If indulging in homegrown tomatoes is the goal, then starting tomatoes from seed is the best way to get there. Starting tomato seeds indoors allows you to control the earliest moments of your tomato plant’s life.

Healthy, happy seedlings do better at transplanting and yield a better crop. Store bought plants may have been mislabeled, treated with chemicals, or stressed and this can really affect the results you get at home.

Growing Tomatoes From Seeds

Tomatoes are actually not hard to start from seed, but there are a few tricks of the trade that can help you get better results.

So in this article, we’ll go over:

● The ideal conditions for germinating tomato seeds
● How to take care of tomato seedlings in their first weeks of life
● Answers to common questions about starting tomato seeds

Before you get ready to start your tomato seeds, you first must choose some tomato varieties for your garden. Not all tomatoes are created equal, so it’s good to do your research before your pick among the thousands of choices.

When To Start Tomato Seeds

You’re shooting for 4-6 weeks before your last frost. You can start them earlier, but any less than 4 weeks and you might not have enough season to get fruit off your plants.

If you’re new to gardening, using seed starting calculators is super helpful. But if you’ve been gardening a while and know your approximate frost dates, start your plants 1-2 months prior to your last spring frost.

For example, in our area of Georgia, we start planting in April. So I know we need to have our tomatoes going by March. My sister lives in New Jersey where the last frost can come as late as mid May. So all of her tomato seeds should be planted starting in April.

What You Need To Grow Tomatoes From Seed

First things first, make sure you have all your supplies. You don’t need any special equipment here, but investing in some basic seed starting supplies definitely helps improve your results.

Recommended supplies:
● Seeds
● Germinating mix
● Containers + dome lid or plastic bag
● Labels
● Heat mat w/ thermometer (recommended, but not necessary)
● Shop light or grow light

How To Sprout Tomato Seeds

Step 1: Fill your container with premoistened germinating mix all the way to the top.

Especially if you’re using a soilless germinating mixture, wetting it down before you fill your containers makes sure that you get even moisture throughout.

Prevent air pockets (where roots can’t grow) by tapping your container to make sure soil settles into all the spaces. Top off with more germ mix if needed.

Step 2: Put seeds in the container

There’s not a real science to this, but you can do a few things to ensure the best results.

➤ Don’t set your seeds too deep. If you push your seeds too deep, they may have trouble popping out of the soil. I use my pointer finger to do this: up to the nail bed but not past the first knuckle.

➤ Don’t crowd them. It’s okay to put multiple seeds into your container, but if they’re too close the roots will get all tangled. You can always cut some out, but if you want to keep all your seedlings, make sure there’s enough space to separate them later.

➤ Do cover them lightly with germ mix or vermiculite.

Step 3: Label container

I recommend putting the variety name, number planted, and date planted.

Step 4: Soak them with water, then cover the container

Give your freshly planted seeds a healthy watering. You don’t want them swimming in soggy soil, but you do want to make sure they maintain some moisture.

Placing a dome lid over your tray or putting your tray in a bag will help keep the moisture in and slow drying.

Step 5: Set them on a heat mat

Here’s where the supplies you choose can make or break your results. To maintain temperature an ideal soil temperature of 80-85 degrees, you really need a heat mat.

If you do use a heat mat, make sure you get one with a thermometer so you can accurately control the soil temperature and not burn them up.

Just setting your seeds inside your house is probably warm enough but you can give them a boost by placing your seed tray on top of your refrigerator.

FYI: Don’t try to use a heating pad, they get way too hot and it’s really easy to cook your seeds and seedlings.

At cooler temperatures (75-80F), you can expect germination to be slower and less consistent-meaning some of your seeds may not sprout. Give them up to 10-14 days to sprout if you’re not using a heat source.

Step 6: Put up a light

Tomatoes don’t need light to germinate but hanging it on day one means it’s there as soon as that first seeding appears. Waiting to hang the light can lead to problems…namely long leggy stems.

You can use a regular shop light with a bright white bulb or buy a seedling specific grow light. Hang the shop light just a couple of inches above your seedling trays. If you’re using, bright LED grow lights you don’t want them quite as close.

Growing tomatoes from seed FAQs

How many tomato seeds per container?

This is up to you, but here’s my recommendation. If they are brand new seeds and you have a heat mat set up, you’ll probably get close to 100% germination. So plant exactly what you need plus maybe one or two more.

If the seeds are old, were saved at home not using fermentation, or if you don’t have a heat mat set up, plant a few extra just in case they don’t all come up.

If you plant extra seeds and they all pop, cut out the weakest sprouts and leave only what you need.

How long does it take for tomato seeds to sprout?

It will take as few as 2 and up to 10 days for your seeds to sprout.

Do I need to fertilize tomato seedlings?

Seedlings will need fertilizer once they are about 2 weeks old. We usually don’t fertilize until after we’ve transplanted them from the small cell seed starting trays.

Caring for tomato seedlings after they sprout

Once they sprout, continue to check on your seedlings daily. Sprouted tomato seedlings simply need water and light for the next week or two.

Keep them covered and on heat to facilitate sprouting and water when the top of the soil appears dry. After 10 or more days have passed (or when all the seeds sprout), you can remove the lid and pull them off the heat mat.

After your seeds have sprouted and are about two weeks old, you’re ready to move on to part two of growing tomatoes from seed: how to transplant your seedlings.

Questions about starting tomato seeds?

Cool. I’m on it! Leave me a comment or join my Facebook group to get help.

The post Growing Tomatoes From Seeds: The Complete Guide appeared first on You Should Grow.

These veggies spring to life within just a couple of days of planting which makes them a great place to start for kids and beginners.

Fast Sprouting Seeds For Kids And Beginners

When it comes to starting seeds, there are a lot of places where errors can be made. Especially when it comes to growing tomatoes and peppers, you need to know a little more about seed starting.

But some seeds are so ready to sprout, you hardly have to do anything. This guide will show you the easiest seeds to grow indoors and how to get started at the (absolute) beginners level.

Beginner Tips For Starting Seeds Indoors

There are two very important factors in starting seeds:

Water and temperature.

We all know that water is vital for plants to grow, but where many beginners fail is that they don’t get their soil to the right temperature for germination.

As most of us do not keep our home heated to high temperatures just for gardening, the way to get around the temperature issue is choosing the right seeds for sprouting.

So if you want to start your own garden seeds, start by choosing something that sprouts quickly and at normal room temperature. While starting things like tomatoes and peppers is not hard, they require warm soil to sprout. So if you don’t have a heat mat, you won’t get the best results.

The five seeds I recommend in this post are so easy that most of them can actually continue to grow on your kitchen counter! Some will need to be transplanted out in the garden, but others can be grown right in the container you start them in.

To get started growing indoors you need only need two things:

Seeds and either seed starting mix or potting soil.

If you’re using potting mix, open up the bag and sift or pick out as many of the sticks and clumps as you can. You will not need to do this if you use seed-starting mix, as it is a finer grain mix that makes it easier for seeds to sprout.

You’ll need to prepare a container for seeds to grow in. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy..it can be something you already own like a pie tin or take-out container…even an egg carton. Poke a few – not too many – holes in the bottom for drainage. Then use a second container as a tray to catch the water that leaks through.

