Hey! My backyard gardeners!  Do you want to start seeds indoors but its too overwhelming trying to figure out how and what you need?  I am here to help with simple solutions and easy to follow guides. 

Do you want to start seeds indoors?  I like to keep gardening simple and low stress.  Growing from seed all you need is light, water, and growing medium.  It really is that simple.   

There are some tools out there that will help you along, and make it easier.  But not all the tools and gadgets are needed.  I will go through the top 5 things I suggest to start seeds indoors. 

1. Seed Starting Medium:  This should be light and fluffy, and easy for tender roots to form.  This is NOT dirt, soil, compost, or potting soil. Putting seeds in soil that is too rich with nutrients can actually reduce germination rates.  (I will make another blog about this…it;s too much to go over here.  Just don’t use soil).  It MUST say seed starting on the bag.  It does not HAVE to be organic. 

Amazon.com : Jiffy Natural & Organic Seed Starting Soil Mix, 16 QT : Soil And Soil Amendments : Patio, Lawn & Garden 

2. Containers or Pots: This can really be anything that will hold your medium and seeds but also drain excess water.  You can opt to purchase expensive trays and pots.  Or you can use what you have around the house (solo cups, old pots, old flower 6 pack).  Be sure to rinse any old containers out with bleach water to kill any bacteria or fungi.  

Amazon.com: Gardzen 5-Set Garden Propagator Set, Seed Tray Kits with 200-Cell, Seed Starter Tray with Dome and Base 15" x 9" (40-Cell Per Tray) : Everything Else 

3. Grow Lights: This is the most important gadget to purchase in my opinion.  A window sill or sunny room will not be enough light to help grow strong seedlings.  What will happen is they will get “leggy” (long and weak).  You want to give your plants the best start to make it easy on you.  And the top gadget to use is a good grow light. 

Amazon.com : VIVOSUN 2-Pack VS1000 LED Grow Light with Samsung LM301 Diodes & Sosen Driver Dimmable Lights Sunlike Full Spectrum for Indoor Plants Seedling Veg and Bloom Plant Grow Lamps for 2x2/3x3 Grow Tent : Patio, Lawn & Garden 

4. Heat Mats: Heat mats are helpful for increased germination rate and time.  It will help warm up the grow medium and seeds to speed up the germination.  Is this absolutely needed to grow seedlings?  No it is not.  It can speed it up, but it is not needed.

Amazon.com : VIVOSUN 2 Pack Durable Waterproof Seedling Heat Mat Warm Hydroponic Heating Pad 10" x 20.75" MET Standard : Patio, Lawn & Garden 

5. Watering Can: When you first put seeds in the grow medium, you don’t want to over water and cause too much saturation.  So I suggest using a spray bottle to moisten the medium without drowning.  After the seedlings sprout, it's best to water from the bottom if you have trays.  But if you don’t, that is ok! Just get a watering can with a long neck (not the showering type), to water the base of the seedlings.  You don’t want to oversaturate.  

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