How to Prepare for Seed Starting
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- Preparing to start seeds indoors involves cleaning up from starting seeds the year before. Gardener Scott shows how he cleans his seed grow area, sterilizes potting soil, and disinfects pots and containers. (Video #329)
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I also keep a spray bottle of 10% bleach handy when gardening to sterilize cutting tools, especially when pruning diseased plants.
Me- ready
My garden - waiting
My weather- laughing
Mine also! :D
Makes me feel a little better knowing I’m not the only one with a big pile of pots and trays that still need cleaned, lol. Thanks for another informative video.
SO useful! Thank you for saving me some hassle this spring.
OMG! Thank you for making me feel normal. I have a tiny garden shed. I just went in there to store away my holiday decorations & to see if i had everything i needed to start thinking about starting some seeds. It looked exactly as you described! Quite a mess!But this video also taught me exactly what I was wondering... where to start! I made notes from your video of everything I'll be needing & how to prep the old pots, reuse that old soil, get wormcasting & be ready to start planting! Thank you, thank you... for sharing your knowledge!
Awesome tips. I need to order my supplies soon before I procrastinate again this year 🙃
So happy I found your channel. I like your gentle style, and thorough, easy to understand information. Now I feel ready to get ready for seed starting!
Wearing gloves is a good tip, also a lot of the plastic can have sharp edges, I cut myself on a tray cleaning my supplies this earlier year.
Since my grow room/computer room is in a spare bedroom, my wife would not let me get away with leaving a mess like that until the next Winter...lol.
Good reminder Scott, this is the time of year to do it starting seeds before you know it.
Great advice Scott. Tidy, organised and clean is the way to go. I’m all cleaned and ready and currently making up seed starting mix. It’s how we know the season has started 😀
Great video and a timely reminder that I need to get my seed starting room cleaned up... I'm going to make that my goal for tomorrow. I found it interesting that the seed cells, pots, even the bins and tables are the same that I have been using for a few years. This kind of video is reassuring to those of us who have been doing this for a while and don't have a lot of others locally to share ideas with. Thanks!
Great video and very informative . Thank you Gardner Scott. God bless your family
It is encouraging to see I am not the only one who waits to clean out pots and trays till I need them in the winter. Made some paper pots last year for plants that do not like their roots messed with. I was surprised how well they held up, will experiment again with different potting.
Used my grill this fall to sterilize my winter worm bedding (mulched leaves, compost and straw). Had all sorts of wildlife last winter from the worm bins.
Lots of good info Scott, Thanks again.
I’d love to hear more about your paper pots on the next Live tomorrow! I tried TP rolls before and they got moldy. :(
@@melissasullivan1658 Sorry!!! I am You Tube illeterate. My favorite video on paper pots is on the "Back to Reality" channel.
This year I will be using recycled leaf bags from all the leaves I picked up this fall.
I will only be using them with plants that will go directly into the garden, like melons cucumbers, squash and some sensitive flowers. I will also try doing the final potting of my tomatoes and peppers the same way.
I hope this helps.
@@brianseybert2189 that’s a great idea! I actually have a ton of paper grocery bags that are collecting dust. While I wouldn’t use them with food/veggies, I could use them for flower pots. 🧐
Great tips here Scott. Your so right making sure you clean your plant room ready will make this year go so much easier. and a good clean will kill all the bacteria
Picture all you stuff on one table and that would be part of my stash of growing containers. I find flat places collect dust and everything else you put on them. I think it is time to make some easy to get to, under the table storage in my grow area.
Things are starting to heat up for the new gardening year, I can tell. Will be following along closely in the coming weeks. I even have my castings ready :).
As I lack space, I duump out the unused soil as I go along and stack the trays and pots for later
🤪😁 Real life! I'm chuckling so hard right now, glad it's not just me.
I'd clean up at end of last season and did pile up goodies that I must organize change from solo cups to 16 ounce soda containers that has lots of room for roots in case of late spring as last season I believe I can hold longer so I won't be forced to plant in them 40 degrees temperatures again
Very helpful information. Thank you!
Wow, this is great information. Your channel is a gem.
I had never heard of any of this, I just rinsed my pots in the deep sink but never sterilized my dirt or pots. WOW Thank You Gardener Scott 💯💯🙏 Kendra
Nothing will wake you up like dumping part of a pot of boiling water on your bare foot, I certainly don't know this from experience... Good tips.