Seeds can be easily found at your favorite online retailer or garden center.

Fast Sprouting Seeds to Grow Indoors

While many vegetables are easy to grow outdoors, these five seeds are perhaps the easiest to grow indoors. They are normally very inexpensive and easy to find and will allow you to enjoy your own bounty of home-grown food with little effort.

Lettuce

Lettuce is first on my list because it’s so quick and easy to sprout. It doesn’t require any special considerations and it will easily grow right on your kitchen counter.

Because lettuce seeds are so small, it’s very hard to seed them individually. So I like to take a pinch of seeds and sprinkle them in a line across the container. You could also grow lettuce microgreens in which case you would just cover the top of the soil with the seeds.

Lettuce can survive in as little as 4 hours of light, and will actually taste better when protected from the hottest sun. They prefer cooler weather, and many varieties will tolerate some frost.

Once they have sprouted up a bit, you can decide if you want to transition them and plant outside or continue to grow lettuce indoors. Transition them from indoors to outdoors gradually over 1-2 weeks if you’re planning to plant them outdoors.

That said, lettuce would also be quite happy to grow right on your kitchen counter. If you have a sunny window, that’s all you’ll need. If not, try a bright white bulb in a desk lamp or a countertop LED grow light.

Turnips and Radishes

Turnips and radishes are super easy to sprout and very low maintenance. I like turnips better because we like to eat the greens, but both are quite easy and fast to grow.

Like lettuce, turnip seeds are quite tiny so sprinkle them in rows or blocks as you prefer. Thin them as needed as they begin to grow. Both turnips and radishes are root crops, so be very very gentle if you’re transplanting into the garden.

In an appropriately sized larger container, you could easily grow these vegetables indoors. They’ll need a bit more light than lettuce, but a sunny window should do just fine. Feel free to snip and eat the greens or harvest the bulb.

Both lettuce and turnips are great plants to grow for microgreens, too.

Chives

Chives are a great herb to grow on your kitchen counter! They come up very quickly—it’ll only take 2-3 days for chives to sprout.

Additionally, they are quite happy at room temperature, just place it near a sunny window. Plus, as a bonus, you can eat the leaves as they grow. Just remember never to take more than 50% of the leaves.

If you decide to move the chives outdoors, you can use them as a decorative (edible!) border in the garden. Just wait until they are at least 2″ tall to move them outdoors.

Beans

Beans are so easy to sprout! In fact, your kids have probably brought some sprouted beans home from school, and if they haven’t, this is the perfect science experiment to do with a young child!

If you want to get started growing your own plants from seed, planting beans is a definite yes on the list of the easiest ones to grow. Move them outdoors after the last chance of frost.

Bush beans will grow just fine in a container, but pole beans need vertical space to sprawl and climb.

Brassicas: Bok choy, Broccoli, Kale

Brassicas like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale are one of my favorite types of vegetables. They’re beautiful and impressive plants that are quite easy to grow.

These seeds will sprout readily but the plants are usually too big to grow entirely indoors unless you have a nice indoor growing space. Some of the brassicas like bok choy are especially fast sprouting and simple.

In fact, there is a mini bok choy that is so cute and fast, it’s almost ready to harvest before you have time to transplant it! But if you choose to grow regular size brassicas, move them outdoors when they are a few inches tall to allow them to properly grow.

Ready to try growing your plants from seed?

Getting started can be a little intimidating, but these five plants are super easy to plant, grow, harvest and enjoy—from seed to plate. Just remember to keep them watered and give them light.

If you want more direction, consider this seed starting guide. Either way, have fun and enjoy the magic of gardening!

The post 5 Fast Sprouting Seeds To Grow (For Kids + Beginners) appeared first on You Should Grow.

These easy to grow vegetable seeds are great choices when you’re gardening with kids. They love to see a plant growing up from a little seed they set in the ground.

 

Easy Warm Season Crops To Grow

Plant these seeds after the last chance of frost has passed.

Herbs

Most herbs can be grown from seed in the garden. I’ve had success growing basil, chives, cilantro, and dill direct seeded when the soil is at least 70 degrees.

Dig a little trench about half an inch deep and sprinkle seeds in rows or squares. Then cover with compost and keep watered. It is reasonable to expect the herbs to harvestable in about a month.

Watch your herbs for signs of bolting. They should be harvested before they go to flower for the best flavor. You can prune flowering limbs to stay ahead of bolting, but you can only delay it a little bit. When they do bolt, just let them go and save the seed for next year.

Squash and zucchini

Squash and zucchini are very large plants. Technically zucchini is squash, and the plants look identical except for the fruit.

These big beautiful plants need to be planted at least 18 inches apart. They will be crowded even then, but, if gardening space is tight, they can live this close to each other.

Be aware that in crowded environments, getting a good harvest will require diligent pest and disease control.

To set in the ground, drag out rows about two inches deep, drop the seeds, then cover with dirt or compost. Fertilize once or twice as needed. Many summer squashes are bush types, but winter squash and pumpkins are sprawling vines so provide loooots of space accordingly.

Squash plants tend to get overcome by squash bugs in our garden. I really dislike squash bugs. They are so nasty!

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are a climbing vine and grow up any trellis, very nicely. They are easy to grow, love the sun, and there are a ton of varieties! Try something different like the lemon cuke which looks like a lemon, but tastes like a cucumber. For us, cucumbers are great to have in the garden for fresh eating. Eating a cool cuke in the shade is always refreshing when you’ve been working in the heat.

For starting from seed, they are not very different from squash or watermelons. Speaking of watermelons..

Watermelons

Mmmm! Watermelons are one of my favorite things about summer!  Every summer I wait and wait and wait for what seems like forever before these fruits are ready to harvest! In the south, watermelons are easy to grow because they love the heat, but in cooler climates it may be more difficult because of their long time to harvest.

Give them 3-4 months to mature and at least six feet between plants as the vines are very large and will take over your yard.

Some gardeners recommend pinching off all but one or two flowers to make larger, sweeter fruit. We usually let them grow because we are greedy and want to eat all the watermelons. You do how you like to do.

 

Okra!

When you plant your okra, check your seed pack for spacing, some okra plants are over 10 feet tall whereas others are only 3.

Okra loves heat and is one of the few veggies that will live all summer long and keep producing until frost in hot, humid conditions. Once these babies start producing, you are going to be picking okra Every. Single. Day.

Early in the season, larger okra pods can be harvested. However, as it gets hotter, they become woody as they grow so harvest them young. When they get over-ripe, they are fibrous and inedible. We let the woody pods go on the stalk and harvest them for seed at the end of summer.

 

Beans

There are two types of bean plants: bush beans and pole beans. Bush beans are smaller and grow like bushes. Pole beans are vines and best grown on a trellis or support of some kind as the vines can get 8 or more feet long.

Traditional green beans are harvested while the pods are still young. Soup beans are harvested after the pods are matured and dried. Check your seed packs for specific information on your variety.

We like to plant both bush and pole beans. For classic green bean flavor, pick Blue Lake bush beans. We also like Top Crop for easy picking.  Pole beans are later to develop than bush beans, and they keep on giving after the bush beans tire out. Try the heirloom Rattlesnake for pretty speckled beans.

