Fyi: I tried a ceiling fan, but my tomatoes were still skinny & weak. I'll try the desk fan like he showed in Spring 2023. Oh, and who else gets a chuckle when he mentions "Mrs. MIgardener"? Just cute. I've only seen her on 1 or 2 videos. What a beautiful bride he has.
Another must for me is a dome or clear cover for the trays. Quite neccessary to create the greenhouse effect. I keep lid on until seedlings sprout, then use fan to make conditions as close to what they'll endure outside. I also use fish emulsion at that point. I've done without a grow light until just a few years ago, nice bright window works too. Use what you have folks. God bless you all and your fruitful bounties. God is good!
Thanks for writing that. I have extremely limited space - don't have the space for lights and other equipment. I'm just going to place the seedlings by the window.
@@danielmiller3477 you have to go in store to get them. They won't ship them oddly. I tried because I hate going into Walmart and will only purchase online. Some odd reason they refuse to ship deal.
You should do a video reviewing some cheap Amazon grow lights or maybe some cheap shop lights from Walmart and how well they work for seed starting for beginners on a tight budget.
For what it's worth, I use "daylight" light bulbs for mine, 5000K. I do have a video on starting seeds if you wanted to skip around and see what I use.
Ooohhhh good to know on the fan! I’m seriously venturing into seed starting this year and I need all the help I can get. Your videos are invaluable. Thank you!
You are a blessing! Thanks for another great teaching video. I've been watching you for years and you have a wonderful heart for helping others. God is good!
That was SO helpful! I had soil blockers and seed starting mix on my shopping list this week, but now that I know I can just sift my potting soil and that my trays work better, you just saved me some $$! Thank you!
I started 7 variety of peppers and 7 variety of tomatoes. I transplanted 100 tomatoes last night and I have about 150 more to do. I have had amazing germination and growth already this season. We are growing in the house since my greenhouse is not yet complete. Totally agree with the fan.
The coupon expires tomorrow,amazon search 🎉 (ilahui dry sift screen) 🎉 seller: lovewise home, it will redefine the quality of kief screens, they are really awesome, 4 different micron screens allow you to filter hashes perfectly, 💖 tips : remember to pick up the coupon the seller gave them you will get $10, i think a good screen can be a little more expensive 😊😊😊😊😊
Heated seed mats are a must! The seeds sprout usually in 3 days, it is amazing. Also, after years of cheap ineffective lights, I decided to splurge on a light and got a spider farmer brand- I think that is what pot growers use. Yes, it was a lot, but it covered my entire closet and all the plants (mostly tomatoes & flowers) grew like beanstalks.
The coupon expires tomorrow,amazon search 🎉 (ilahui dry sift screen) 🎉 seller: lovewise home, it will redefine the quality of kief screens, they are really awesome, 4 different micron screens allow you to filter hashes perfectly, 💖 tips : remember to pick up the coupon the seller gave them you will get $10, i think a good screen can be a little more expensive 😊😊😊😊😊
I did (Roots&Refuge) Jess's pet-your-seedlings method last year to great success, but I'm pretty sure I ignored her advice about a fan because I thought Arkansas is so much hotter than where I live. Guess I'll try a gentle fan this year.
I'll be honest, I was looking through beginning gardening tips and clicked one of your videos solely because I thought your username was Midgardener, which would've been a fantastic Nordic pun. Sadly your actual username isn't very exciting. BUT...I've browsed quite a few of your vids and am learning a ton! Thank you for all of this knowledge!
One thing I’ll never go without is a reflective mylar around my seed starting station. You can use aluminum foil if you’re in a pinch or on a budget, but investing in a roll of reflective mylar on Amazon was totally worth it and I reuse the same sheet every year so i have plenty left over for years to come. It keeps the light from my shop lights in the seed starting station and doesn’t get wasted lighting up the room. It also doubles as protection from my nosy cats. They won’t sneak in and eat my seedlings because of the loud rattle the mylar makes when you move it. I’m not sure which list you would categorize this under but it’s definitely worth considering.
Excellent info as usual. Appreciated your easy, to the point, overview of grow lights. After much research, we purchased 2 grow lights in the fall, and after watching your video, I checked all the specs on the ones we decided upon, and save for the light being 6400K, everything else lined up. (Sunblaster - Canadian brand) It's a relief to know the money we invested was worth it. Looking forward to your follow up video.
Thank you for sharing the brand of your grow light! I will check into that! Also, thank you @MIGARDENER for posting this so helpful!! Does the fan replace hardening off the plants before planting outside?!
@@shawndeelooney2690 you're very welcome. I spent countless hours researching, but being in Canada in the middle of a pandemic (shipping has been affected), I decided to go with a Canadian company. These lights daisy chain & with a simple 15ish dollar timer, we never have to worry about turning them off or on. I plan on purchasing more in the near future. (48")
Because I'm currently in the process of starting my own seeds I think the best advice is for people to just try it out and problem solve as you go along. I am exactly like he mentioned at the beginning of the vid. So many things people say I need to do. It was too much. I got a tray and a dome, found a part of my house that stays around 70 (I'm doing peppers and tomatoes) and I tried it out. Quickly after they sprouted I discovered I should've taken the dome off quicker. But np. They're still alive and they aren't so leggy I need to start over. I also learned the value of a fan when I took the dome off very quickly. They've stopped growing up and now I'm getting the true leaves. I know the peat pellets I've used to start them are inconvenient because they dry out more quickly ten is convenient. And I'm sure I'll understand more next week. At least for people like me who learn by doing and by problem solving... Stop the endless youtube scrolling. Even if you think you're trying to learn. It's a waste of time and you aren't learning the things you need to by putting off doing it. You will figure it out better as you go along. And next year I bet we'll be even better.
