In the winter I spend a lot of time starting seeds and caring for seedlings. Seed starting is like everything else in the garden—there are lots of ways to do it. Over the years, my technique has evolved and, I hope, improved. These days I start almost every seed that I want to grow in trays. I have some purpose built plastic seed starting trays, but I also use a lot of restaurant to-go containers and produce packaging from the grocery store. I’ve found it all works the same. Once the seeds sprout, I prick the seedlings out individually and place them in the into module trays for growing on under lights at first and then, depending on the temperature, out to my greenhouse.
One of the major challenges for me as a gardener is the fact that my space for propagating and growing plants is very limited. I am fortunate that my home has an enclosed sun room where I can start seeds before moving them outside. The inescapable reality of growing plants, though, is that a few seed trays can multiply into many flats of seedlings very quickly. A big key to success for me is to keep the seed to seedling to garden progression moving right along. This means pricking out and potting on seedlings as soon as they sprout. It means planting out mature plants into the garden, or setting them out for sale as soon they are ready. Having a market outlet is nice for making a little bit of money, but selling (and giving away) plants is an essential part of keeping my garden operation going.
