Top 5 Seed Starting Mistakes Beginners Make

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In this video, we share 5 of the most common seed starting mistakes that beginners make. We've been guilty of all of the mistakes on this list (and more), so hopefully we can help you avoid making them this year.
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🌱 USDA Hardiness Zone: 6A
🌶 / peppergeek
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#gardening #plants #vegetables

[@79PoisonBreaker]

1 big mistake many do is keeping heat mat on after seeds sprout, always take off heat mat soon as germination happens or plants will get leggy no mater how much light you provide. airflow for fresh air just as important as nutrients for healthy strong plants.

[@K_Swap_The_World_69]

Yeah I learned this this year when it was my first time planting indoors I had a heat mat I should have known it would get too hot but I learned I planted early so I did have some nice little pepper baby's 😁

[@Tenecifer]

Thank you ! I just made this mistake and I was not certain of the cause 😅

[@JB28057]

What if the area they are kept is cold? My basement where my seedlings are is about 50-55 degrees. I was planning to keep the heat mat on but at a lower temperature.

[@K_Swap_The_World_69]

@@JB28057 the heat mat should be set on 80-85°f I hope that helps because you will get incredible numbers with your germination

[@K_Swap_The_World_69]

@@JB28057 you want your heat mat set on 80 to 85°F and as soon as they sprout take them off, I hope this helps you in your journey... Stay Spicy 💯💪🏽💯

[@davidniemi6553]

A note on cost vs. effort and scale: if you are just getting started, and want to try seed starting on a small scale, you have a lot of options. Left-over plastic containers of all sorts are quite usable for this purpose, and you can get by with a warm area for seed starting and a sunny window for growing early seedlings, without really investing in any equipment per se. At the next level, you might want to get pots with designed-in drainage, 10x10 or 10x20 trays, and/or some kind of grow light, and you could still get by for less money than "a pizza and beer". But as you scale up, as I have over the years, it is very helpful to have at least an unregulated heat mat, a lot of durable well-designed pots of standardized sizes, durable trays, and good-quality LED grow lights. These can all reduce the labor you have to put in per successful plant, and you can trade off a lot of factors depending on your own capabilities, priorities, and climate. I personally have more budget and less time than I had 10 years ago, but budget still matters, I still love fresh peppers and tomatoes, and I learn many new techniques and optimizations every year. My advice is to do what brings you joy and good results. You will find a way to make it work within your constraints, and keep experimenting and learning.

[@syledwards-vb8ex]

I AM A BEGINNER AND I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS. I THINK THEY ARE REALISTIC, UNLIKE MANY I HAVE SEEN. VERY INFORMATIVE AND I WILL DEFINATELY TRY THEM OUT. I WILL SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR CHANNEL SO I CAN RECEIVE MORE VIDEOS. THANK YOU. I NOW SEE THE ERRORS I WAS MAKING ALL ALONG.

[@araslintakas6810]

I have been using a 50-50 peat-perlite mix for years. Last year I tried a commercial brand. It did not have enough water retention capability and was not as "fluffy", so my seeds either did not germinate, or germinated and could not grow. Luckily, I was able to recover (somewhat), but was not able to re-sow my peppers. That was a HUGE learning experience. This year, I have started my cold weather crops in my normal peat-perlite mix, and they all germinated and I now have some nice seedlings. (z6a, outside Chicago)

[@bethyoung3654]

Good video! Thank you!

[@thegardnersgarden]

Wonderful video. Thank you.

[@Scottie2hottie82]

I watch a bunch of different channels on here but I’m always excited to see when you post new content. Peppers are my passion but I love growing anything I can and you have definitely helped me out. Keep up the great work and good luck this season

[@geekygreenhouse]

That put a smile on my face this morning 😊 - thanks for the comment, and I'm so happy you enjoy our content. We'll keep at it, and good luck to you as well!

[@michaelkennedy8766]

Great advice as always, thanks.