I love soil blocks and get super-healthy little plants from them. The difference betwen last years seed-starting (with trays) and this years (with soil blocks) was impressive. So for me they are worth the effort to get the plants off for a good start. Also it saves me buying and running a fan, because the soil is aerated from all sides. I was very inspired by Jim Kovaleski's seed starting method and his insight in soil life.
As grow lights, You CAN use bulbs versus flat lights, but you need a lot of reflectors. My seed starter is on a middle level [ 3' tall ] of plastic shelving. I have an LED grow bulb, but then I put up simple tin foil along the sides and top of that grow shelf, redirecting all the light from the sides and top back in to the seedlings!
nice video! if you dont want to spend alot of money on grow lights you can just buy a shop light at walmart... just make sure the kelvins and lumins are high enough for the seedlings.
The coupon expires tomorrow,amazon search 🎉 (ilahui dry sift screen) 🎉 seller: lovewise home, it will redefine the quality of kief screens, they are really awesome, 4 different micron screens allow you to filter hashes perfectly, 💖 tips : remember to pick up the coupon the seller gave them you will get $10, i think a good screen can be a little more expensive 😊😊😊😊😊
Great video. Looking forward to the next one. Just got my seeds from you in the mail yesterday. This year, my 5 year old granddaughter will help. She was so excited to open the package with our new seeds. Thank you Luke for always giving us some wonderful informational videos.
Our first year with a real greenhouse,8x16 and we are so excited! I have 75 variety of seeds just from you! Plus triple that and those from my garden. So this is perfect timing today.
I thought I was the only one that used a fan or recommended to always touch your plants. I would really like to see you make some videos on making potting/seeding soil from scratch. I personally don't like buy it for a number of reasons and have not always had the best of luck with my homemade mixes. Thanks for the video.
I love the awesome advice from MIGardner. I also love the garlic I bought from them that is growing in my raised bed. I recently got some seeds too. They sent me a complimentary packet of lettuce with the seeds I ordered. Much appreciated for that. Class act 100%.
Thank you, I appreciate your timely advice. I've always just planted nursery-grown plants outside but this is the first year I'm growing some veggies, fruit, and flowers indoors from seed, so a little nervous. I have ordered mass quantities of seed from your website, everything intrigues me and I can't wait to get it all started in Zone 4b Minnesota! Nevermind the snow we got today, it's all good, it'll melt in good time. I was waiting to hear if you talked again about sifting the seed starting mix and you did. Appreciate the consistency in advice.
The coupon expires tomorrow,amazon search 🎉 (ilahui dry sift screen) 🎉 seller: lovewise home, it will redefine the quality of kief screens, they are really awesome, 4 different micron screens allow you to filter hashes perfectly, 💖 tips : remember to pick up the coupon the seller gave them you will get $10, i think a good screen can be a little more expensive 😊😊😊😊😊
i do a mix of starting mix and potting soil to start. it seems to create a strong early root system and you dont have to transplant seedings which can kill plants
As I understand it the kelvin range for seed starting is from 5000-6500, higher being better. I have been using 5000K 3200L shop lights from Menards for a few years without problems. Secondly, led lights have dropped in price over the years. if you are buying lights, go led. They will last longer and be cheaper to run.
I have successfully used non-grow purpose lights for years, both fluorescent and LED lights for years. I have never use a "grow" bulb. I absolutely agree with having a fan, however.
Lol! Where was this video last year when I tried to used peat pots and compostable egg cartons🤦♀️. All my seedlings failed because of this crucial mistake, won't be making the same mistake this year. Thank you for all the tips!
I like Solo cups with a hole drilled into the bottom. They don't need to be filled all the way and the white interior reflects light all over the plant as well as protecting it.
Hm...I've been growing beautiful and productive plants each year after starting my garden six years ago, and don't use most of this. I don't use grow lights, I put seedlings on windowsills just like my ancestors started vegetables indoors. Or into miniature greenhouses if the plants can take a little cold until spring. I don't use fans. When the seedlings go into grow pots and the temperatures are warm enough, I harden them off gradually and they get enough wind to grow sturdy. I do use those little peat pots/tabs and find them very practical. I've never once had mold on any of them. And why cut off the casing before planting outdoors? The roots grow right through that. When plants are big enough to go into little pots (or gradually bigger pots, depending), I sterilize the bagged soil in the oven to kill off any bacteria or potential pests, or mold spores. How on earth would a plant that's still indoors catch something like blight? I've never had a problem once with any of that, using my antiquated methods. So no disrespect, but I think most of this is unnecessary. This isn't meant as a put-down, Luke, but as an encouragement to those who don't have the space and maybe not the resources for an elaborate grow room. I've been growing beautiful, sturdy and healthy plants for years, using very, very simple and basic methods.
Luke can you show us the process to make the soil light and fluffy. Tammy from NY here. I’m a bit confusedas to how to do this. And am I too late to start seedlings. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge. You rock.
Perfect timing on this video! I'm seeing a bunch of people in your FB group that are first time seed starters using peat pots :( Now, I can refer them to this video for some sound advice! I still have to get a sifter, cause right now, I'm just picking out the bigger chunks if I happen across them while filling my seed starting packs lol.
I use peat pods every year, and every year I have strong, healthy and prolific plants. I find them practical and cleaner than dragging soil indoors. I've never once had a problem with them, on the contrary.
I like the soil block, but the seed starting trays are so much easier! Thanks for useful information and for sure about high quality seeds. It so frustrating to plant and y our seeds do not come up.
