Love it. I love how you do things differently than other youtube gardeners. Many say don't use potting soil or compost. I know from personal experience that seeds will grow in both. So, I appreciate that you say that as well. Many times it seems that gardeners can be so "precious" and baby their plants too much. Yes, the plants need care, and we must be good stewards of God's creation, but it has to be in balance too. Thank you for your great content!
Great video as always! Loving this series especially. I am a seasoned gardener but always seem to run into one issue or another when seed starting. I usually retain enough plants to start my garden, but I want to have less seedlings die off. My biggest issue seems to be dampening off. I’ve added an oscillating fan and that seems to be helping some.
Thanks Jag, this video is timely as I am getting ready to star seeds for the first time. Was thinking mid February would be good for East Texas. Set up a shelf unit in my barn with heating pads and grow lights but the warm water sounds like a good trick, I will try that and your seed starting soil blend. 👍
Place the seeds you want to germinate into a cup filled with water. pour the seeds and the seeds that sink are viable. wouldn’t hurt to plant or compost floating seeds. Good luck as always thank you
This tip is priceless and I really needed it. Thanks for sharing. May I message you with direct questions? If you've never done these, like me, even the smallest things become uncharted territory and very intimidating. I've bought the seeds, grow lights, soils, fertilizers, containers and you name it. But I haven't started one seed yet. Intimidation! Every day is the day, and then the day is gone. Ahhhhh!!! God bless you for reading all of this. 🤫🤔🫣😪💔🙏🏾🤲
Does it have to be a full cup of water? I tried twice using this method today, and none of the seeds sank. I didn't use a full cup. How long should I wait to see if it works? So, full cup or not? Please help me. 🙏🏾
@isabella Palermo hey Izzy! 👋 Ok. It must be me. I've tried the water trick a few times, and it seems to take forever for the seed to sink or not to sink? That is the question. 🫣😆 Putting seeds in zip baggies and putting them on the heat mat DID NOT work for me. 🤔I'm about to try the Jiffy kits again. 🫠😊 THANKS Isabella
I have grown seeds way over 8 years old. Don't let the date prevent you from planting the seeds. Jag is correct viability will drop over years but don't not try to plant a seed regardless of how old it is. Bottom water only to prevent dampen off
I think the advice of watering from the bottom is probably the best way. Although I am new to gardening, I used too much water and either created mold spores or just killed the seedlings. Watering from the top also seems to disturb the seeds?
What you can do to test all your seeds before planting them in soil, which is very easy and requires no soil is to simply sprinkle your seeds over one side of a wet paper towel. Cover them with the other side of the wet towel and to retain moisture put them in a clear plastic gallon sized bag that is mostly but not all the way sealed. Leave at room temperature. Take them out to check every few days to see if they have sprouted and spray with water if needed to maintain moisture.Carefully remove the sprouted ones and plant them in your plant cell or container filled with potting soil. This way you know at least all the ones you planted in soil were good seeds and are alive. I wouldn't use a heat mat with lettuce. Lettuce is a cool weather vegetable.
I have been trying to grow seeds using a humidity dome, but I can't seem to grow any. I always end up having molded seeds. I'm not sure if it's because of too much condensation within the dome, or too much heat, or the store-bought seeds... The soil remains moist, even without constant watering... I have keeping it on a partial shade and where morning sun is the most abundant. I can't afford a heating map yet...
if starting them indoors (spinach does not transplant well though) use humidity dome and heat mats. If starting them outside, place a cardboard on top of the seeds for first two days. This will lock in moisture and provide insulation
This year any seeds I life int be snow they germination rate was much much worst! So I think I’ve learnt something there! Lol 😅 it’s all a learning curve. We never have snow! So you live and you learn! I think I’ll germinate under lights as I get about 100% germination 😊
I'm interested in any specifics for carrots, I know they're not usually sprouted in trays but lately I had a lot of problems with these in my traditional (open ground) garden and I'd like to prepare some viable seedlings this year.
I had the same problem with carrots. I've direct sown carrots and beet seeds into the containers outside. They germinated finally, then nothing else happened. Nothing. They grew for weeks but never developed? I got nothing. But, I won't give up. I guess that makes me a baby when it comes to gardening, just too new! I was discouraged for a minute when a seasoned gardener said he will never attempt to grow brussel sprouts again!?! He said that they were too finicky. This man has thousands of followers! Maybe I'll get like him about carrots and most lettuces. Well, I currently have some growing in containers that I started from seeds. Evidently, they are "loose leaf" varieties because they're not forming heads or bunches. I probably should have thinned them?
@clynthia If you get them to germinate and carrots don't grow, Make sure you are growing them in cool season and use a liquid fertilizer and apply every 2 weeks.
Hi Jag, Anthony from South Africa Western Cape. I like your videos. Here were I stay the potting soil is not good to use. Can you recommend another recipe for germinating seeds that will give me 90% germination.
That is a great question. And I'm very happy with the answer as I'm still not sure about compost. I hear about it, but it sounds as if it should come in a bag and resemble potting soil. However, the bagged compost that I bought looked and felt like trashy wood debris instead of soil. On the other hand, I've composted in place by putting kitchen scraps in the bottom of my containers mixed with grass clippings and the cardboard from toilet paper rolls. I saw Jag do this in the garden rows. I just put everything in the bottom of my containers. It actually turned into soil! Amazing. 😁
@@DaisyCreekFarms yes, it holds the heat from the sun and provides a dark place for the germination process to take place. Thanks again for all the information you provide us with.
This, trying to get seeds started, is frustrating! I've had success using peat discs to germinate seeds in the past. 🫡 This season, I've tried putting them onto wet napkins and into zip lock bags, then heating mats for the first time. Nothing has happened yet, except the 🤨 napkins dried up. I added a little more water and put them back on the mat. I'm waiting to see if it helps. One comment suggested putting seeds into a full cup of water. None of them sank. Maybe it's because I didn't use a full cup of water. I'll try it again tomorrow. 🤔
