Are you new to planting seeds? Would you like to know more about how to start seeds indoors?

This post is all about how to start seeds indoors and how to start your first garden.

Starting your very first garden may seem like a daunting task but many people have found that starting seeds indoors is an easier way to ensure long-term success. This is because seedlings are more sensitive in the beginning stages of life and if you live in an area that experiences extreme temperatures it doesn’t take much for the seeds to die from one day of intense heat or even rain.

You only need a few items to get started and most of them are inexpensive

How to start seeds indoors:

How to start seeds in a paper towel

One method of starting seeds is something that many of us have tried in elementary school. You can take a clean paper towel, fold it in half and wet it slightly with clean water. Place your seeds inside the center of the folded, wet paper towel then place it into a clear sandwich bag and hang it up near a window that gets bright light. Using unbleached paper towels would be the best option but regular paper towels will work.

How to start seeds in a small pot

Another method is to get some small pots and potting soil (do not use regular garden soil in a pot this can burn the seeds) and place the seeds into the soil and wait for them to sprout. The best method is to water the soil before placing the seeds into the soil, you can use a small pencil to gently press the seeds into the soil or make a hole first and drop the seeds in one by one.

*side note* It’s not recommended to use fertilizer on seeds but if it’s already in the potting mix that will be just fine.

How to start seeds in egg cartons

If you want to try using egg cartons you can apply the same instructions as above for the pots however, these tend to be a little messier so water them outside and you can bring them back inside once they’re dry and set them on a plastic tray. One benefit to using egg cartons is they can be cut out into smaller pieces and directly planted into the ground because the material will eventually degrade making the transition from pot to ground easier.

Transferring seedlings into the ground

Once your seedlings have sprouted and begun to grow stronger roots (6-12 weeks depending on the plant) you can transfer them into the ground outside. If you live somewhere hot try to acclimate your plants to the full sun slowly as a sudden change from indoor to direct sun can burn the leaves. You can do this by first placing them in an area of your yard that gets partial sun in the morning and shade later on and then after a couple weeks move it to the area that you want it to remain permanently.

If you’re not sure which plants need more sun you can usually find the information on the back of the seed packet if you bought them from the store. If you kept the seeds from your own produce you can research online for the care instructions for the specific plant you want to grow and be sure to research your growing zone to find out if the seeds you want to grow will do well in your area. You can find more information about growing zones on the USDA website here.

If you’re thinking of growing your own food check out this post on how to get started.