Corn

It’s very important to commit at least an 8×8 foot area for your corn. Corn grows best when planted in four rows of four is for adequate pollination. Whether sixteen seems like a little or a lot depends on your garden goals. Each corn stalk will only supply one to two ears of corn.

So it’s easy to see that it can take a lot of space if yearlong homegrown corn is the goal.  On our farm, Silver Queen earns a top spot for most delicious to eat fresh. So, so sweet and yummy! It’s like candy, y’all!

Our daughter once ate a whole ear of raw corn! Being able to eat really fresh produce is something I missed out on as a child, and I’m so glad our kiddos get to enjoy our garden.

Easy to grow cool season crops

The following plants do better when the weather doesn’t get too hot.

Carrots

Carrots need to be set out a month before your last frost and actually taste much better when grown through a couple of frosts.

We grow ours in raised beds where we can control the soil since our soil is mostly Georgia red clay. For nice big carrots, clear the growing area of stones and till deeply to ensure healthy roots (=carrot).

Be careful using manure as it will cause them to fork or grow legs. Rocky soil will also do that. They are ready to harvest about three months after planting, but a fall crop can be left in the ground over winter as long as the ground does not freeze.

On the other hand, many varieties will develop a hard pithy core if left unharvested during hot dry periods of summer.

Beets

Beets like to live in cool, fertile, slightly acidic soil. Start them as soon as you can work the soil after winter.

They love the cold weather so get these guys in the ground early. Beets are super cool to grow with kids, too, because there are so many beautiful colors!

For root crops, don’t apply heavy nitrogen-based fertilizers. Give them more phosphorous to get bigger bulbs. All parts of the beet are edible fresh or cooked. Beet greens are quite delicious, but pickled beets are one of my favorites!

Turnips

Growing turnips is very satisfying. Grown in early spring and in fall, they come up quickly and grow like the dickens! They like cool weather and should be harvested young. I like the classic bicolored purple top turnips in our garden. We plant them for the greens so we sow them very close together. Thin them out to 4 inches between plants for bigger bulbs.

Radishes

Radishes are another satisfying crop in the garden. They are fast growing, and I love their bright color! Their peppery flavor is nice pickled or sliced thinly in a salad, but I recently learned that fried radishes are the bomb. I’m definitely going to have to try that. I don’t know why I haven’t tried it before! I’m southern. I know that fried is the best way to eat things!

Chard

Chard is a cool season crop grown in early spring and again in fall. Most varieties will even tolerate some frost. It’s really easy to grow when direct seeded in the garden. Plant them about 1/2 inch into the soil and water. It’s really that simple. In warm climates, choose an area that gets some afternoon sun.

Harvest chard when you are ready to eat it. Young leaves are more tender and sweet. Many varieties can be harvested as soon as 4 weeks after seeding. I love growing rainbow chard in our garden. The colors are so striking!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BL67WcbhY2U/?taken-by=laura.ysg

Lettuce

Lettuce is very, very easy to grow and will tolerate some shade. The only trick to lettuce is to protect it from heat which encourages bolting and an unpleasant bitter flavor. Grow lettuce in the early spring and again in fall. Sowing a new

To grow lettuce, scatter seeds in the desired area, row, or pattern then cover with about half an inch of soil and keep moist. In hot climates grow in an area where the plants will get afternoon shade.

Lettuce is best harvested young as the leaves will become bitter and unpleasant as they get older.  As long as you have cool weather, sow a new crop every two weeks to keep the fresh salad eating going!

Spinach

Spinach is grown very much like lettuce. It appreciates a cool weather, tolerates some shade, and grows very quickly. Grow your spinach in early spring and again in fall. Starting a new crop every 2 weeks will extend your harvest. Garden fresh spinach is one of the veggies that you should try growing even if you’ve never liked it before. It really does taste better.

What are the easiest plants to grow from seed in your garden?

Share your experience in the comments below!

The post 14 Vegetables That Are Easy To Grow From Seed appeared first on You Should Grow.

I know I was overwhelmed the first few times! There are literally thousands of tomato varieties that you can choose from, so it helps to understand where, how, and why you’re growing before you start looking through seed catalogs.

Some tomato plant varieties work better in certain situations, so choosing poorly can really ruin your gardening experience. The goal of this post is to help you understand which types of tomato plants will grow best in your garden so you can choose wisely when navigating the sea of options in seed catalogs.

When it comes to choosing the best type of tomato for your garden you should first consider the following things.

Number 1: Where do you grow?

Your climate is the first factor to consider when choosing a tomato.

• How long is your growing season?

Most of us have plenty of time to grow ripe tomatoes in our garden, but if you’re in zones 3 or 4 in the US, then you should focus on early ripening varieties.

You can enter your zip code in here and find out how many days are in your growing season.

In the great big tomato list, I have gathered a list of many tomato varieties that we have grown and arranged them by average time to maturity. Time to maturity is a number of days that is usually noted on the variety listing.

This number represents how many days from transplanting into your garden until you have a ripe tomato. It’s not the number of days from seed to fruit.

The time to maturity should be less than or equal to the length of your growing season.

• What are your summers like?

Even though we can go through periods of drought, our summers tend to be hot and steamy. Lots of tomatoes, for example, most dwarf varieties, struggle in that kind of heat and humidity.

• Are tomato diseases common in your area?

In the south, we have better results with Fusarium wilt resistant tomato varieties. In the north, you’ll need Verticillium wilt resistant varieties.

If you’re not sure about disease and weather pressures where you live, talk to friends & neighbors or your local botanical garden, community garden, or gardening clubs.

Never be afraid to try a variety of tomato in your garden, but if you’re depending on it for food make sure you have some tomatoes that you know will do well so you don’t go hungry.

Number 2: How will you grow your tomatoes?

Thinking about how you will grow your plants will lean you in a certain direction for especially when considering the growth habit of a tomato variety you want to grow. In terms of size, there is a lot of variability when it comes to tomato plants.

Most tomatoes are giant sprawling vines, but some are compact or even bushy. There are even tiny tomato plants that could grow in your windowsill. So the growth habit of the tomato you choose has a lot to do with success or failure in the garden.

Learn the difference between determinate and indeterminate tomatoes.

Number 3: What is your preference for eating tomatoes?

The final consideration when choosing a tomato is how you like to eat them.

If you prefer sweet snacking tomatoes, then cherry tomatoes should be on your grow list. Cherry tomatoes are also the easiest tomatoes to grow because they produce like crazy and are very tolerant to neglect and stress.

If you’re dreaming of fresh tomato sandwiches, you want a slicing tomato. Slicing tomatoes are larger tomatoes that are generally round and perfect for making big slices for sandwiches and salads. They have a large variety of flavor but are not usually as sweet as cherry tomatoes.

Beefsteak tomatoes are large tomatoes with a slightly flattened bottom. They often have some lumpy shoulders and several small seed cavities.

For making salsa and sauces, paste tomatoes are the best option. Paste tomatoes have less juice and seeds which makes them easier to reduce down when cooking. Here are some of the easiest paste tomatoes to grow.

There are lots of slicing tomatoes that are meatier and less juicy, but not as meaty as traditional paste tomatoes. For some people like us, paste tomatoes can give you more trouble with blossom end rot. So have a backup for preserving when you’re trying out a new variety.

