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Come and get all my tips for starting seeds indoors and my process for planting vegetable seeds. Save all these tips to Pinterest so you can find them when you are ready to plant seeds.
Every year, I look forward to starting seeds indoors. It is something that tells me spring is on its way and makes my whole family look forward to warmer days. For us, gardening has become a family affair. I first starting planting seeds indoors with both my kids when they were around 2 or 3. As they’ve grown older, they are not always as enthusiastic about it but always willing to lend a hand in the process. They have grown to love the garden in the summer and are a huge help to me throughout the season. I love that it is a memory they will have of our life together and a skill they will take with them into the future. Here is how we begin the process.
Timeframe for starting seeds indoors
There are many important pieces when it comes to gardening, but starting seeds indoors might be the most important piece of all. It is literally how you get growing.When planting seeds for a late spring or summer garden, you want to be starting seeds 6-8 weeks before your final frost date. To understand what date that is for you, use the USDA Zone Hardiness Map {HERE}. I start summer garden seeds each year mid-March to early April timeframe. Being in zone 6a (Zones were updated in 2024 based on climate change), my last frost date is not until mid-May. So planting seeds around that time frame is perfect for my plants to be ready to go outside.
Picking a place for starting seeds indoors
We now grow in our greenhouse, but we did not always have a greenhouse. My very first season of gardening, back when Keira was just 2 and I was pregnant with my son, we started seeds in little pots in a kitchen window. We were lucky enough to have a little almost bay window over the sink and that was where we placed our carrots, tomato, cucumber and pepper seeds that first season.
When we moved to the farm, I had more space and I had to change how I started planting vegetable seeds. Our first year here, I started them in the basem*nt, which was unfinished at the time. Because I was starting in the basem*nt, I needed to use grow lights. I set everything up on two card tables with the lights, extension cords and oddly enough, a clothing rack.
Making your space
When looking for a place in your how to start seeds think about these things:
- Do you have good light in the winter and a window that would work for starting some seeds? This could be the kitchen, the family room or even the dining room if you are open to giving up that space.
- Do you have a basem*nt space you could utilize with a few modifications? Not only can unfinished basem*nt spaces be used, but finished ones can be utilized too. Depending on the size of your garden space, you might just need s little corner for planting vegetable seeds.
- Would the garage work? If you have a garage that is attached to your house, or is heated, this is a perfect spot for starting seeds. You will need a few supplies, but a garage can also work.
- Are you in a zone where you could start seeds outside with a small grow tunnel or pop up greenhouse? {HERE}
- Do you have an enclosed porch that could be tour grow space for starting seeds with a few modifications? Adding some covering to the windows if there are screens? Or placing a smaller popup greenhouse there? See an example {HERE}.
Supplies needed for planting vegetable seeds
Once you have picked out a place for starting seeds indoors you need to figure out your set up. Mine has changed year after year as my planting places have changed and as I’ve tried new things. However, there are a few things I use today that anyone can use as part of their set up. They are:
Seed starting trays and humidity domes
I’ve used these since I starting planting vegetable seeds for my garden here at the farmhouse. They last for years, I use them over and over. In fact, the trays always seem to hold up really well. The only things I’ve had to consider replacing are the domes because they tend to yellow over time. I bought four new ones this year but overall, I have 15- 20 of these that I’ve collected over the years. You can find the exact set I use {HERE}. These help with keeping soil damp and for those growing in cooler spaces, they help to keep them warmer too.
Seeding Pots
This is the first year I am using these {HERE}, but I love how hard the pots are. I’ll be able to use these for many many years because they are so well built. I planted three seeds per pot and mixed these in with the seed starting trays above. Any time I’ve bought plants from a nursery, they usually cram two plants in these little pots so I wanted to try growing that way as well. The pots immediately give the roots more room and I don’t have to repot anything, which I hate doing. As a side note, I don’t use peat pots to grow anymore since most peat is not a renewable resource and I can only use those pots for one year.
Plant labels
I bought these plant labels {HERE} for the first time this year. In the past I have used popsicle sticks and they have worked okay but they tend to mold a bit. I find myself making new ones every few weeks or so. I am hoping these hold up a bit better.
Seed Mats
When starting seeds indoors, a lot of people like to use seed mats. They heat the dirt/seed from the bottom and help the seed to germinate faster. I have used these ones {HERE} for years and used them the for the first time in my basem*nt set up. They work well and I find they do help. However, when I planted last year I did not use them and things grew just fine too. This year, I am using them again because we have some cooler nights and I’m hoping they help hold in some heat. You can see a photo of how it looks below with the power hub.
Grow lights
Depending on where you are growing, you might need grow lights. I bought these {HERE} for the first time when I made the basem*nt set up and I have used them in the greenhouse too. I did not use them last year and I am hoping I don’t have to use them this year (purely because of my electricity bill) but I might have to pull them out with the way our weather is going. If you are growing in the basem*nt, a darker corner or a garage these will be vital for you.