The coupon expires tomorrow,amazon search 🎉 (ilahui dry sift screen) 🎉 seller: lovewise home, it will redefine the quality of kief screens, they are really awesome, 4 different micron screens allow you to filter hashes perfectly, 💖 tips : remember to pick up the coupon the seller gave them you will get $10, i think a good screen can be a little more expensive 😊😊😊😊😊
This video is so perfect! I just got my delivery of 50 pounds of potting soil and was planning to hit the greenhouse this weekend with some MI seeds!!!
I like the video and the idea of a more affordable seed starting mix. But, after watching so many of your videos, you've advocated for two other seed starting mixes, and you've said that their is a correlation between more expensive options and success (your video referencing Pro-Mix HP w/biofungicide comes to mind). Now I don't know what to think. Do you add more pearlite? Was the biofungicide unnecessary?!
I started a few things in those pellets a few years ago. Two years later the whole wrapper was still completely intact in the soil. They do NOT decompose like the package says. You are right. I never used them again.
@Toni Leigh. You are 100% correct. They DO NOT decompose. I use them however I carefully take the netting off when I plant the plant into the soil. The same thing with the small individual cloth grow bags. They don't decompose either. I mostly use the cheap 6 or 4 cell packs. If they break, I recycle them and buy replacements. They work just fine.
The wrappers indeed don't decompose, but the roots grow right through them so I leave them intact. If I find one in the soil the following year, I just dispose of it, no big deal.
@@beautyforashes2230 I use the pellets every year and always have great germination and the roots grow fine and they don't mold and they are easy to plant..so I say, if that's what you have available...go for it!
@@Cidtalk I'm glad you've made such good experiences with them too. They really are practical. I mostly use them for seeds I start early like peppers, chili, celery, celeriac, eggplant and such. It's much cleaner too, than dragging bags of soil into the house. I've always made great experiences with the pellets.
I also have a 2-3 weeks wait to start seeds, But that's good for me I'm (not me but contractors)in the process of transforming a inclosed building with a old full size ingrown pool into a greenhouse/garden it should take about 1.5 weeks before it's ready. wish me luck growing still waiting for spring to arrive.
I shift my large bags of potting soil through the screen that covers my small round backyard fire thingy. The holes were small enough to separate out all the wood chunks and leave a fine mix. One day the light came on to try this and now i do it all my potting soil bags.
I find that plastic empty sour cream containers, etc. work great once you put holes in them and many different sizes in our empty plastics o course i don't use a hot nail or the holes, nope a soldering iron works great and faster!
I started properly sifting my soil this year! What a difference, there are so many chunks in some of this stuff it's unreal. Oh! I wanted to ask what you would suggest to do with the chunks sifted out? Would you possibly toss it into the bottom a compost pile or? I feel like tossing it away is a waste idk, it has to have some purpose 🤣🤣
Best way to fill raised bed is using hugelkultur! Fill the bottom with chunks of wood as big as your arm, then slowly add smaller pieces. Cover with cardboard that isn't shiny, and then get your soil ready. Personally I shop around in person and compare prices per pound for soil. If I feel like I am getting less than optimum soil, then invest in some compost or manure and some fertilizer. Being able to mulch around plants once they are in there will help with evaporation and weeds. You may be able to get mulch by keeping your eye out for people cutting down trees and bringing in a grinder. (You may be able to ask for the branches for the bottom of the raised bed, too!)
For us, going to either a garden center or landscaping business where you can buy the soil and/or compost by the ton is much cheaper than buying individual bags.
Luke I was wondering. For those of us that aren't real big on growing seeds indoors and don't want to deal with grow lights, what do you think of using a greenhouse to start seeds outside instead? Not a big greenhouse, just a smaller one like they sell on Amazon. Then the seeds are getting REAL sun and still have the protection of having something around them so they do get hit with intense cold. I'm in AZ so it doesn't get as cold like it does in other places.
Not Luke, but I've tried this and the cheaper greenhouse setups from Amazon are extremely hard to grow anything. It's impossible to regulate the consistent temperature needed.
If you don’t want to deal with indoor and grow lights, look up winter sowing. You can do things with milk jugs or even gallon plastic ziploc bags. I’m trying it out this year. Fingers crossed.
once the root gets even barely established after 2-3 weeks, i find that the soil blocks hold their shape quite well; as long as you are not too aggressive with the watering. shows the power of roots on erosion.
My research suggests the minimum Kelvin rating is 5000K. 5000K lights are more accessible as well. They are the "Daylight color" lights found at any hardware store. Oh yeah, I need to get an oscillating fan. Next trip to town!
Great refresher course on seed starting, I too am very anxious to get started after a long and dreary winter! But I do have a question about the amount of light needed. Wouldn't light density (lux or foot-candles) be a better measure than just lumens? Did you have a grow area and/or length of light bulb in mind when you stated that 2000 lumens is needed? Thanks for posting 👍
Great video! Thanks for sharing! I’m new to growing food. I just purchased potting mix, seeds, etc.. I was wondering if I needed to buy a grow light because I bought a mini grow tent to possibly go in my kitchen in front of a window that is facing south. I will look into getting one comparable to yours.
I’d be very interested to see you demonstrate the use of soil blockers to help us all reduce the use of garden plastic , as well as the soil mix to use. In the long term, soil-blockers reduce the need to buy expensive seed modules that tend to degrade quickly, are fiddly to sterilise and take up storage space. Many thanks for great video training!