[@potagermalo]

Superbe vidéo 😊 A bientôt

[@davidniemi6553]

My biggest single mistake in past years has been starting too many peppers and tomatoes too early, and having to deal with them a long time before I can start hardening them off or planting them in-ground. The ideal dates vary by varieties -- cold-tolerant tomatoes can be put outside sooner and not hate you for it, and non-Capsicum Annuum peppers tend to require more time to get going; but on the whole I start most peppers in January-March here in zone 7B (new reckoning, last frost date any time in April), and tomatoes Feb-March).

[@jtmarshall]

I agree about the tomatos.. Never had an issue with peppers im in zone 4 but I top my peppers so I'm not fighting for space before the last frost and they're way more productive vs not topping

[@tyler6147]

It's not a mistake but rather an ongoing experiment... I bought a decent grow light and tent. I set it up in the corner and started all of my seeds in their little containers in the 1020 tray. So far it has been a very good result. It's definitely worth the investment. I put the light on a timer so I don't have to babysit them like normal.

[@Mgamerz]

I do the same setup but I also have a humidifier (that is on when power is supplied - that's important!) and a humidity sensor that can automatically be used to regulate the humidity. It's great.

[@tyler6147]

@@MgamerzI don't have a humidifier but then again where I am at there is no need. It hovers around 50-60% naturally here. I did get an inline fan as well. That helps because in a closed space mold can (and does) grow. It's nice to have air circulation especially as the plants get bigger.

[@markcarruthers3313]

Great, straight forward video! Ah, but if you happen to be starting seeds in the unheated basement of an old farmhouse, where the temperature is not the temperature of rooms in the rest of the house, using a heat mat to bring the soil temperature up to 65º to 70ºF may be a good idea for Brassicas.😉 Despite a KZbinr in a recent video saying one should fill the cells with dry seeding mix to the top of the cells, then add some water (not spritzing) to the top of the dry mix before placing the seed(s), and then add more dry seeding mix & some more water. I would think just adding water on top of the seeding mix, before and after placing the seed does not allow control over the moisture of the cell contents as well as pre-moistening & spritzing, risking “drowning” the seed(s) Although this is only the second year, growing from seeds, I have already learned to moisten the seeding mix slightly, place the seed, cover slightly & then spritz, as you indicate. I also just saw a person, new to growing from seeds, post that they had planted the seeds in a mixture in a cell insert, then placed the insert into a tray with water in it followed by placing a dome with no vent(s) on the tray & insert. In their post, they were asking about the white mold forming on the top of the soil.🤦‍♂️ Lots of mistakes to be made growing from seeds, many of which I made my own first year, last year, but KZbin videos, like yours, have helped me a lot.🤷‍♂️

[@Janedoe-hw6sp]

QUESTION, the hearing pad, I've gotten a few bad ones. Any suggestions on brands or heating pads? I Appreciate your video. I'm watching it again. If like to absorb more of the info. I'm wishing I started a very long time ago learning but better late than never? Maybe.

[@TechLiteDesigns]

Biggest mistake was in labeling the different cells, then when moving up into larger size, mixing them up and only finding out when transplanting to final containers. I had a few "mystery" peppers for a few months until I could recognize the pepper itself. But another tip, I bought a large red pepper at the market and took the seeds from the pepper directly to the seed starter cells - no drying cycle. Those pepper seeds germinated near 100% and sprouted first and the crop was bountiful. I'm trying it again this year, but some I dried then froze, some I just dried, and some will be fresh. Always an experiment. (I had to give away plants last year... so many sprouted.)

[@davidniemi6553]

I've had mixed results with seeds from a grocery store -- sometimes they are hybrids that are designed not to have viable seeds. But it is great to hear your success with directly planting fresh seeds. I should try that next time I want to get two generations of one of my own hybrids into one year (it's supposed to take about 8 generations to stabilize a hybrid, so getting 2+ into one year is really valuable). I've had my troubles with mixing up labels too, but like you I'm learning to be more careful about it.

[@bobfixes7640]

I'm using 2 different red peppers for seeds this year - a hothouse and an imported. I'll see which germinated. Maybe I got lucky last year?

[@CookandBakewithSamer]

Very helpful for me. Thank you.