Other considerations

Leaf type

You’ll see tomatoes described as regular leaf and potato leaf. Potato leaf is a naturally occurring mutation that causes the edges of tomato leaves to smooth out and look more like potato leaves.

With the increase of dwarf varieties, you may also see reference to rugose leaves. This describes a bubbly or crinkled appearance to the leaves.

There are also many variations on the two that are described as wispy, frilly, and wild-type leaves. The leaf type does not affect plant growth or fruit flavor, but I wanted to describe them so you understand what they are when you’re looking through seed catalogs.

Heirloom tomato varieties

The term heirloom has no set definition in the world of tomatoes. It may refer to a heritage variety that has been grown and passed down for many generations. However, it often simply means the tomato is open-pollinated (i.e. not a hybrid).

If saving seed is your priority, choose open-pollinated varieties.

Hybrid tomato varieties

Hybrid tomatoes are simply mixed breed tomatoes. F1 seed is saved from the fruit of a flower that was pollinated by a different variety of tomato.

So seeds sold as hybrid F1 varieties are the first generation of a breeding between two different tomato types.

Hybrid tomatoes are often more hardy and disease resistant, produce more uniform tomatoes, and can have improved flavor. The only concern over hybrid tomatoes is if you’re depending on saved seed for your garden from year to year.

Learn more about heirloom tomatoes vs hybrids and GMOs.

Many people say you can’t save seed from hybrid plants, but this is not exactly correct.

The fruit from hybrid tomatoes makes viable seeds. It’s just that the tomato that grows from saved seed won’t be like the parent plant. You won’t be able to predict whether the next generation will produce or taste up to your standards.

There are 2 reasons to save seed from hybrid tomatoes:

1. You are curious about growing out subsequent generations from an F1 hybrid plant.
2. It’s the end of the world and any saved seed is better than none.

Disease resistance

It’s a good idea to think about disease resistance even if you’ve never grown tomatoes in your garden before. Some diseases of tomatoes can live in the soil for many years and be stimulated to flare up by the introduction of tomatoes into the garden.

Remember that disease resistant tomatoes are not immune to the disease, just resistant.

That means you’ll likely be able to get ripe fruit despite evidence of disease on the plant.

Most gardeners will benefit from growing VFN resistant tomato varieties. These tomatoes are resistant to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and nematodes which are very prevalent in the United States and can cause significant crop loss.

In areas where your growing season is characterized by cool & damp conditions, grow late blight resistant varieties.

Warm and damp conditions, on the other hand, favor early blight and septoria.

Disease prevalence can vary a lot within a geographical area so your best source for learning about potential disease pressures in your garden are your friends and neighbors.

Ways fruit size and color might affect your choice

The size of the fruit could affect your decision to grow a particular variety. For some people a 4 oz tomato is an awkward size. It’s a bit small for slicing, but too big to pop in your mouth for a snack.

However, it’s great for chopped tomatoes in a salad or sliced and salted to go with breakfast.

Conversely, tomatoes that are consistently 16 oz or larger are very large tomatoes that are great for making big batches of salsa, but leave you with a lot of tomato left over if you only need a couple of slices for your burger.

Color

There isn’t any hard and fast rule about tomato flavor and color. But based on my experience, below are my opinions of how color can affect flavor.

My recommendation is to try different colors and varieties any time you have an opportunity so you can make your own decisions about what you like as ‘tasting good’ can vary a lot from person to person.

Tomatoes with high acidity are more tart. Sweeter tomatoes are usually less acidic. But flavor is not as simple as low or high acidity, it’s a combination of aroma, dissolved solids, and flavonoids within the tomato. So a ‘low-acid taste’ does not mean the tomato is actually low acid.

With the exception of blue, striping usually does not affect the flavor of the tomato. The fruit will still be primarily one of the colors below.

Red tomatoes: flavor runs the gamut from mild and watery to rich and meaty. Some red tomatoes taste like tomato sauce and others are sweet like candy.

Green when ripe tomatoes: Tendency toward tartness, can be very mild to intensely tart. Some varieties stand out for balanced tart and sweetness.

Yellow/Orange: I am putting yellow-orange as one color because often tomatoes that look orange are called yellow. I really like the flavor of a yellow-orange tomato. They tend to be a milder, low acid version of the classic tomato flavor although I have had some that are very sweet.

White: Many white tomatoes are bland, but some are surprisingly sweet. It’s very dependent on variety.

Black/Brown/Purple: Black or purple varieties tend to be very flavorful with a generous balance of acidity, sweet, and tart.

Blue: Even just blue striping can affect the flavor due to the anthocyanin that causes the blue coloring. The bitterness is more obvious in some varieties than others, and if it stands out for flavor the description in your seed catalog will likely mention it.

Other factors that affect flavor

Environment: More sun means better tasting tomatoes. This is why early ripening tomatoes are usually less tasty. They ripen during shorter cooler days. Healthier soil makes for healthier plants and therefore, tastier tomatoes. Overwatering can also cause diluted flavor.

Growth habit: More leaves means more chlorophyll which takes up energy from the sun and converts it into food for the plant. And that means tastier tomatoes for us. Indeterminates and dwarf tomatoes have a higher leaf to fruit ratio, so they tend to have more flavor as compared to determinate plants.

Summary

1. 1. Know the length of your growing season and choose appropriately.
   2. Sway toward a growth habit that is appropriate for your growing method.
   3. Choose the type of fruit most appropriate for your eating habits.
   4. Narrow based on color or taste preference.
   5. If you have a long growing season, think about adding in an early variety (+/- determinate) for two crops of tomatoes.
   6. If you have space, try something different. You’ll never know what you’re missing if you don’t grow it!

Next steps:

• Starting a vegetable garden from scratch
• How to start seeds
• 5 tomatoes you should grow

Now I must know…what is your favorite tomato variety to grow?

Leave me a comment below!

The post How To Choose The Best Tomato Varieties For Your Garden appeared first on You Should Grow.

Sure you can just buy some plants and stick them in the ground. Sometimes that works out quite well! But it helps to have a plan and think about what will really grow well for you.

To help you with start your garden from scratch, this post will go over

1. Determining the best location for your garden
2. Understanding the pros and cons of gardening directly in the soil, in raised beds, or in containers.
3. Narrowing down which plants to include in your vegetable garden

To help you with planning a vegetable garden, make sure you grab your free copy of my ebook that will help you choose which vegetables, fruits, and herbs you should grow.

How to start a vegetable and herb garden from scratch

Step 1: Choosing the best location for your garden

Making sure you choose the right location is the most important factor in planning your first garden. And getting to pick the best location is a major benefit of starting a vegetable and herb garden from scratch.

The first thing to think about is how much sun your garden will get.

Consider the sun

For most vegetables, you want a location that gets 6-8 hours of sun per day. Keep in mind that not getting enough sunlight will limit your tomato crop. You can still grow tomatoes though, and I’ll help you with that in future lessons.

You can always use mirrors or white walls to reflect some sunlight back onto your tomatoes as well. Even though it doesn’t seem like much, it can make a big difference.

