- Introduction to Seed Starting: Kevin Espiritu from Epic Gardening introduces a new favorite seed starting method, emphasizing that there are numerous ways to start seeds, but he prefers a method ideal for small to mid-scale gardeners. The method utilizes modular micro cell trays, allowing for flexibility in planting different seeds with varying germination times.
- Tray Features: The trays are made of black recycled polypropylene, making them durable and heavy-duty. Each cell in the tray includes side cuts for better oxygen flow and root development, and the trays fit into a standard 1020 size propagation tray which is beneficial for managing moisture and preventing seedling diseases.
- Seed Starting Mix: Kevin recommends using a pre-made seed starting mix to avoid errors in mixing soil components. He uses Espoma Organic Seed Starter mix, which includes perlite, peat, and mycorrhizal fungal inoculants, enhancing seed germination and early plant growth.
- Seed Sowing Process: The method involves flexibility in sowing seeds, allowing gardeners to start with a few seeds per cell and add more if needed without compacting the soil too much. The trays enable easy removal and replacement of seedlings as they germinate at different rates.
- Practical Usage and Benefits: Kevin discusses the practical aspects of using the trays outdoors, detailing how to transplant seedlings from the trays to the garden. He emphasizes the benefits of modular trays for sequential planting and easy transplanting, which simplifies managing a garden's ongoing seed starting needs.
Video source: Epic Gardening / Youtube
Related posts:
VIDEO: How To Grow GARLIC from Start to Finish!
VIDEO: How to Grow Garlic | Simple Steps for HUGE Yields
VIDEO: Seed Saving Tips Episode 5 - Cuttings & Grafting Fruit Trees or Plants
VIDEO: Everything Stevia: Making the Best Stevia Extract Ever!
VIDEO: Inspirational Small-Scale Permaculture Homestead | Low Cost Self-Sufficiency on Less Than an ...
VIDEO: Growing Garlic in a Subtropical Climate
VIDEO: How to make Natural Fertilizer | Jadam Liquid Fertilizer
VIDEO: What to Start From Seed in February-- Zone 6
Love the new ceiling trees especially the strength
Thank you for the cleaning advice
Even better than recycled plastic for trays is cutting and using old ~20oz (600mL) bottles as the seed starting cells. Free (if you drink bottled liquid or get it from a neighbor) and sturdy. Unfortunately for the planet those bottles don’t tend to degrade or break easily, which makes them great for seedlings fortunately for the thrifty gardener.
Which trays are these? Dont u need one with a dome?
Kevin, you can just shaved off the outer green part of the stem on Chinese broccoli, and do the same thing with regular broccoli stem. Cut into small slices,and stir fry them.
That compression test on the 6 slot seed starters was unbelievable wow
Ah, here's the meat and potatoes of the garden, critical skills here.
Every time I soaked pea seeds overnight they rotted. Direct sowing worked 100% of the time for me.
Hi Kevin, I recently found your channel and you are a wealth of information! Thank you so much for sharing! I am a very new gardener. Last year I started my seeds in the house, then moved them to bigger pots still in the house. We have full sun in the front, so it was great, they did well. My husband purchased a greenhouse for us, and I moved them to it . They all did great, until an unexpected freeze, and I lost my tomatoes, which I chose to grow inside the greenhouse. We have quite a deer population here, and I just would love to get to the point of everything just inside the greenhouse. We have 8 acres in Georgia, I just don't want to put anything outside if possible. My question is, and this may be a stupid one, but everything will grow inside the greenhouse? Provided I know what I'm doing haha. Thank you again for all your information, which I much need. I know this is a learning process for sure! Thanks again
All the cool kids are soil-blocking these days! It's ok, I still love what you do 😀
20 dollars for a 6 cell tray is crazy!!
i always pre-wet seed starting mix, its so hard to get it watered the first time if you don't.
Next week I am starting 16 tomato plants. 12 for me & 4 for 2 neighbor ladies.
I use the double solo cup method. After 8 weeks, I'll deliver to the ladies the
plant starts in their solo cups, but mine will be transplanted into growbags. I
set my growbags in dishpans which I pour 2" of Miracle grow tomato food
mix 18-18-21 to bottom water.
!
Got ready for the yearly fungus gnats, used espoma seeding mix, no gnats so far on day 16!
Now remember kids don't play with you pea width!
Definitely buy them somewhere else unless you like the guy.
I went to your site to shop for the seed starting packs – get the message "Page Not Found". ??????????
Could you pre-moisten the seed starting mix? If yes, how wet should it be? My onions, lemongrass and rosemary seeds haven't germinated AT ALL. It's been about a month and a half :/
Wait. Could what i thought was mold actually be roots ???
3 years now battling cancer.
In so grateful to have found you a couple years ago.
Have watched many of your videos.
I was grading the backyard for a Chicken house build when I got my diagnosis 12/20/20.
Enjoyed seeing Matt come to see you for your chicken house.
By God's Grace, I will beat cancer.
Get the chickens and start that garden.
I'm 60. Divorced and have 2.5 acres in near Birmingham Al.
My son is 10.
I'm going to leave him some good things to know how to do that I hope he'll make his Lifestyle.
So silly question: but while seed starting, if we don't have a heat lamp can we keep it in a warm dark area until it grows more before placing outside?
not necessary to pre moisten starter mix before sowing? should you water seedling before and/or after transplanting?
$60 for basically a single 105-cell is a little crazy. Otherwise love your content lol
Like most seed soil mixes, never let it dry out, or it gets hard and needs more water to soften up.
Crazy question- do I need a grow light if I have a window with 6 hours of sunlight ?
On average, how long do you thing you can leave your seedlings in those 6 cell trays before they need to be potted up to something bigger? Thanks
Excellent made in USA, but at $75 for 72 cells, not including the water tray, you'd either have to have lots and lots of money, or be professional grower
What happens to the plants in winter after you plant them on the raised beds? They just die and you start all over next spring?
Cardboard egg cartons with holes cut in bottom. Free🎉
6 trays for $20 what a joke.