Gardener Scott I leave the seed starter mix inside my trays as well and I use the boiling water to sterilize as well.
Hey Scott I did get a catalog from baker creek !! I'm excited to look through it....happy gardening
Love your content and info Mr Scott
I use a toilet bowl brush to clean my pots. Its just the right size.
I love your videos. So helpful and thorough. Thanks Scott!
Great stuff, really cutting down on waste. I too use water must give the bleach water a try
Thank you
Super informative video, GS! Appreciate seeing your step by step process; very helpful.
Great info! Thanks GS! It never occurred to me to clean my pots more than a spray with the garden hose. I've had problems with damping off and other things, now I understand the importance of a proper pot cleaning/sterilizing. I have a whole lot of pots to clean this year! I better get started!
Hi Gardener Scott! My grow station is ready, set and go! Started peppers too early last year, they did ok, but not gonna do that this year! My outside winter garden is slow but well. Ready to explode when it becomes warmer! Also dabbed into milk jug containers. Perennial flowers (purple cone flowers, pansies ...) and a few root and brasicass! Will see how that works out! Blessings towards a New Year of gardening! Take care!
Thank you for this video. It is so helpful!
My ‘gardening shed’ is my entire balcony garden. Lemme tell you, it’s a mess. I have my old pots hiding under agrifabric under my gardening table so I don’t see it - but it still stresses me because I know it’s there! 😂
Also very interested in the onion from seed info.
Thanks for the shot in the arm! How did you know that is exactly what I need to do? Thanks for the inspiring video.
You're lucky to have a grow room. I've got a kitchen counter.
On no...... You've been spying on me!!!!!! Just sat down after spending the last hour trying to clean up that mess! I think I have another 3 hours ahead of me LOL. Greetings from Reno. Looking forward to following along with you on the journey this season.
Thank you for the tips
I really enjoyed this video 😊
Great information as always! I am trying to find a way to do this in my garage but could not figure out how I haul around the boiling water. You gave me the answer! I am going to get one of those plug in pitcher you have. Could you sterilize the new soil and then add worm castings to it? I would hate to add new soil that could have gnat eggs etc. to the sterilized soil.
Thanks. Sterilizing the new soil and then adding castings is the way to do it.
Thank you! Where do you purchase your seed trays? They look much sturdier than what I have. I am also looking for narrow tall ones to start grape vines.
I get them at greenhousemegastore.com
Thanks for such a comprehensive video. This is my year to start with all new plant cells, do you have a brand that you recommend ? I'd like something that will last longer than the ones I normally buy at the big box stores.
I like bootstrap containers
I don't have a specific recommendation but Burpee has a system with tray, cells, and dome that is usually easy to find in stores and I've used them for years.
I’m looking forward to your onion series! I’ve had very good success with Ailsa Craig onions in my PNW garden, and usually get mail order starts which are typically pretty good size. I plant early March, harvest in August. I really want to try from seed this year. Couple ?s:
1. The seed packet says to start 4-6 wks before transplanting, but most gardeners of this variety say 8-10 wks. I don’t want to mess this up, lol! Suggestions?
2. The starts I usually get look quite thick and have been trimmed. Is trimming regularly something you suggest to make them more sturdy? Any suggestions on how often?
Thanks so much!!!
You can plant onions that are bigger and I prefer to start earlier and plant bigger onions than to start later and end up with small ones that struggle. Once the roots are exposed to air the tips dry and die so trimming is like pruning branches; it helps promote new growth.
@@GardenerScott Thank you! I’ll go ahead and start them sooner rather than later. Excited to see how it goes. 😊
yes, an onion video, please! i want salad onions, from seed is ok, but i have had very minimal result so far. this time mid december i direct sowed 2 packets bunching onion seeds into a half barrell, only a few are growing. seeds 2years old. zone 7b.
Hello again Scott. I am having some difficulty with pepper plants starting from seeds. It is a temperature problem because l am trying to start them in the same soil that they will be grown in. I am starting them indoor at 24 degrees Celsius room temperature and at night down to 19 degrees. The soil is moist and no fungus nat issues. I am currently getting a 40 percent germination. Maybe l should be planting more seeds? Thank you for reading my comments in advance. Best wishes Jason from Melbourne Australia.
