Preparing your seeds is an easy step in the gardening process. Seeds only need heat and moisture to begin germinating. You can purchase seed starters sold in lawn and garden stores or purchase bags of soil. If organic soil is your preference, take time and read the ingredients label on the bag. A lot of soils that claim to be organic are not.

I like to buy bagged soil, empty it into a bucket, and add a small amount of water to add moisture. Make sure not to add too much, meaning that water should not run out when you pick up the soil with your hands. If you are not sure, it is better to leave your soil on the dry side and add more water after you sow the seed.

Now that you have your soil ready line up your plastic seed starter trays and place a small amount of soil in each tray cell. Ensure that each “cup” has a small hole in the bottom to allow excess water to drain.

When you start shopping for seed starter trays, you will see many different kinds. I recommend the plastic 2”x2” black cells. These are easy to handle when it is time to plant, and they are inexpensive. Once you have the soil in the cells, it is time to place the seed in the soil. The recommended planting depth will be on the back of your seed package. In my experience, this does not have to be exact. As long as you have good seed to soil contact, it should grow. If the seed is planted too deep, it cannot push the soil aside to start growing. Most gardeners will place two seeds per cell; this ensures that every cell grows a plant. Now that you have the seeds in the soil, sprinkle a small amount of soil over the top and tap down gently. Next, I use a spray bottle and mist the top of the soil just enough to wet (not soak) the soil. No water should be pooling on top. This will be the last time you will water the seeds until you start to see them pushing up the soil.

Next, you will place the filled growing cubes into shallow trays, large enough to fit the seed starter tray inside. They are usually 10”x20” with 3” sides. Most will come with a clear plastic lid to cover the cells once you have them planted. If you do not have a lid, you can use plastic food wrap. I found that placing the trays in a warm area inside your home or on top of the refrigerator will give them enough heat. You will need to check these every day. Once you start to see the plants pushing through the soil, you can take the cover off the tray.

Next is lighting, which I feel is the most important step. If the lighting is not bright enough or if the plant does not get enough light, it will become what growers call “leggy.” This happens when the plant grows in search of light. The plants will grow long, weak stems and might not produce any leaves.

What is the right kind of light? Well, this would fall under what growers call a spectrum range. The light will have red, blue, and small amounts of green and yellow lighting. This can be somewhat complicated. I get great results using fluorescent grow bulbs that are 4’ in length and work in a shop work light. They are very inexpensive. LED bulbs will last a lot longer but cost a lot more. When setting the light above the plants, I recommend the light be about 8” above the highest plant. You will need to watch your plants daily and keep moving the light up as the plants grow. The plants will require 10-12 hours of light per day. If you plan to start your seeds inside, I recommend that most of the light be given to the plants during daylight hours because the grow lights are extremely bright.

One last thing to remember, your plants will soak up water from the garden tray, so be sure there is always a little water in the bottom.