The coupon expires tomorrow,amazon search 🎉 (ilahui dry sift screen) 🎉 seller: lovewise home, it will redefine the quality of kief screens, they are really awesome, 4 different micron screens allow you to filter hashes perfectly, 💖 tips : remember to pick up the coupon the seller gave them you will get $10, i think a good screen can be a little more expensive 😊😊😊😊😊
I am new to indoor seed starting this year. I just got all the parts for my new setup. I'm using a 5.5 gal fish tank and planting the seeds in Jiffy pots within that. I bought a LED bar grow light from Home Depot. I originally planned to have this on my dresser in my bedroom (the fish tank protecting the plants from my cats). However, I am now reading that it's not good to be around grow lights and you're supposed to wear protective sunglasses around them. Should I move the set up to a separate room?
How long do seeds last? I have a ton. some that I have had unions in a Mylar bag for 8 years or so. Others sores in a small plastic tote in basement, but are in the typical paper envelope. Any concerns about keeping too long? I’m wondering now if I need to discard and start fresh… hope not!
Most good grow lights are not that blue, they don't often say the color temp (people say about 3500K) but they generally show you the actual spectrum chart. The spectrum of a good grow light will generally have a big spike in blues and far reds with a big filled in curve in between. Look and the spectrum of a Fluence, HLG or Gavita to see the industry leaders.
Not sure why you feel that so many things are necessary to start seeds. I have been starting seeds for my garden for years now and I do them the exact same way every year. I use no fans or extra lights, I plant them in the starter trays put the lid on and then set them in the south patio door/window, they grow beautifully every time and I have great strong plants come time to plant them outside in the garden. I do a large variety of things and have never had a problem doing it that way. Shoot before I got my seed trays with lids on them I used to just use clear generic solo cups and I always had a very hearty set of plants. One can over complicate things I think, and this seems to be very over complicated in the end. I grow a HUGE amount of stuff, and absolutely do not go to great lengths to get them going. Growing things is not that difficult if you follow a few easy things. I am more of a homesteader type, and back in the days of old, we didn't have all these lights and fans and heating pads and so on, we grew naturally and without much trouble. Which I still do to this day. Never have a problem, nor do I ever not have a full abundant garden.
So I am starting from seeds but I live in Florida. So what do you suggest with the seed starting tray. I have plenty of sunshine and natural air circulation. They trays come with a top should I do that when I am putting these outside?
I’d like to know how to make seed starting mix from my composted horse manure. I feed my two horses and they produce tons of manure, which we compost. I can sift it of course, but do I need to add stuff to it?
I heard minimum 6500k several times in this video. How can this be right, like you could get higher than 6500? I think a minimum of 5000k would be more accurate. I have several seed starting lights at 6500 and 5000k and have been using both for several years and both are equally effective!
Hi Luke, do you think a 1,000w metal halide bulb is enough light for a 8'x10' grow area just for tomato plants for veg for about 6-8 weeks? 110,000 lumens, 4,000 kelvin. I'd also regularly be hardening off these tomatoes during daytime outside when it gets above 50.
@@MIgardener lol thanks Luke I thought so. ;) To be fair, I am growing a solid block of 720 party cups of tomato plants, so I'll make the cost back. ;) Thanks again for the response great to hear from you!
I have a 3500K bulb pointed at my basil. So far so good.. but they are still just sprouts. Curious if you think it will be enough to keep them going into a strong plant. Thanks :)
Thanks Luke! Currently starting lots of seeds, including some from you, and wondering about wet seed starting mix. I've got domes on, lights, fan for a few hours a day and so on. How long should I let my seed starting mix stay wet from their first watering before getting concerned?
I'm surprised you didn't say anything about fertilizing the soil. i bought potting mix, screened it, mixed it with a little bit of alfalfa and a little bit of trifecta+ just coz I only ordered the 5lb bag so I have to sparingly :)
I guess he didn't mention it because you never fertilize seeds or seedlings. Just like an egg, a seed has all the nutrients a seedling needs to grow. Fertilizing too early will just result in a very weak root system.
Fyi: I tried a ceiling fan, but my tomatoes were still skinny & weak. I'll try the desk fan like he showed in Spring 2023.
Oh, and who else gets a chuckle when he mentions "Mrs. MIgardener"? Just cute. I've only seen her on 1 or 2 videos. What a beautiful bride he has.
Another must for me is a dome or clear cover for the trays. Quite neccessary to create the greenhouse effect. I keep lid on until seedlings sprout, then use fan to make conditions as close to what they'll endure outside. I also use fish emulsion at that point. I've done without a grow light until just a few years ago, nice bright window works too. Use what you have folks. God bless you all and your fruitful bounties. God is good!
Another option is plastic wrap. I love it!
Thanks for writing that. I have extremely limited space - don't have the space for lights and other equipment. I'm just going to place the seedlings by the window.
Walmart has 4' shop lights with 5500 lumens and 6500k right now for $14 each! Comes with chains for hanging too.
Yep! That’s what I’ve used for years- works great
Wow that’s a great deal!
That's super cheap!
Can you post link please?
@@danielmiller3477 you have to go in store to get them. They won't ship them oddly. I tried because I hate going into Walmart and will only purchase online. Some odd reason they refuse to ship deal.
You should do a video reviewing some cheap Amazon grow lights or maybe some cheap shop lights from Walmart and how well they work for seed starting for beginners on a tight budget.
Just saw a vid about exactly that on Gary Pilarcheks channel.
For what it's worth, I use "daylight" light bulbs for mine, 5000K. I do have a video on starting seeds if you wanted to skip around and see what I use.
Ooohhhh good to know on the fan! I’m seriously venturing into seed starting this year and I need all the help I can get. Your videos are invaluable. Thank you!
Good luck! You will do great I am sure if it.
You are a blessing! Thanks for another great teaching video. I've been watching you for years and you have a wonderful heart for helping others. God is good!
Awe thanks Tom!