If there are multiple structures around your garden (houses/sheds) make sure you are accounting for the effect they’ll have on shade and sun in your garden.

• Will trees, houses, or other structures block the morning sun?
  • You might choose another location if possible.
• What about the afternoon sun?
  • How long will they be in the shade?
  • Some afternoon shade is okay if you have hot summers.
  • However, if you have a short cool growing season, you probably don’t want afternoon shade on your plants.

Learn about sun-mapping for planning your garden

The sunniest location might also be your driest, so make sure it will be easy to get water to your plants. However, if your sunniest location is the lowest point of your yard and tends to stay soggy, then you might want to choose to grow your vegetables in containers.

What about rain?

Avoid placing your tomato plants under a gutter or eave where they will get splashed during heavy rain. Too much water is a bad thing for your tomato plants. The roots can get bogged down and rot, and the splattering of soil onto your tomato’s leaves can expose them to disease.

How will you water your plants? 

When you’re choosing a location for your garden, don’t forget to think about how easy it will be to get water to your veggies.

Tomatoes grow best with deep watering at their base. This means leaving your water on for 10-30 minutes once every 3-7 days. It’s harder to achieve optimal water application if you’re watering by hand.

They are more prone to disease problems when you water them from overhead, so spraying them with a hose or sprinkler is not recommended. It’s better than letting them die from dehydration, though.

If possible, install an irrigation system to apply water around the base of your plants. Using this method will not just benefit your tomatoes, all food-producing veggies will do better this way.

Adding drip irrigation to your garden is not as scary as it sounds. It can be as simple as laying out a flat soaker hose (like this) and covering it with a couple of inches of mulch like straw.

The trick to using soaker hoses is to make sure you don’t turn your water pressure on too high. You can easily blow out the hose and cause a mess. You’ll also need to leave this hose on for quite a long time since the water slowly leaks out along the length of the hose. Using a soaker hose, you should leave your water on for a few hours especially when it’s hot in the summer.

What about wind?

If your area is prone to summer storms, think about how strong gusts of wind will affect your tomato plants. Tomatoes will do okay with occasional storms, but daily wind can cause blossoms to fall off, stress plants, and severe storms can even strip off leaves.

When you’ve been on your property for a few years, you’ll start to notice areas that get the most vicious gusts of wind during storms. You want to avoid those areas.

If wind is unavoidable, you can wrap your plants in Agribon or other landscaping cloth to help diffuse the wind, and sprawling plants not restricted to cages or stakes are more resistant to wind issues.

Step 2: Will you garden directly in the soil, in raised beds, or in containers?

All three options are perfect for a new vegetable garden.

You might choose to garden directly in the soil if:

• • You have no known history of fungal disease in your garden
  • You have soft fertile soil that hasn’t been gardened for a long time
  • You want a very large garden

Pros of gardening in the soil:

• Lower cost
• Retains water and nutrients
• No restriction of root growth

Cons of gardening in the soil

• Weeds
• Can harbor pests and disease
• May need to perform soil tests

You might choose to grow in raised beds if:

• You have dense or compacted soil that is difficult to work in
• You are starting a brand new garden bed on top of grass or weeds
• You have physical restrictions that make bending over difficult. You can always build a raised garden bed up to a comfortable height for you.

Pros of growing raised beds:

• Can be constructed almost anywhere
• Can be easier on the back and knees
• Easy to place on top of the current landscape

Cons of growing in raised beds:

• Weeds can invade
• Limits space to add more plants
• Can be costly to set up (here are some affordable raised bed options)

You might choose to grow in containers if:

• Your sunniest location is on a patio
• You have limited outdoor space or no soil (apartment, condo, etc)
• You only want to grow one or two plants
• You struggle with weeds in your in-ground or raised bed garden

The post How To Start A Vegetable And Herb Garden From Scratch appeared first on You Should Grow.

For complete instructions for starting seeds, get the seed starting guide.

But what do you do if your seeds don’t germinate?

When seeds don’t sprout, you should always take time to evaluate what happened. So I thought it would be helpful to talk about the most common reasons you might have seed germination problems.

Some years our germination is a little patchy, and occasionally whole rows of seedlings will not germinate. It is important to keep up with our germination rate to evaluate our technique and seed health.

For us, a minimum acceptable germination rate is when at least 80% of our seeds sprout. But ideally, 100% of our seeds come up, so anything less than 80 or even 90% germination rate, and we start looking at what went wrong.

Easily keep track of your germination rate with these garden worksheets.

Learn the 5 fatal mistakes for germinating seeds

When vegetable seeds are not germinating, there are a few common problems that you should look for.

1. You used old seeds

The first thing to consider is whether the seeds were viable in the first place. If your seeds have not sprouted within the appropriate number days (this will depend on your seeds), then you may want to consider using a pen or pencil to gently dig around in your soil and find the seed.

• If you don’t find the seed, think back. Did you forget to put the seeds into the mix? Don’t laugh! It could happen!
• If you find the seed, take a good look at it. You may see that it looks just the way it did when you put it in the soil.  In this case, the cause for a low germination rate might be that it was an old seed or not properly stored.

If you have some old seeds and are unsure of whether your seeds were viable, you can always sprout a couple of them in a wet paper towel to check prior to planting.

For new seeds or seeds you saved last year:

• When you saved seed, did you put them away without letting them dry completely? This can cause seeds to rot or mold.
• Were they exposed to extreme temperatures during storage? For example, if you left seed packs in your car over the summer. High temperatures over 90 can kill the plant inside the seed.
• Was the parent plant healthy? Seeds can harbor infection from the parent plant that may prevent sprouting, however, this is not usually the case.

2. You didn’t use new or sterilized containers

Disease issues can be a factor in seed germination. Think back to last year and whether you had any disease issues with your seedlings.

• Most plastic containers can be reused for several years, but they need to be sanitized.

We clean ours by submerging them in bleach water at the beginning of the season.

If you are looking for a bleach alternative, try the environmentally friendly options that use hydrogen peroxide as their active ingredient.

Fungal and mold infections are the most common infection from dirty containers.  If infection occurs you will notice a fuzzy growth on the top of the planting medium.

• You may also see that a seed sprouts, but then rots at its base and falls over.

This is called damping off and is caused by a funal infection in your soil. A hydrogen peroxide or colloidal silver solution can help treat fungal disease on your tender plants.

3. Your technique is not right

• If you started seeds in any mix that includes non-sterilized soil from the yard, your seeds may have been affected by disease organisms in the soil.

In order to use garden soil for starting seeds, you should sift it carefully to remove sticks and clumps. Then bake it on a cookie sheet in the oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. That should kill most weeds and pathogens.

You’re better off using a seed starting mix. Seed starting mix is usually a soiless mixture that has a finer grain and is free of clumps, sticks, and pathogens.

• Did you plant your seeds too deep?

Planting your seeds too deep can cause problems with sprouting. You should also avoid pressing down on top of your seeds after you plant them. If the soil in your container is too compacted, the seeds cannot sprout or form healthy roots.

4. You didn’t provide the correct temperature

The temperature of your soil is of utmost importance in getting good seed germination.

• Temperatures that are too high or too low can cause problems with germinating seeds.

