? Also, Garden's Alive is out of the fertilizer you mentioned. Any substitutes you recommend? Thank you!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Great question, Sonya. Soaking seeds will help speed germination, but I rarely ever do it- no reason, I just don't normally think of doing it and I have great results even without soaking. The exception to that is the few times I soak and pre-sprout seeds before planting (like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZq8k4Joj8mhotU ). For the fertilizer, I don't have any recommendations that I've personally used. I ran across this one, which looks similar: www.shelmerdine.com/product/organic-seedling-starter/ And I suspect this would work in a similar way: foxfarm.com/product/grow-big-hydro-liquid-fertilizer There are also a lot of liquid, fish-based fertilizers on the market which will work-- but beware of the smell! I can't use them for my indoor seed starting because they stink. But I do use them sometimes on my greenhouse plants.

[@FaithHopeCharity523]

@@GrowfullywithJenna, Thank you! I ordered Fox Farm's Grow Big. I have fish emulsion and I agree - not a product to use in the house!

[@archstanton9703]

I'm thinking about hardening off the plants under 40% shade cloth on the north side of our house where they are more protected from the strong winds we are having. I wished I'd know about using a fan to get them use to wind but may still try it. I separated three tomato seedlings today and tore most of their roots. I planted them in 4" seedling containers using Walmart's Better Homes & Gardens Planting potting soil and watered them with Seedlingers liquid plant food. The seedlings were wilted before I applied the soil, and I was hoping that the plant food would help with the transplant shock. Do you have any tips for separating seedlings? I was hoping to separate them so I could give them away to friends and family, but if I'm going to kill them all, I'd rather leave them be. What would happened if I planted my tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant in pairs? Any suggestions would be appreciated. By the way, the floating seed starting kits worked out great. Thanks again for your previous seed-starting kit comparison video!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

That sounds like a good way to harden off your plants! As far as separating your seedlings, I think you're on the right track. Repotting them and babying them along is the way to go. Tomatoes are incredibly resilient and hopefully they'll bounce back for you. You might give it a couple days to ensure that they come out of the shock before transplanting any more, just to be safe. Honestly though, I don't have much in the way of personal experience with this and I'm not sure how planting in pairs will work out. I always thin my seedlings to 1 per cell when they are very small (usually around 2" tall). Sorry I can't offer more advice on this matter! I'm glad to hear the floating seed kits worked well for you. Take care & enjoy the remainder of your weekend!