That was SO helpful! I had soil blockers and seed starting mix on my shopping list this week, but now that I know I can just sift my potting soil and that my trays work better, you just saved me some $$! Thank you!
I started 7 variety of peppers and 7 variety of tomatoes. I transplanted 100 tomatoes last night and I have about 150 more to do. I have had amazing germination and growth already this season. We are growing in the house since my greenhouse is not yet complete. Totally agree with the fan.
The coupon expires tomorrow,amazon search 🎉 (ilahui dry sift screen) 🎉 seller: lovewise home, it will redefine the quality of kief screens, they are really awesome, 4 different micron screens allow you to filter hashes perfectly, 💖 tips : remember to pick up the coupon the seller gave them you will get $10, i think a good screen can be a little more expensive 😊😊😊😊😊
Heated seed mats are a must! The seeds sprout usually in 3 days, it is amazing. Also, after years of cheap ineffective lights, I decided to splurge on a light and got a spider farmer brand- I think that is what pot growers use. Yes, it was a lot, but it covered my entire closet and all the plants (mostly tomatoes & flowers) grew like beanstalks.
The coupon expires tomorrow,amazon search 🎉 (ilahui dry sift screen) 🎉 seller: lovewise home, it will redefine the quality of kief screens, they are really awesome, 4 different micron screens allow you to filter hashes perfectly, 💖 tips : remember to pick up the coupon the seller gave them you will get $10, i think a good screen can be a little more expensive 😊😊😊😊😊
THANKS Luke! This is exactly what I have needed. You're the first person who has mentioned a fan. Totally makes sense.
A fan really does make all the difference. Thanks for watching!
I did (Roots&Refuge) Jess's pet-your-seedlings method last year to great success, but I'm pretty sure I ignored her advice about a fan because I thought Arkansas is so much hotter than where I live. Guess I'll try a gentle fan this year.
I'll be honest, I was looking through beginning gardening tips and clicked one of your videos solely because I thought your username was Midgardener, which would've been a fantastic Nordic pun. Sadly your actual username isn't very exciting. BUT...I've browsed quite a few of your vids and am learning a ton! Thank you for all of this knowledge!
One thing I’ll never go without is a reflective mylar around my seed starting station. You can use aluminum foil if you’re in a pinch or on a budget, but investing in a roll of reflective mylar on Amazon was totally worth it and I reuse the same sheet every year so i have plenty left over for years to come. It keeps the light from my shop lights in the seed starting station and doesn’t get wasted lighting up the room. It also doubles as protection from my nosy cats. They won’t sneak in and eat my seedlings because of the loud rattle the mylar makes when you move it. I’m not sure which list you would categorize this under but it’s definitely worth considering.
Excellent info as usual. Appreciated your easy, to the point, overview of grow lights. After much research, we purchased 2 grow lights in the fall, and after watching your video, I checked all the specs on the ones we decided upon, and save for the light being 6400K, everything else lined up. (Sunblaster - Canadian brand) It's a relief to know the money we invested was worth it. Looking forward to your follow up video.
That’s basically the same. It will work great!
@@MIgardener Thank-you 🙂🌱
Thank you for sharing the brand of your grow light! I will check into that!
Also, thank you @MIGARDENER for posting this so helpful!!
Does the fan replace hardening off the plants before planting outside?!
@@shawndeelooney2690 you're very welcome. I spent countless hours researching, but being in Canada in the middle of a pandemic (shipping has been affected), I decided to go with a Canadian company. These lights daisy chain & with a simple 15ish dollar timer, we never have to worry about turning them off or on. I plan on purchasing more in the near future. (48")
@@shawndeelooney2690 no, they still need to be hardened off.
Hey I started my Crimson tomato and two of my seeds have sprouted, I'm excited!!
Because I'm currently in the process of starting my own seeds I think the best advice is for people to just try it out and problem solve as you go along. I am exactly like he mentioned at the beginning of the vid. So many things people say I need to do. It was too much. I got a tray and a dome, found a part of my house that stays around 70 (I'm doing peppers and tomatoes) and I tried it out. Quickly after they sprouted I discovered I should've taken the dome off quicker. But np. They're still alive and they aren't so leggy I need to start over. I also learned the value of a fan when I took the dome off very quickly. They've stopped growing up and now I'm getting the true leaves. I know the peat pellets I've used to start them are inconvenient because they dry out more quickly ten is convenient. And I'm sure I'll understand more next week.
At least for people like me who learn by doing and by problem solving... Stop the endless youtube scrolling. Even if you think you're trying to learn. It's a waste of time and you aren't learning the things you need to by putting off doing it. You will figure it out better as you go along. And next year I bet we'll be even better.
I start my seeds next month yay! (Unless we have to flee Canada).. I'm very excited for my garden this year 😀😄😊 Gonna plant such a variety!
I love soil blocks and get super-healthy little plants from them. The difference betwen last years seed-starting (with trays) and this years (with soil blocks) was impressive. So for me they are worth the effort to get the plants off for a good start. Also it saves me buying and running a fan, because the soil is aerated from all sides. I was very inspired by Jim Kovaleski's seed starting method and his insight in soil life.
I just got my seeds from Migardener I’m so excited to start my seeds thank you for the video🤗
Thanks for your support!
As grow lights, You CAN use bulbs versus flat lights, but you need a lot of reflectors. My seed starter is on a middle level [ 3' tall ] of plastic shelving. I have an LED grow bulb, but then I put up simple tin foil along the sides and top of that grow shelf, redirecting all the light from the sides and top back in to the seedlings!
nice video! if you dont want to spend alot of money on grow lights you can just buy a shop light at walmart... just make sure the kelvins and lumins are high enough for the seedlings.