[@ade52286]

My worst mistake was burning my plants with fish emulsion. I accidentally added too much to like 3 of my 6 pack trays. Almost all 18 of those plants died.😢

[@dovinhgarden05]

Video hay

[@glenbrooks2917]

Can you possibly help me with advice or a better under standing on what I've done wrong. I planted my peppe seeds on Feb 11. Zone 8B North Texas. Good starting soil. 2.5 " wide pots 3 " deep. 3 seeds per pot. Not a single one has germinated yet. Humidity dome on. Heat mat on. Soil temp ranges 83-86 degrees. Only add water when needed. Haven't had to add any in about a week and a half. Any advice Is greatly appreciated.

[@davidniemi6553]

Seed starting requires more moisture than long-term growth. I consider the ideal depth for pepper seeds to be about 1/4", less than that you get more cases of Helmet Head. It sounds like you have done many things right,, what sort of seeds are you using? Most pepper seed germination is 7 to 14 days at ~80F, though it can take a bit longer if you have old seeds (over 5 years will have few and slow germination unless stored in an especially cool but not freezing location). Capsicum Annuum seeds germinate a bit faster than other species. And a few varieties are really hard to get going -- I have only ever gotten one Pasilla Bajio to germinate despite trying several seed sources.

[@glenbrooks2917]

@davidniemi6553 I am trying 23 different plant seeds. Some are same type just color.difference. most all my seeds are bought for.this year. Couple are last year. The packages on most.say 7-14 days. Others are 10-20. I'm just gonna let them ride a little longer until my transplant time. If still nothing it's off to nursery to buy starters. Thank you for the reply

[@davidniemi6553]

​@@glenbrooks2917 I think any peppers started Feb 11 on a heat mat should have been up well before March. Your seeds are too new for freshness to be a likely culprit -- it is worth trying another batch. If the soil was too dry or too hot you might get no germination at all; if it was too cool they might still come up late, but your measurements indicate that is not the problem. Tomatoes should have germinated in half the time of peppers and at better percentages, but like similar planting depth and temperature as peppers, so they can be a good data point.

[@tory464]

💚👍

[@adnelyngstadnilsen5500]

Two of my 8 seedlings sprouted and then went brown and died - while none of the others havr even shown signs of sprouting. Not sure what I did wrong!

[@tyler6147]

What did you plant? What seeds?

[@adnelyngstadnilsen5500]

​@tyler6147 peppers! Hungarian Black, Machu Pichu, Bulgarian Carrot, Poblano and another variety of Jalapeños then what I already have. I've kept them warm, humid and under a grow light

[@davidniemi6553]

@@adnelyngstadnilsen5500 If you kept them on a heat mat too long after they emerged, you're not the only one here who did that.

[@adnelyngstadnilsen5500]

​@@davidniemi6553ahhh yeah I did do that! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!! 💚

[@keadrum2]

Have you guys tried Chili chumps seedsio?

[@TheNetsrac]

Great and well timed tips for me here in Denmark 👍🏻 Thank you for the video and all the videos you and your wife makes, I learned a lot from watching them 🫂

[@cyhomer]

Bootstrap Farmer is SO EXPENSIVE!! 😖

[@ramz1455]

Yep! But worth the quality in the long run.

[@KathyW5]

Yes, but they last "forever", unlike the others.

[@cyhomer]

@@KathyW5 ..so how would you even know that? They’re a fairly new product.

[@KathyW5]

@@cyhomer Their colored trays, etc. are only a couple/three years old. However, their black ones, of the same quality and have been around much longer. You notice "forever" is in quotes. Obviously I have not lived forever. Compared to the ones you can buy in stores that last about two years without breaking many years is "forever". Any more "cute" questions?

[@cyhomer]

@@KathyW5 ..lol…no cute questions…I really didn’t think it was cute tho….I just wish people could understand that there are many people that cannot afford that expensive stuff (even tho it might last ‘forever’..lol.). You may want to justify the cost by saying it’s quality material, but that really has no bearing on someone on a very tight budget. So you have a nice, CUTE day…👋🏻 (oh, and I have had most of my seed starting supplies for many years..and they weren’t anywhere near that expensive…). It’s called CORPORATE GREED, if you ask me….

[@Sanil_RC]

Pls make this viral