Starting your own seeds is one of the easiest ways to save money when growing food. You also get a lot more choice over which varieties you can grow since you aren’t limited to what’s typically found in the nursery. We started growing our own seeds our second year of gardening and have tried lots of different methods and products. Over the years we’ve found a number of great products that have helped us start our own seeds hassle free. Here are our favorites!
All-In-One System!
The very simplest thing to do is to buy a kit that already has everything you need to get started! Our favorite is the Park Seed Bio Dome Seed Starting System.
I love using the Bio Dome for starting my seeds indoors. The mini greenhouse allows me to control the climate and conditions for the best germination, resulting in bigger, healthier, and better-rooted seedlings every time. The bio sponges provide a perfect rooting medium, and the adjustable vents and bottom-tray watering design make it easy to provide the right amount of light, water, heat, and air circulation. My plants are usually ready to transplant sooner than with other seed-starting methods, and they suffer virtually no transplant shock in the garden. I highly recommend the Bio Dome for anyone looking to get a head start on their gardening season.
Trays
When we first started, we bought the cheapest plant trays we could find from a local nursery. We can usually make them last a couple of times, but inevitably we always end up cracking or breaking them.
It’s so important to use a high quality product that won’t break on you after a single use! Check out these reusable, heavy duty trays that even have lids to help with humidification! They would work great for larger transplants or a tray of microgreens!
Seed Starter Soil Mix
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To fill your trays, you can either keep it simple and buy pre-made mix in a bag or make your own.
To make your own you can use coconut coir bricks with vermiculite. You simply add the brick into the bucket and add water and it expands to create a great seed starting mix!
Grow Lights
Some plants grow decent on a south facing windowsill, but more than likely you are going to need indoor grow lights.
You can buy smaller individual grow lights with stands if you’d like to start out small. We have one of these smaller setups in our house in addition to our larger setup in our garage.
Standard shop lights work great for seed starting. You’ll see a lot of information out there about needing different color temperatures and what not, but that doesn’t apply to seed starting. You’ll only need to worry about that when you’re growing plants to full size indoors.
We have a video showing how we built our 1000+ indoor seed starting station for less than $100 by shopping on Craigslist and Facebook marketplace.
Carrie Spoonemore, co-founder of “From Seed to Spoon,” stands as a beacon of inspiration for gardeners and health enthusiasts alike. Her journey alongside her husband, Dale Spoonemore, in creating a platform that demystifies gardening and promotes a healthier lifestyle, has made a significant impact on individuals around the globe. Through the “From Seed to Spoon” app, Carrie has dedicated herself to empowering people to take control of their health and environment by growing their own food.
With a profound belief in the power of gardening to improve mental and physical health, Carrie’s contributions to the Seed to Spoon blog reflect her holistic approach to wellness. Her articles often focus on the nutritional benefits of homegrown fruits and vegetables, organic gardening practices, and the mental health benefits of spending time in nature. Carrie’s expertise in health science shines through in her detailed discussions on how specific plants can contribute to a balanced diet and overall well-being.
Carrie’s passion for gardening is deeply intertwined with her commitment to family and community wellness. She frequently shares personal stories of how gardening has brought her family closer together, offering practical tips for involving children in gardening activities and making it a fun, educational experience. Her writing encourages families to explore gardening as a means of spending quality time together while learning about nature and sustainability.
In addition to gardening advice, Carrie’s contributions to the blog include insights into the use of technology to enhance the gardening experience. She has played a crucial role in designing the “From Seed to Spoon” app to be user-friendly, ensuring that users of all ages and backgrounds can navigate the complexities of gardening with ease. Her vision for the app is not just as a gardening tool but as a vehicle for change, inspiring individuals to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle by growing their own food.
Carrie Spoonemore’s presence on the blog is marked by her compassionate approach to teaching and her unwavering belief in the transformative power of gardening. Her work continues to inspire a community of gardeners to pursue a healthier, more sustainable way of living, proving that with the right tools and knowledge, anyone can become a gardener and advocate for their health and the planet.
5 thoughts on “Our Favorite Seed Starting Supplies”
I’m not that much of an internet reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back down the road.
Just down loaded the app. Have you considered winter sowing since you plant so much?