Hubs bought those little pellets/ pods to start seeds but they did mold. Thanks for the info!
:( sorry you didn’t see this first!
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Great video. Looking forward to the next one. Just got my seeds from you in the mail yesterday. This year, my 5 year old granddaughter will help. She was so excited to open the package with our new seeds. Thank you Luke for always giving us some wonderful informational videos.
Santa put MIgardener seeds in our stockings for Christmas. He knows quality!
Our first year with a real greenhouse,8x16 and we are so excited! I have 75 variety of seeds just from you! Plus triple that and those from my garden. So this is perfect timing today.
Thanks, Luke! You always make it simple...appreciated!
Perfect timing! My mom and I were just about to get started on Starting, so this will be super helpful.
I thought I was the only one that used a fan or recommended to always touch your plants. I would really like to see you make some videos on making potting/seeding soil from scratch. I personally don't like buy it for a number of reasons and have not always had the best of luck with my homemade mixes. Thanks for the video.
Good information. Thank you. I never thought about setting up a fan. Makes sense.
I love the awesome advice from MIGardner. I also love the garlic I bought from them that is growing in my raised bed. I recently got some seeds too. They sent me a complimentary packet of lettuce with the seeds I ordered. Much appreciated for that. Class act 100%.
Great info. Last year my seeds were an epic fail. I'm ready to try again, thanks.
You got it! Good luck!
I had the same thing happen when I used "seeds of change" brand. Never again!
Thank you, I appreciate your timely advice. I've always just planted nursery-grown plants outside but this is the first year I'm growing some veggies, fruit, and flowers indoors from seed, so a little nervous. I have ordered mass quantities of seed from your website, everything intrigues me and I can't wait to get it all started in Zone 4b Minnesota! Nevermind the snow we got today, it's all good, it'll melt in good time. I was waiting to hear if you talked again about sifting the seed starting mix and you did. Appreciate the consistency in advice.
Zone 3 here in Minnesota 🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶 Can’t wait for spring and just keep telling myself that all this snow will help with filling lakes and aquifers 😘
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Great tip to sift pitting mix thank you Luke!
Glad it helped! Happy gardening!
Agree, I seen that somewhere else and was not sure, so hearing it from Luke certainly help give it some trust behind it.
i do a mix of starting mix and potting soil to start. it seems to create a strong early root system and you dont have to transplant seedings which can kill plants
Great tip on the fan. I now understand why it is so important!
As I understand it the kelvin range for seed starting is from 5000-6500, higher being better. I have been using 5000K 3200L shop lights from Menards for a few years without problems. Secondly, led lights have dropped in price over the years. if you are buying lights, go led. They will last longer and be cheaper to run.
I have successfully used non-grow purpose lights for years, both fluorescent and LED lights for years. I have never use a "grow" bulb. I absolutely agree with having a fan, however.
Lol! Where was this video last year when I tried to used peat pots and compostable egg cartons🤦♀️. All my seedlings failed because of this crucial mistake, won't be making the same mistake this year. Thank you for all the tips!
I like Solo cups with a hole drilled into the bottom. They don't need to be filled all the way and the white interior reflects light all over the plant as well as protecting it.
Hm...I've been growing beautiful and productive plants each year after starting my garden six years ago, and don't use most of this. I don't use grow lights, I put seedlings on windowsills just like my ancestors started vegetables indoors. Or into miniature greenhouses if the plants can take a little cold until spring. I don't use fans. When the seedlings go into grow pots and the temperatures are warm enough, I harden them off gradually and they get enough wind to grow sturdy.
I do use those little peat pots/tabs and find them very practical. I've never once had mold on any of them. And why cut off the casing before planting outdoors? The roots grow right through that. When plants are big enough to go into little pots (or gradually bigger pots, depending), I sterilize the bagged soil in the oven to kill off any bacteria or potential pests, or mold spores. How on earth would a plant that's still indoors catch something like blight? I've never had a problem once with any of that, using my antiquated methods. So no disrespect, but I think most of this is unnecessary.
This isn't meant as a put-down, Luke, but as an encouragement to those who don't have the space and maybe not the resources for an elaborate grow room. I've been growing beautiful, sturdy and healthy plants for years, using very, very simple and basic methods.
Luke can you show us the process to make the soil light and fluffy. Tammy from NY here. I’m a bit confusedas to how to do this. And am I too late to start seedlings. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge. You rock.
You are such a great Educator, thank you
Perfect timing on this video! I'm seeing a bunch of people in your FB group that are first time seed starters using peat pots :( Now, I can refer them to this video for some sound advice! I still have to get a sifter, cause right now, I'm just picking out the bigger chunks if I happen across them while filling my seed starting packs lol.
I use peat pods every year, and every year I have strong, healthy and prolific plants. I find them practical and cleaner than dragging soil indoors. I've never once had a problem with them, on the contrary.
I like the soil block, but the seed starting trays are so much easier! Thanks for useful information and for sure about high quality seeds. It so frustrating to plant and y our seeds do not come up.
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This video is so perfect! I just got my delivery of 50 pounds of potting soil and was planning to hit the greenhouse this weekend with some MI seeds!!!
Mi seeds our the best 80% germination great price great
😊😊😊
Looking forward to the next episode!
Thanks! I can’t wait to get it up.
Wonderful video for a beginner , with great content
Great helpful tips! Thanks!
Yes!
Thank you for this!
We are just about to start ours for the first time❤️
I like the video and the idea of a more affordable seed starting mix. But, after watching so many of your videos, you've advocated for two other seed starting mixes, and you've said that their is a correlation between more expensive options and success (your video referencing Pro-Mix HP w/biofungicide comes to mind). Now I don't know what to think. Do you add more pearlite? Was the biofungicide unnecessary?!
the fan sounds like a good Idea for seed starting I well definitely look Into that
Great video, thank you!