Given all else is equal, even tray germination requires even temperatures.  If temperatures plunge at night, or peak over 100 for a prolonged period, seeds will either remain dormant or die.

• Did you leave the heat mat too high or too low?

Even when using seed-starting heat mats, accidents happen.  If you forget to put the temperature probe into the seed tray, the heat mat can overheat and cook the seeds.

Sometimes heat mats get accidentally turn off, or you forget to plug them in.

An alternative to the heat mat is to put them in a sunny south facing window or on top of the refrigerator.  You can also use grow lights to provide heat above, and I have even seen people use rope lights to generate warmth.

5. You watered incorrectly

Seeds need to be moderately moist to sprout.

• Seed germination is highly dependent on watering. Too dry and they won’t get the message to sprout, too wet and they will rot in the dirt.

Very young seedlings are even more tender. Seedlings do best in what we call the “Goldilocks zone.” You know Goldilocks. She likes her porridge not too hot and not too cold, but juuust right.

• Tender seedling babies can’t tolerate drying out. While young, even a short dry period can mean death after the first wilt.

On the other hand, their tender roots will be the first victim of conditions being too wet.  They can’t get the oxygen they need to carry about their business, and it will stunt or kill the seedling.

What other problems have you had with germinating seeds?

If you’ve had troubles germinating seeds and this article didn’t answer your question, leave me a comment below. Let’s help you work out what’s going on.

The post 5 Fatal Mistakes For Germinating Seeds appeared first on You Should Grow.

So I made this list of must-have seed starting supplies to get you started. Also, read our step by step tutorial for starting seeds indoors.

1. Germinating Mix

Germinating mix is a soil mix with a very fine grain and no large clumps or sticks. The texture of seed starting mix is important for making sure that delicate seedlings can easily grow new roots.

I found this Jiffy seed starting mix at our local Walmart. It’s inexpensive and seems to work okay. It’s not my favorite brand, but it’s easy to find and better than using garden soil.

If you can only find garden soil, get a wire basket and sift out all of the big sticks and clumps.

2. Seed Starting Trays with Clear Dome Lid

For best results, we recommend using seed starting trays that come with a clear dome lid (like these). You don’t have to use lids, but they help retain moisture which is essential for good germination.

Beyond seed starting trays, there are many options for upcycled seed starting pots. Instead of a dome lid, you can put the seed starting pots inside a clear plastic bag to help retain heat and moisture.

3. Heat Mat and Thermometer

Utilizing a seed starting heat mat and attached thermometer will greatly improve your germination rate. It’s not a big investment in terms of money. It does take up a bit of space, but this heat mat and thermometer set require less than 3 square feet of space and costs under $30.

Use these Garden Planning Spreadsheets to find out when to start your seeds and help you keep track of your germination rate.

4. Seeds

My favorite place to get seeds is my garden. Seed saving is an excellent way to cultivate varieties that will perform best in your garden.

But if you’re just getting started, get heirloom seeds from Seeds for Generations, Baker Creek, and both heirloom and hybrid varieties at Johnny’s.

Here is some information about saving tomato seeds and heirloom vs hybrid seeds.

5. Labels

Don’t worry about having cute labels at this point, just make sure you have something to note what you planted. I like these plain white labels in packs of 100 for under $7.

I also LOVE this idea for using aluminum tape!

When your seedlings are ready to go out into the garden, you can switch out for some really cute garden markers.

6. Shelving

I recommend adjustable wire shelving for seed starting. The adjustable height allows you to customize your set up, and the wire shelving makes it easy to hang lights overhead. The smaller sizes are not very expensive starting at under $25.

7. Lights

You don’t need to invest in a fancy grow light to start seedlings. In fact, a simple fluorescent light with bright white bulb will work just fine.

I do think these light hangers are worth the investment. They make hanging and adjusting your light super simple.

Don’t try to skip this step. Not having a dedicated light source for your seedlings is sure to lead to flimsy stems and weak plants in the long run. You can even find small desk lamps that will work for starting seedlings.

This LED light bulb will fit into a regular light socket so you can use it with any lamp you already own. Plus, read all the great reviews of this product on Amazon.

Don’t forget to read through our step by step tutorials for seed starting and transplanting seedlings to help you get started.

And we’d love to have you join us in our Facebook group where you can share pics of your seedlings and get advice from fellow gardeners.

Join the Facebook group here!

The post Must Have Supplies For Seed Starting appeared first on You Should Grow.

But I moved out to my husband’s farm and was forced to face my seed starting fears head-on. And it turns out that seed starting is really not that difficult. You can do it, and I’ll show you how.

Starting your vegetable garden indoors a few weeks before your planting date is the best way to germinate seeds for a healthy garden later. Here are step by step directions to starting seeds indoors.

Step One: Gather seed starting supplies

1.Seed starting mix

It is of utmost importance that you use a fine grain seed starting mix, aka germinating mix, to start your seeds. Potting soil and garden soil are too dense and contain sticks and debris that you don’t want when you’re starting seeds.

Germinating mix is usually available at garden centers, but can be hard to find if it’s not early spring. Learn to make your own seed starting mix in my book, Seed Starting For Beginners.

 

2. Seed Starting Containers

We use multi-cell seed starting trays (like this) with clear dome lids which are great for starting 50-100 seeds at a time. If you’re not ready to do that many at one time, there are many kits to accommodate smaller quantities.

If you’re just doing a handful of seeds, try one of these 10 Ideas for Upcycled Seed Starting Pots.

For a home gardener, the best seed starting kit includes the plastic cells, a tray they sit in, and the dome which traps heat and moisture. Here is a good option that includes all of that plus a heat mat which I will talk later in this post.

3. Labels

Before you start planting, make sure you have a way to label your seed starting containers. All the little seedlings are going to look the same, and if you have any plans to save seed you need to know the name of the variety you planted.

You can use a popsicle stick, plastic fork, or even cut off a piece from some old mini blinds. Just choose something small and waterproof.

This is not the time for the cute labels. You’ll use something prettier when you plant it out.

Check out these great ideas for garden markers to use in your vegetable garden.

Unless you’re only planting one variety or one type of plant, you won’t remember what was planted where if you don’t label your seed starting tray.

4. Seeds

Hopefully, soon, you’ll be saving your own seeds, but for any you don’t have, choose your favorite seed supplier.

I love Seeds for Generations, Baker Creek and Johnny’s, but there are tons of seed suppliers out there. Hey, even Wal-mart has seeds.

Don’t worry too much about which seeds you choose. Yes, there are differences between heirlooms and hybrids, but both should be welcome in your garden.

As a home gardener, you can not buy GMO seeds from seed suppliers. They are only available for sale, usually in bulk, from the manufacturer of the seeds and you have to buy a license to use them.

So don’t worry that you will accidentally grow GMO produce if you don’t buy organic seeds.

Learn more about the difference between heirlooms, hybrids, and GMOs.

Want suggestions on what to grow? 

5 Tomatoes You Should Grow

Tiny Veggies To Grow This Spring

Veggies That Stand Out At Farmer’s Market

5. Heat

One of the most common reasons for seeds to fail to germinate is not having your soil at the right temperature.

Your seeds need to be warm and cozy if you are going to coax the little baby plant out of them. Appropriate germination temperatures vary by type of plant, so check your seed packet for ideal germination temps.

