5 Seed Starting Best Practices: Sun, Selection, Soil, Watering, Thinning | Ultimate Grower's Guide
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- We're jumping into part two of our four-part series: The Ultimate Grower's Guide. We're bringing our 10+ years of experience to the table so you can learn everything you need to know to grow as much of your own food as possible.
1:52 Seed Starting Best Practices
5:46 Seed Starting Mix
7:20 Watering
8:48 Thinning
10:15 Recap
We're continuing the theme from the first episode & talking about seed starting best practices up first. Everything starts with strong seedlings. In the first video, we talked about choosing strong seeds and the right time to plant: • Seeds & Season: Start ...
We pick things up with the best practices and how this stage plays a role in your long-term success.
1. SEEDLINGS NEED FULL SUN
In order to grow and photosynthesize, your seed starts need to get as much sun as possible. If you're starting seeds outdoors for a winter garden, that means your daylight hours are limited. Your plants can still be successful, but plants are going to just grow more slowly. Alternatively, you can use a grow light to give your starts those extra hours.
2. SELECT BEFORE YOUR START
It can be downright emotionally painful to thin or prune your plants sometimes. If you start a tray of more plants than you need or can fit (it's always a good idea to start extra), then you may have to skip putting them all in the ground. If you notice diseased or damaged seedlings, you may want to pass on planting them. Culling ensures that you have the best chance at success for a healthy garden. By removing the weakest links, you're doing your future self a favor.
3. MIX IT UP
The seed starting mix that you choose to use can have a big impact on your seedlings as well. What specific product you use isn't as important as the QUALITIES of what you use. It should be light and fluffy because that creates an easy path for seedlings to grow without too much resistance. Keep an eye out for peat moss, perlite or vermiculite (for aeration), coconut coir, and a pH adjuster. Sure, making your own is possible, but we prefer to use what's pre-made because a bag will last a long time.
4. WATERING
Seedlings have small roots and can easily dry out, but we actually often see overwatering cause problems, especially here in Southern California. We like to bottom water our trays because the soil in your trays might appear to be dried out on top when there is actually plenty of water below the surface. Overwatering can quickly lead to fungal & disease issues, so this helps us prevent that.
5. THINNING/TRANSPLANTING
If your trays are a similar size to what you see we are using, then your cells really only have room for one plant to grow. Competition within a cell will stunt your starts. Usually, you can carefully transplant instead of completely removing the extra plants.
Check out more info below and stay tuned for the third part of this series!
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I received my garlic and seed order yesterday.! I'm so excited! Thank you for a smooth and hassle free ordering process!
Thanks for supporting us! Can't wait to hear how it goes :)
Love your videos they’re super helpful and your seeds are amazing they germinate so fast!
That makes my heart sing!
I love the pairing knife tip!
Thank you!
Thank you fr that
Happy to help
Another informative video. I am just starting out with my urban garden in the Central Valley, California and this video series has been very helpful. Thank you!
Great information! Thank you Brijettte
Soo happy to share!
What trays do you like using? I'm looking for something a little more durable.
Funny, this morning I was wondering when part 2 was coming even though I hadn’t seen part 1 yet. This past 2 weeks have been very extreme & stressful! I’m sure for the masses… Thank you for your diligence and staying on task! I’m glad you’re so colors and in the same zone as I am. Even when we move up to The Banana Belt we will be in the same Hardiness Zone ish.
Where are you?
@@SanDiegoSeedCompany We are in Simi Valley Ca. now 9a. We are moving to my dream forever home/farm/beach somewhere between Crescent City Ca. and Depoe Bay Oregon within a mile from the beach within a year ish.
@@bradymcphail9690 so exciting
🤣 great intro! I usually plant starts in trays, but my life lifes been so hectic I just direct sowed my progression plants! BTW they all sprouted😅🤷🏻♀️
Must have started with good quality seed:)
What plant is that growing on that arch? It’s so pretty!
Bahahahaha!!!! Hit the “cultivate button”! Hahaha! You tried! Kevin would be proud! Hahaha!
Hilarious huh! Happy someone caught it! It was a funny outtake.
I see that Sungro has three varieties of Professional growing mix: Metro Mix 300, Metro Mix 830, and Metro Mix 852. Which do you use?
What is a good humidity level to keep the greenhouse at this time of year? Mine is ranging from 18 to 40%. The temperature gets over 100 so I've been opening the door, but I was told that will lower my humidity.
We don’t watch humidity much because we bottom water.
Where did you purchase the sun-gro soil?
Our local farm and garden store :)
Hi you mentioned your seedings need 8 hours of sunlight, but the ones growing under your big tree, aren’t those shaded from the sun? Please help! I need some advice!!
They don't need sun until they germinate. After that, they need direct sunlight (but be careful of too much especially when it's hot)
I'm looking for butterfly pea seeds to buy?
We do not sell them:/ maybe in the future once we can produce them here.
Wgere can I buy your seed starting mix. I live on SD so bay ares
Any well stocked nursery should have it.