Love this. Can you include beginner info about fertilizer? I'm new to soil amendment and fertilization. Thanks!
I started a few things in those pellets a few years ago. Two years later the whole wrapper was still completely intact in the soil. They do NOT decompose like the package says. You are right. I never used them again.
@Toni Leigh. You are 100% correct. They DO NOT decompose. I use them however I carefully take the netting off when I plant the plant into the soil. The same thing with the small individual cloth grow bags. They don't decompose either. I mostly use the cheap 6 or 4 cell packs. If they break, I recycle them and buy replacements. They work just fine.
The wrappers indeed don't decompose, but the roots grow right through them so I leave them intact. If I find one in the soil the following year, I just dispose of it, no big deal.
@@beautyforashes2230 I use the pellets every year and always have great germination and the roots grow fine and they don't mold and they are easy to plant..so I say, if that's what you have available...go for it!
@@Cidtalk I'm glad you've made such good experiences with them too. They really are practical. I mostly use them for seeds I start early like peppers, chili, celery, celeriac, eggplant and such. It's much cleaner too, than dragging bags of soil into the house. I've always made great experiences with the pellets.
I've been using 5000k for several years works great.
Same!
5000 is pretty good, but it’s definitely fringe.
Thank you for video I'm still trying to find some trifecta plus heard amazing stories about it
I’m having a hard time waiting to start my tomato and pepper plants!! I want to get them going now but it’s still too early!
Me too Zack! The struggle is real. Few more weeks it's go time! Your not alone
Resist the urge! 😩
I also have a 2-3 weeks wait to start seeds, But that's good for me I'm (not me but contractors)in the process of transforming a inclosed building with a old full size ingrown pool into a greenhouse/garden it should take about 1.5 weeks before it's ready. wish me luck growing still waiting for spring to arrive.
I shift my large bags of potting soil through the screen that covers my small round backyard fire thingy. The holes were small enough to separate out all the wood chunks and leave a fine mix. One day the light came on to try this and now i do it all my potting soil bags.
Thanks Mr. Luke!❤❤😁
Thanks for watching!
Happy almost March
I find that plastic empty sour cream containers, etc. work great once you put holes in them and many different sizes in our empty plastics o course i don't use a hot nail or the holes, nope a soldering iron works great and faster!
Flat mounting bar light
6500 K blue grow light
No less than 2000 lumens
Fan
Plastic seedling tray
Good soil
Quality seed
2000 lumins
65 kalvins
Fan
Down facing light
I started properly sifting my soil this year! What a difference, there are so many chunks in some of this stuff it's unreal. Oh! I wanted to ask what you would suggest to do with the chunks sifted out? Would you possibly toss it into the bottom a compost pile or? I feel like tossing it away is a waste idk, it has to have some purpose 🤣🤣
Use it when you repot your seedlings to bigger pots.
I have plants growing under 4000 lumen 5000k bulbs right now, it's equivalent to morning sunlight, no issues with anything I have under them.
Great advice
This year will be my first attempt at a garden. What would you recommend for filling raised beds without costing a fortune?
We actually have videos titled how we fill raised beds for cheap just search that on our channel and you will find the videos we have done. :)
Best way to fill raised bed is using hugelkultur! Fill the bottom with chunks of wood as big as your arm, then slowly add smaller pieces. Cover with cardboard that isn't shiny, and then get your soil ready. Personally I shop around in person and compare prices per pound for soil. If I feel like I am getting less than optimum soil, then invest in some compost or manure and some fertilizer. Being able to mulch around plants once they are in there will help with evaporation and weeds. You may be able to get mulch by keeping your eye out for people cutting down trees and bringing in a grinder. (You may be able to ask for the branches for the bottom of the raised bed, too!)
For us, going to either a garden center or landscaping business where you can buy the soil and/or compost by the ton is much cheaper than buying individual bags.
Luke I was wondering. For those of us that aren't real big on growing seeds indoors and don't want to deal with grow lights, what do you think of using a greenhouse to start seeds outside instead? Not a big greenhouse, just a smaller one like they sell on Amazon. Then the seeds are getting REAL sun and still have the protection of having something around them so they do get hit with intense cold. I'm in AZ so it doesn't get as cold like it does in other places.
Not Luke, but I've tried this and the cheaper greenhouse setups from Amazon are extremely hard to grow anything. It's impossible to regulate the consistent temperature needed.
If you don’t want to deal with indoor and grow lights, look up winter sowing. You can do things with milk jugs or even gallon plastic ziploc bags. I’m trying it out this year. Fingers crossed.
once the root gets even barely established after 2-3 weeks, i find that the soil blocks hold their shape quite well; as long as you are not too aggressive with the watering. shows the power of roots on erosion.
Packing the soil firmly into the cells before you plant is also helpful to keep the plugs neat.
My research suggests the minimum Kelvin rating is 5000K.
5000K lights are more accessible as well. They are the "Daylight color" lights found at any hardware store.
Oh yeah, I need to get an oscillating fan. Next trip to town!
They do work but they need to be kept much closer to the plant and the plants grow much slower. More margin for error.
Great refresher course on seed starting, I too am very anxious to get started after a long and dreary winter! But I do have a question about the amount of light needed. Wouldn't light density (lux or foot-candles) be a better measure than just lumens? Did you have a grow area and/or length of light bulb in mind when you stated that 2000 lumens is needed? Thanks for posting 👍
Thank you for your videos 😁
Great video! Thanks for sharing! I’m new to growing food. I just purchased potting mix, seeds, etc.. I was wondering if I needed to buy a grow light because I bought a mini grow tent to possibly go in my kitchen in front of a window that is facing south. I will look into getting one comparable to yours.
