Growing your own plants from tiny seedlings is a very rewarding process, from beginning to end. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as checking in on your plants progress every day and seeing clear results and changes. It’s also a really great way to strengthen your gardening skills and enhance your gardening knowledge, as there are plenty of lessons to learn and key things to remember to ensure you’re doing it all properly.
Prepare, Plan and Track
When you decide to carry out certain gardening projects, it’s really beneficial to be prepared and organised. Tracking and noting down your seeds progress is going to really help you to figure out what’s working, where the seeds are growing best and on which days. You can then look at the variables, such as weather conditions, temperature that day and so on, as this will indicate which elements were better for your seedlings and which may have caused issues. Tracking your seedlings process is also great for being able to figure out timescales and success rates, so it’s very worth doing.
Correct Storage Options
Seeds are a delicate item, one that you don’t want to damage before going to the effort of planting them, as this would result in a pointless task. You want your seeds to be in perfect condition when it comes to planting them, which means it’s really important to store them and organise them carefully and properly to ensure they don’t become damaged in any way. Storing your seeds is very easy, they are perfectly fine to be held in small re-closable bags, as they are kept in a safe space. You do, however, need to store these bags in the correct place, as you don’t want them to be squashed. Try to store the bags in clear plastic boxes, with clear labels on the side to ensure you know exactly what you have and where it needs to go. This will also help you to keep track of what you have and how many seeds you’ve planted.
The Perfect Containers
Planting your seeds in the right container is really important, and there are a range of perfect containers that will help your seeds have the best start. You want to focus on using plastic pots/containers, as they are the best material to let your seeds grow properly. Growing your seedlings in propagators and plastic containers will ensure that they have the right amount of space to grow properly, as well as giving you a much easier surface to water and maintain. If you’re not sure about purchasing new containers, there are some great ways to recycle old items and turn them into the perfect container for your seeds. Yoghurt pots are one of the best items to use, simply pierce some holes into the bottom to allow plenty of drainage and you’re good to go!
Circulation & Drainage
Plants require plenty of air circulation in order to grow to their full potential, so you need to make sure the area you are planting your seeds in has plenty of circulation. You could introduce a small fan to your growing area to help the plants receive the right amount of air throughout their growth period. For drainage, you’ll find that the majority of store-bought containers, especially from garden centres, are designed to have substantial drainage features to help keep your plants from drowning. For those homemade containers, simply insert some holes and ensure there’s plenty of room for water to drain away. It’s important not to over water your plants, however, as from a young seed they only require a certain amount of water at a time, and too much can overwhelm the space and cause the seeds to grow slower or not at all.