We use these garden planning spreadsheets which tell you the date and the temp to start your seeds.

The best way to keep them at the right temp is to put them on a seed starting heat mat with a thermostat.  This is not the same thing as a heating pad. Don’t use a heating pad.

You can purchase a heat mat with a thermostat on Amazon for around $20.

In a pinch, you can rest your seedling tray on top of your refrigerator. This should get you pretty close to the right temperature for germination for tomatoes and peppers. But, just in case, I would plant a few extra since you can’t regulate the temperature very well up there.

Step Two: get the seed starting mix into your trays

Pro tip: Water the germ mix before you fill the trays.

Damp germ mix is easier to work with, fills your containers more evenly, and prevents dry patches in the cell.

You’ve got the right amount of moisture when you squeeze the germ mix in your hand and it holds its shape but is not soggy.

To get the damp germ mix in the tray cells, spread the dirt loosely on top until all cells are filled. Don’t force the mix into the cells, you don’t want the soil tightly packed in the trays.

Here we have five trays ready to plant. In the image above, my husband is dibbling which just means poking holes in each cell for the seeds. He’s actually using an old nail head, but a pencil or pen is just the right size, too.

Let the kids use their fingers or just grab whatever is around you.

It is not necessary to dibble before starting seeds. You can also rest the seed on top and then push gently on it with your finger to set it in. However, if you are working outside on a windy day, we recommend you dibble then drop and not the other way around.

Step Three: label then plant seeds

I recommend labeling your tray before you start putting in seeds and working one variety at a time.

It is very important to go in that order. If you get distracted and forget which seeds you have started or which cells they’re in, you could be in a mess later. Many seeds are very, very tiny, and it is possible that you won’t be able to see if you’ve already dropped the seed in the cell.

Step Four: cover seeds

When all seeds are safely poked into their new homes, cover lightly with loose germ mix or vermiculite.

Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined and shredded to form the product we use in the garden.  It is very light-weight and super absorbent. Seedlings easily push up and through vermiculite at germination.

Here’s a video we made that gives you the whole run down of seed starting.

 

When planting tomato seeds, we place one seed per cell.  There are some reasons you would plant more than one per cell. If you aren’t sure of the viability of your seeds or can’t control their temperature and hydration definitely plant 2 or 3 per cell.

If you plant more than one per cell, and they all sprout, you may need to pick the strongest sprout and pluck the others.

 

Look at these trays of basil plants. See how many tiny plants there are per cell?  With basil and many other herbs with tiny seeds, we sprinkle seed onto the germ mix and lightly cover with vermiculite.

As a side note, a lot of herbs do well when directly seeded into your garden, but make SURE the chance of frost has passed.

Take a look at this list of seeds that you can direct seed in your garden.

Step Five: water the seeds in

Once the seeds are safe in their new homes and cozy in their vermiculite blanket, water them well, but you don’t want them soggy.  They will rot or mold if there is too much water.

A gentle spray to wet the top of the soil is all you need.

Step Six: taking care of the seedlings

All you have to do is keep them warm and watered.  We recommend using a tray with a clear lid to trap moisture and retain heat.

Pro tip: place an oscillating fan near young seedlings. The gentle breeze helps them grow strong and sturdy stems and helps prevent leggy seedlings.

These trays are sitting on a 48″ heat mat and under two fluorescent grow lights.

Tomato and pepper seeds don’t need light to germinate. But the light provides some warmth, and they will need some light when the seed pops (pop=germinate=sprout) so you might as well go ahead and set them up.

You don’t need lights, you can use a window. However, seedlings grown in a window are prone to stretching which can create a flimsy, wimpy little stem.

Also, baby plants are very tender and fluctuations in temperature, as can happen in a window sill, can kill them. Investing in a heat mat and a light kit is really worth it. You’ll get a much higher germination rate and sturdier plants.

Sprouting tomato and pepper seeds

It will take 5-10 days for tomatoes to sprout, peppers can take up to 14 days, and most herbs will germinate after 5-7 days. Older seeds may take longer. Fresher seeds may be quicker.

Germination times and temps are included for many commonly grown food crops in the ultimate garden planning spreadsheets. They also calculate your germination rates so you can keep track of which plants are growing best for you.

If your seeds don’t come up, there are a few steps to figuring out what went wrong. Learn how to evaluate a low germination rate.

Seedlings are very tender, and they’ll need daily attention to keep them healthy.

Make sure you check on your seedlings every day. They are very susceptible to drying out, and they will die if you forget or ignore them. Make sure they are watered and warm and they’ll be fine.

I’m sure you have lots more questions like:

How long do the seedlings stay on the heat mat?

Remove the clear dome lid and turn the heat down or off once all the seeds have sprouted.

What if they outgrow the starter tray?

Transplant your young seedlings after they have their first set of ‘true’ leaves. That’s the second set of leaves that grow from your seedlings. Remove them gently and put them into their new homes. Choose a container that’s at least twice as big as your starter. We recommend transplanting into a 50:50 blend of germ mix and potting soil.

Learn how easy it is to transplant seedlings.

Do my seedlings need fertilizer?

Once your seeds have their first set of true leaves you can give them light fertilizer. Be careful to use something that is gentle and won’t over fertilize or burn them. We use a liquid organic fertilizer like this.

What is hardening off?

Hardening off is the process of setting your seedlings out in the sunlight for a few hours per day over several days. The purpose of hardening off is to acclimate your seedlings to direct sunlight.

If you’ve raised them indoors, they’ve been protected and direct sun can be harsh on their tender leaves. They’ll do better in your garden if you give them 4-7 days to harden off.

When should you plant them out?

This depends entirely on what you are planting. You should be able to find this information on your seed packet. It is also included in my garden planning spreadsheets.

How long until my seedlings produce food for me and my family?

It feels like forever, but really it takes about 3-4 months to get from seed to fruit. That is an excruciatingly long time, but oh the joy of your first tomato from the garden. It is a delight every single year.

A green tomato takes approximately 60-90 days to ripen on the plant.  Seed to tomato definitely takes 3 to 4 months.

Herbs like basil, cilantro, and thyme can be harvested for leaves at around 6-8 weeks or whenever they have enough leaves to spare a few.

Peppers take about 90-120 days from seed to produce ripe fruit.

Once you get the hang of starting your plants from seed, you’ll find it hard to go back to buying plants. You don’t get anywhere near the variety of options by buying plants from the nursery.

It’s so much less expensive, and it’s really not hard if you set yourself up for success by following these steps.

Ask me anything!

Leave me your seed starting questions in the comments below!

I’d love to help you overcome any hurdles to starting your own seeds for your vegetable garden.

The post Starting Your Vegetable Garden: The Best Way To Germinate Seeds appeared first on You Should Grow.

Growing food is an obsession addiction at our farm. We start our seeds in 128 cell seed starting trays (similar to these).

But what if you don’t want to start 50 or 100 tomatoes? What if you only need 6 or 12 plants for your garden? There are plenty of upcycled seed starting pots you can make for free!