I’d be very interested to see you demonstrate the use of soil blockers to help us all reduce the use of garden plastic , as well as the soil mix to use. In the long term, soil-blockers reduce the need to buy expensive seed modules that tend to degrade quickly, are fiddly to sterilise and take up storage space. Many thanks for great video training!
Tip: If your using the el cheapo seedling trays they will last longer by putting 2 together.
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I am new to indoor seed starting this year. I just got all the parts for my new setup. I'm using a 5.5 gal fish tank and planting the seeds in Jiffy pots within that. I bought a LED bar grow light from Home Depot. I originally planned to have this on my dresser in my bedroom (the fish tank protecting the plants from my cats). However, I am now reading that it's not good to be around grow lights and you're supposed to wear protective sunglasses around them. Should I move the set up to a separate room?
💚💚💚 DO YOU STERILIZE YOUR SOIL? (Boiling water) This is my first time doing it ,hoping it will prevent fungus gnats indoors..
How long do seeds last? I have a ton. some that I have had unions in a Mylar bag for 8 years or so. Others sores in a small plastic tote in basement, but are in the typical paper envelope. Any concerns about keeping too long? I’m wondering now if I need to discard and start fresh… hope not!
how long would tou suggest to use the fan for and when to start using it ? thank you
Most good grow lights are not that blue, they don't often say the color temp (people say about 3500K) but they generally show you the actual spectrum chart. The spectrum of a good grow light will generally have a big spike in blues and far reds with a big filled in curve in between. Look and the spectrum of a Fluence, HLG or Gavita to see the industry leaders.
Not sure why you feel that so many things are necessary to start seeds. I have been starting seeds for my garden for years now and I do them the exact same way every year. I use no fans or extra lights, I plant them in the starter trays put the lid on and then set them in the south patio door/window, they grow beautifully every time and I have great strong plants come time to plant them outside in the garden. I do a large variety of things and have never had a problem doing it that way. Shoot before I got my seed trays with lids on them I used to just use clear generic solo cups and I always had a very hearty set of plants. One can over complicate things I think, and this seems to be very over complicated in the end. I grow a HUGE amount of stuff, and absolutely do not go to great lengths to get them going. Growing things is not that difficult if you follow a few easy things. I am more of a homesteader type, and back in the days of old, we didn't have all these lights and fans and heating pads and so on, we grew naturally and without much trouble. Which I still do to this day. Never have a problem, nor do I ever not have a full abundant garden.
👍 I watched part 2 first...ugg but thank you for the info.
Jesus Christ okay RUclips I will watch the video!!!! Legit every time I open up RUclips this is the first recommendation
Do u have a video showing how you sift potting mix?
Hi Luke, I'm starting an orchard garden with 50 trees in 2 weeks, I wanna ask you, can I add iron sulfate in the ground when planting the trees? Ty!
Do you fertilize your seedlings once they have some true leaves formed? Or is it better to wait until planting them out into the garden?
I keep looking for purple lights and specifically the lights you have. could you please link those. thank you
So I am starting from seeds but I live in Florida. So what do you suggest with the seed starting tray. I have plenty of sunshine and natural air circulation. They trays come with a top should I do that when I am putting these outside?
I’d like to know how to make seed starting mix from my composted horse manure. I feed my two horses and they produce tons of manure, which we compost. I can sift it of course, but do I need to add stuff to it?
Would be nice to see links to some of these recommendations you make I favor the channels that do that.
Great video! I've been wanting to use a fan, but I'm not sure how to. Do you keep it on for a certain amount of hours or is it continous?
I heard minimum 6500k several times in this video. How can this be right, like you could get higher than 6500? I think a minimum of 5000k would be more accurate. I have several seed starting lights at 6500 and 5000k and have been using both for several years and both are equally effective!
6500k is a proper grow light. Anything else might work but it leaves it open for error.
This was very valuable, but how do you which seeds are high quality and which aren't?
thanks for this!
Glad it helped!
Hi Luke, do you think a 1,000w metal halide bulb is enough light for a 8'x10' grow area just for tomato plants for veg for about 6-8 weeks? 110,000 lumens, 4,000 kelvin. I'd also regularly be hardening off these tomatoes during daytime outside when it gets above 50.
that is an absurd amount of lumens, so yes. I would think you will be fine. I feel bad for your electricity bill though lol.
@@MIgardener lol thanks Luke I thought so. ;) To be fair, I am growing a solid block of 720 party cups of tomato plants, so I'll make the cost back. ;) Thanks again for the response great to hear from you!
Master Gardener...
I have a 3500K bulb pointed at my basil. So far so good.. but they are still just sprouts. Curious if you think it will be enough to keep them going into a strong plant. Thanks :)
Thanks Luke! Currently starting lots of seeds, including some from you, and wondering about wet seed starting mix. I've got domes on, lights, fan for a few hours a day and so on. How long should I let my seed starting mix stay wet from their first watering before getting concerned?
I'm surprised you didn't say anything about fertilizing the soil. i bought potting mix, screened it, mixed it with a little bit of alfalfa and a little bit of trifecta+ just coz I only ordered the 5lb bag so I have to sparingly :)
I guess he didn't mention it because you never fertilize seeds or seedlings. Just like an egg, a seed has all the nutrients a seedling needs to grow. Fertilizing too early will just result in a very weak root system.
Which gardening books do you recommend for beginners?
The Autopilot Garden
Do you have any links you can share on the proper Grow Lights?