How to start planting seeds and growing seedlings indoors
Select the containers you want to plant in. Here is a list of recycled things I use:
Six pack flower containers
Lettuce and spinach containers from my bulk food store. I don’t poke holes in the bottom these, because I can see if they have enough water or not in the bottom.
Half gallon milk/juice boxes. Cut off the top or one side. Poke some drainage hole in the bottom.
Anything that can hold your seed starting mixture can be used.
I also save the black flats that the six packs of flowers set in at the stores. I set all my other containers in these.
Sterilize all containers
Remove as much soil as easily possible from your containers. They don’t have to be super clean, but they must be sterilized. Mix one part plain bleach to nine parts water and rinse your containers. Make sure all surfaces are rinsed. Allow to dry. (If I am drying them indoors I rinse with plain water, so I don’t have any bleach drip on my towels)
Make a soilless mixture
I use one part peat moss, one part vermiculite, and one part perlite. Put all of these into a large container and mix. Add enough warm water to hold the mixture together. The peat moss will float if you use cold water.
Fill your planting containers
Put the soilless mixture into the containers you are going to plant in. Push the mixture in tight enough to get rid of all air pockets. Fill to about ½ inch from the top.
Plant your seeds
Plant seeds three to four times the depth of the seed thickness. What is the thickness? Lay your seed on your counter, table, or wherever you are working. The way it lays by itself is the thickness (height) and the way you are going to plant it.
I place my containers of seeds in the black flats that I brought my flowers home in. I first line it with a plastic trash bag. This will hold any water that may drip out of the bottom on the pots. Shallow cardboard boxes lined with plastic work good too.
Light for your seedlings
Now place the containers in the window that gets the most sun. Six hours or more a day of light is best. Move from window to window if you have to. I put mine on a table in the sunniest window, but I also use a grow light now. My grow light is a four foot long fixture with two tubes. A grow light is also known as a plant light, full color spectrum light, and a fish tank light. Note that the price varies greatly depending on what name it is called when buying it. Note: Tomatoes germinate better in the dark, so cover them with a paper towel or set them on the floor under the table.
Growing with sunlight only
Put the containers as close to the window as possible, but don’t let them touch the cold glass. Keep rotating the plants, because they will lean towards the window. Anytime the temperature is above 45 degrees I take my plants outside in the shade for 20 to 30 minutes. The more days in a row they can go outside the longer I leave them. Just adding 10 to 15 minutes per day. I start over with 20 to 30 minutes when they have to say inside for 3 or more days. The reason for taking the plants outside is to try to keep the plants as short and compact as possible. Plants will get long and leggy with window light only. Thus creating weak plants.
Growing with a grow light
Put the containers under the grow light and keep the light as close to the container tops a possible. As the plants grow move the light to just above the top of the plants. It is ok to let the plants touch the top of the inside of the light fixture before moving it up. I have never had plants that touch the light bulbs burn. Move one or both sides of the light fixture up 1 inch at a time as needed for the plants to have room to grow. I still take my plants outdoors the same as stated in the growing with sunlight only section.