A few tips before you get started with seed starting:

• Use a germination mix, not potting soil, for starting your seeds.
• Check your seed packets for germination temps. Many seeds will need your soil (germination mix) to be a good bit warmer than room temp to get the signal to germinate.
• Make sure your seedlings get watered regularly, but don’t over water and let them get soggy.
• Get my book to learn everything you need to know about seed starting

When it comes to making upcycled seeds starting pots, you can really use anything that is relatively shallow.  Two inches is a good depth. Think ahead and start to squirrel away anything that can hold a little dirt (germination mix) throughout the year.

1. Toilet paper rolls

Save all the toilet paper rolls! They can be used in so many ways on the homestead.

It’s super easy to upcycle toilet paper rolls into seed starting pots. Cut slits on one end, fold the tabs in to close the end, fill it with germination mix, and it’s ready to plant!

Learn to make fire starters with extra toilet paper rolls.

2. Berry containers

Berry containers make great seed starting pots. You can easily fit 4-6 seedlings in each container, and they have great drainage and come with built in clear lids!

Just fill with germination mix and plant. Super simple.

Need seeds? Get heirloom seeds from Seed for Generations.

3. Take out containers

Plastic or styrofoam takeout containers from restaurants are great for starting seeds.

If it’s not a clear plastic container, cut the lid off and use each side for seed starting. If it is clear, leave the lid on and use it to trap heat and moisture over your seedlings.

Lids can stay on for the first week or until all the seeds have sprouted.

4. Rotisserie chicken containers

I love, love, love this idea! Rotisserie chicken containers can be reused as a tray for tp rolls or newspaper pots or for planting directly in the tray.

The domed lid is excellent for trapping heat and moisture. If you don’t make holes in the bottom, water very cautiously so the seedlings don’t get soggy.

5. Paper or plastic cups

Any cup will do to make a seed starting pot! If the cup is very large, cut it down or only fill to about two inches deep. You’ll need an appropriate depth so the soil can get warm for the seeds to sprout.

Check out how Lisa uses yogurt containers for upcycled seed starting pots.

6. Eggshells and egg cartons

Another great option for upcycled seed starting pots, egg cartons and/or egg shells are the perfect size for tiny seedlings. Keep in mind that since these are pretty small, you’ll need to transplant your seedlings when they get true leaves.

For most plants, true leaves are the second set of leaves that appear. The first leaves are called cotyledons.

7. K-Cup pods

What to do with all those k-cup pods? Use them for starting seeds! They already have a little hole in the bottom, and they are a perfect size!

8. Milk and creamer cartons

Upcycling your milk cartons into seed starting pots is super simple. Just cut them down to an appropriate size and fill with seed starting mix.

See how Annie has reused the same cups for years.

9. Make your own newspaper pots

Newspaper can be folded around a mold and made into little pots!

Using a pot maker like this or one of your own design, a paper pot can be created very easily. Because the newspaper could get weak when wet, make sure you have your newspaper pots in a tray of some kind and handle them as little as possible.

10. Ice cube trays

This one requires a bit more work, but it’s a great idea to reuse old ice cube trays. You’ll need to drill a hole in the bottom of each ice cube mold.

The ice cube molds are very small, so these seedlings will also need to be transplanted to a larger container.

You can also use upcycled materials for transplanting containers. Check out these ideas for DIY transplanting containers.

Gardening should be a fun hobby, and it shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg! There are tons of ways you can upcycle and reuse things for your garden so you never have to waste.

If you’re looking for more frugal ways to enjoy gardening, check out these tips by my friend Lisa at Retro Housewife Goes Green.

What other ideas do you have for upcycled seed starting pots?

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The post 10 Free or Cheap Ideas For Upcycled Seed Starting Pots appeared first on You Should Grow.

My plants die all the time. Not all of them, obviously, but I lose some every year. By the end of the season, my garden starts to look a hot mess.

And on the farm…the weeds! Oh my gosh the weeds! If we miss more than a couple days of weeding, it can be hard to find our scraggly late summer tomato plants amongst them.

The reality is that I don’t really do anything special in the way that I garden.

So what’s at the heart of my gardening success then?

For one thing, I care a lot about my plants. When we start seeds, we check on them daily. And in the springtime, I don’t just stick some plants in the garden and come back in a few weeks to harvest veggies.

I actually have an emotional attachment to my plants. When they look happy and healthy, I feel happy. When they look sad, I worry and try to help them.

The best way to care for your plants is to spend some time with them.

Getting up close and personal with your plants is the best way to make sure you spot problems before they get out of control.

That all sounds simple enough, but it definitely helps that I have a few years of gardening under my belt. Each year I am more comfortable in my garden. I’m good at gardening only because I do it.  I keep at it every year, and I continue to learn how I can keep my plants healthy.

Care about your plants and make time to observe them and ensure they have what they need. 

But you’ve gotta have some success to want to keep doing it right?

Follow these easy tips for a successful garden.

Tip 1: Place your plants somewhere you will see them every day.

If you are just beginning, or are constrained by space, try your hand at gardening with some herbs in your windowsill or flowers on the front porch.

Choose your location wisely. If, for example, your back deck gets a lot of sun and would be a great place to garden, but you don’t have the habit of going out there every day, it will be easy to forget or neglect your plants.

Find another area where you can place some containers to grow your favorite herbs or veggies. If you have to walk past them every day, it’s hard not to notice if they need water or are covered with pests.

Tip 2: Take time every day to observe your plants

Once you have the plants right in front of you every day, take the time to really stop and look at them.

Observe their growing habit. Are they perky and bright green? If not they might need water or fertilizer.

Are they overcrowded or being suffocated by weeds? It is perfectly acceptable to pull out some plants if needed. And do not hesitate to remove weeds as you see them.

Overcrowded plants will not produce well. When pulling out plants or weeds by the roots, be careful not to disturb the roots of your plants too much. Using weeding tools that just scrape the surface may be more appropriate.

Do you see any pests or holes in the leaves? Pluck and squish any bugs or caterpillars you see. Apply organic insecticidal soap or spinosad if necessary.

If you see holes or chewed edges, check the stems and undersides of the leaves for caterpillars and beetles.

Hornworms can be difficult to spot but are the most likely culprit if you see your tomato has lost all its leaves. Look closely and you’ll probably find a big, fat, happy hornworm like this one! Once you find him, remove and squish.

Tip 3: Troubleshoot problems quickly

If your plants begin to look unhealthy, act quickly to address the source of the problem.

Check these four things first:

1. Look for pests and remove or treat as needed.

2. Make sure they have adequate water. Try to apply water at the base of your plants as opposed to sprinkling over the plant and leaves.

3. Pull or cut back any weeds that are crowding your plants.

4. Apply liquid fertilizer. Liquid organic fertilizer is the best and quickest way to feed your plants.

Even if you do nothing else, addressing these four issues should take care of most problems. Beyond the four listed concerns, plants can be affected by bacterial, viral, and fungal diseases.

If none of the above work, you can try applying copper fungicide to your plants, but often infected plants will need to be removed and sent to the landfill.

The love of gardening is the key to gardening success.

You have to love your plants and care for them. If they are showing signs of stress. Do something. At least try.

Don’t worry about what dies or didn’t work, learn from it. I promise they won’t all be failures. If you want to have a successful garden, you just have to grow something. The only way to fail is to stop trying.

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