Jason, light, loose soil is better for germination and the soil you're using may be too dense. You can try planting more seeds and accept lower germination or try germinating in a soil-less seed starting mix and then transplant. The lower night temperatures can also reduce germination rates. Keeping the soil near 24 both day and night should give better results.
@@GardenerScott Thank you Scott.
😄😆 are you talking about me??!!
What about putting the pots through the dishwasher?
You can do that but some plastic ones might melt.
Probably just as well to wait to clean your seed planting room area until you need it again, because if your like me, you’d end up having to empty all those areas with all the…..., irrelevant stuff, that would find it’s way in there.
a grow room? I wish :D
I don't even have floor space :(
Scott, if I wanted to dump the excess potting soil into my compost pile, is there any risk to the compost pile?
There shouldn't be. I do that all the time.
Can I use alcohol for the same effectiveness instead of bleach? I am very sensitive to strong chlorine vapor as it causes me asthma attacks.
Sure. Alcohol or hydrogen peroxide are good alternatives.
Question. Do you recommend sterilizing potting soil when up-potting? Thanks!
It depends. New, bagged potting soil is usually already sterile. When re-using potting soil sterilizing can be a good idea, especially if you had any fungal disease problems the year before.
@@GardenerScott thanks for the help!
Can you spread the used potting soil out in a thin layer on a tarp for a sunny day to sterilize it?
It's hard to determine if that's hot enough to sterilize it.
My "plant room" has been converted to my roommates bedroom this year. I'd like to start some seeds, but now don't have room in the house now. Would it be worthwhile and possible to try it in my unheated garage? I'm in zone 5. It's not insulated and gets pretty cold in there. How cold is too cold? I do have grow lights.
I'm in the same position. My father-in-law is wintering with us in my "plant room". I'm in zone 6 and it's pretty cold in my garage too. You might be able to get away with starting some cold weather crops like lettuce, brassicas, or onions with heat mats under trays. Place some clear lids or plastic wrap on top to trap more heat and moisture. Best of luck!
It is possible but may not be worthwhile. Some seeds like spinach and lettuce can germinate in low temperatures but others like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant need warm conditions. I started seeds for years on a table in a bedroom corner.
What would you use if you are allergic to bleach? I can't use bleach at all.
Hydrogen peroxide or vinegar could be used.
@@MatthewC117 Thank you. I didn't think about vinegar. It cleans everything!
A garden bed of mine in Northern Ontario gets overrun with weeds in the summer. How can I amend the soil to prevent this? Got a vid for that?
Amending won't cut down on weeds but mulch will and I have videos on that.
@@GardenerScott I used hay as mulch. The soil has been there for a while and I've never added anything to it. It turned into a garden of weeds. Would adding manure help?
Manure can help as an amendment.
@@GardenerScott Thanks! Keep up the great work!
I just found mold growing in my seed trays. They are only 5 days old. Gah! 😭
Any reason you can’t use isopropyl alcohol instead of bleach or HyPerox?
It's an option and usually comes down to cost.
@@GardenerScott thank you! Would you dilute alcohol or just rub/spray on and air dry?
I don't know the ration, but a diluted blend should work.
@@GardenerScott thank you!
Can I use vinegar instead of bleach and get the same results/
Vinegar can work but is not as effective as bleach.
10% bleach? Or a mixture of 90% water and 10% 3%bleach?
10% Standard household bleach and 90% water.
When you say 10% bleach, do you mean a mixture of 9 parts water and 1 part bleach?
Yes, that is the ratio.
I don't reuse anything, I start clean every year. I don't believe in disinfecting and sterilizing.
Could you microwave the soil?
Yes you can.
does anyone clean off used plastic plant tags to reuse?
That's a good idea for thick, sturdy tags. Write with pencil on plastic tags and they can last for years.
*hand waving*. I do! I reuse everything! I'm too cheap to buy more when I can reuse the things from last year or make them out of stuff I already have.
Is it ok to use bleach on grow bags too?
Should be fine. Only thing I would worry about is it degrading the fabric, but diluted I wouldn't think it would be an issue. Could always use hydrogen peroxide or vinegar.
💯💥❣️💪😁👍❣️💥
My soil is still so bad that any used potting soil mix from this year goes back into the soil.
Thank you