Power Source
When planting vegetable seeds indoors you will need to have some power sources to run all of these lights and heaters. I use outdoor cables, no matter where I am planting. Basically, since there is a good chance these will all get wet, you want to make sure you are protected. Anything you use for Christmas lights outside should work. Cords like these {HERE} and then power hubs like these {HERE} are what I rely on. My power hub is from Home Depot.
Soil for starting seeds indoors
When it comes to the soil I use for starting seeds indoors, I have tried a few different ones over the years. I try to use a blend of soils because different soils do different things. First, I always use the Coconut Coir Bricks {HERE}. I like these because they are organic and eco friendly. The material helps to hold the seed snuggly in place and give it just enough nutrients to sprout.
However, I have found once it is sprouted, the seeds need more. I have created a soil mix for planting my vegetable seeds that works better and helps take the seedlings to the next phase. It includes:
- The coconut coir blocks
- A seed starting soil – I have used different soils throughout the years – everything from miracle gro to higher quality soils. I’ve foudn that as long as it has some nutrients in there for the plants, it will be good for them. I tend to use organic and I would say just pay attention to the labels if that is important to you.
- Compost – I add this to my mix if there is no compost in the seed starting soil. I buy this and do not use our compost. I want to make sure that it is fully broken down for the seeds so the roots do not get burned. While my compost here is great, we haven’t mastered it yet and I prefer not to use it on my seeds.
Amounts in my mix for planting vegetable seeds
I use a large, metal tub and mix everything together with about 1 gallon of water in order to pull the coconut coir apart.
- 1 coconut coir block
- 8 cups of the seed starting soil
- 2 cups of compost
In the photo below you can see the different types of soil, usually, I mix it up better than this, but the kids were helping with this and I suspect this is their batch of seedling trays. 🙂
How to plant a vegetable seed
Each vegetable seed has instructions for planting on the back. Pay attention to those instructions when planting. The package for each seed will give you the general depth that each seed needs to be planted and how far apart seeds need to be planted, which is more for planting direct to a garden bed.
I will tell you, I plant almost all my seeds about 1/2 inch down. Generally, most of them prefer 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch. I make all my holes in a tray at once and then plant multiple things in that tray. The only things I don’t do this with are things like chive seeds, chamomile seeds, oregano, etc. Basically, tiny seeds that will do well closer to the surface.
Heating
If you are starting seeds indoors in your house, you do not have to worry about this. However, if you are planting vegetable seeds in your basem*nt, garage or a small greenhouse, you probably have to think about heating.
When I was growing in the basem*nt, the temperature was about 62 degrees. That is perfectly fine for sprouting seeds. However, those seed mats did help then.
When I started growing in the greenhouse, I needed to figure out a solution because we have days (like today) in March, April and even May where it will fall below freezing. I use a space heater in my greenhouse that goes off when the temperature reaches a certain degree. Right now, I try to keep the greenhouse 50 degrees. That is warm enough to start seeds but also cool enough that my space heater is not working all day long when the sun is out. I bought mine from Ace Hardware because I needed something fast that first year when temperatures started to fall. However, you can find a good selection of them {HERE} if you are growing in the garage or another structure that will need some heating support. Make sure to read the reviews and check safety shutoff features.
Watering
Once I plant my seeds indoors, I do not water right away. The soil mix I use is very wet thanks to all that moisture the coconut coir soaked up. Since I plant immediately after potting my soil, there is enough moisture in there for a day or two.
When it is time to water, I water from the bottom. That means I pour water into those seedling trays versus watering from the top like it is raining. Watering from the bottom helps promote healthy roots because they grow reaching for the water source. Also, if you are growing inside in your kitchen bottom watering can help keep fungus gnats away.
What to do next
What to do nextNow that you are planted, keep an eye on the seeds. Sometimes you will find they sprout right away and other times they seem to take their sweet time. I always find pepper plants take the longest for me and then almost seem to stop growing before finally meandering onwards.
Check to make sure the soil is damp but not overly saturated. Overly saturated soil can lead to mold and rot your seeds. Unless the pots are very dry, I do not recommend watering every day. Watering every two days might be a better schedule for you.
Once seeds have sprouted you can remove the heat mats. Once it is warm enough in your growing environment, you can remove the humidity domes too.
Looking for more garden posts?
If you love gardening, check out these articles too.
- DIY Seed Tape {HERE}
- How to grow a Food Forest {HERE}
- No Till Gardening {HERE}
- What is permaculture {HERE}
- The best clothing for gardening {HERE}
- Tips for growing tomatoes {HERE}
- Growing zucchini vertically {HERE}
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Thank you so much for joining me today, friends! I hope that you found all the information you need of starting seeds indoors this season. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below about planting vegetable seeds! Happy growing!
