10 must have items to start seeds indoors
Starting seeds indoors is such a rewarding endeavor. In the depths of a cold winter, if you’re anything like me, pining over a fresh seed catalogue can be a God send.
Full transparency, is that I’m in no way an expert. I’ve been starting seeds indoors for a season or two and the products I’m going to share with you will set you up for success. Let’s get started and fill you in on these 10 must have items for starting seeds indoors.
Why start your own seeds indoors in the first place?
If gardening and homesteading is always on your mind, let me spare you and your wallet and fill you in on a secret.
Everything is cheaper and way more satisfying growing it yourself.
Not only do you gain the knowledge of how a plant grows from the beginning; you have way more control over the varieties, quantity and the quality of the plants.
I’m not going to sugar coat it, the list I’m about to give you is not meant to be inexpensive to begin with, it is meant to be an investment. In the end, the investment is not only in the infrastructure itself, but the feeling of accomplishment in yourself.
This corner of the gardening world is so beautiful and inspiring. The fact that you can place a tiny little dry seed in some soil, give it water and sun, and within days it sprouts, to me is phenomenal.
To start seeds is to have faith and to have faith is a life worth living.
Where to shop
Nothing screams spring like a home improvement store garden center in February/March. The amount of times I’ve gone into a Home Depot or Lowe’s in the past month looking like a crazy garden lady is unreal, but hey there’s worse things to love.
What’s great about going to a physical store versus online initially is that you can see, touch, and handle the products. Knowing what you’re going to have space for and mostly familiarizing yourself with all the different brands.
Also you can’t forget about our tried and true Amazon. I purchased my grow lights from there and with the quick and free shipping, it made the biggest investment not too bad. If you want to check out the ones I purchased you can find them here, I can only sing their praises.
As much as I love Amazon, I always try to support small local nurseries and garden centers. All are a little different in what they carry, but picking up gardening gloves, bulbs, and seeds can be super fun to pick out in person.
Where to buy seeds
10 must have items to start seeds indoors like a pro
I could go on for days on where to buy seeds. Some knock out companies I’ve been super pleased with are…..
Baker Creek
Baker creek offers many rare seed varieties especially when it comes to vegetables. Regardless of your order they give you free shipping and during the winter you can opt in for a beautifully photographed free catalogue of their seed collections.
Floret
If you’re into flowers, she is your girl. Her seed packets are beautifully illustrated and the aesthetic of her brand is completely charming. Floret offers so many rare cut flower varieties and in late spring dahlia bulbs.
Little shop of seeds
I love this little company! Most of their seeds are .99 cents. They come in little plastic sleeves and are a great option for the price conscious.
Swallowtail
I went bananas ordering zinnia seeds from this company this year. Swallowtail offered so many varieties in one place. The germination rate was spot on!
Like I said I could keep going on, but part of the fun is adventuring out and picking up seeds here and there and seeing what you can find!
The shopping list for seed starting indoors
Alrighty get out your phone notes or a piece of paper because you’ll need to remember this.
10 must have items to seed starting indoors like a pro
- Seed tray cells
- Biodegradable pots
- Seed starting soil
- Potting soil mix
- Vermiculite
- Spray bottle
- Grow lights
- Labels
- Waterproof pen
- Seeds
You may be looking at this list and thinking how is this cheaper than picking up starts at a store for $1.99?
Like I mentioned, this list is an investment for your seed starting adventure. Many of these items can be used over and over and over again.
When shopping for seed trays, pick yourself up a large 72 cell tray and many of them. You should be able to find them around $9 each.
Seed starting soil
Make sure to actually read the soil bag. It’s very important that you initially pick up seed starting soil. What makes it special is that the mix is light and airy and full of peat moss. This gives the baby seeds the best chance at breaking through the soil and establishing good roots. I can find these for about $4-5 each . One bag fills 2 large trays.
Biodegradable pots
Biodegradable pots are a great buy if you plan on starting anything delicate or early in the season. This year I grew a ton of sweet peas. Sweet peas don’t like their roots being disturbed. By planting in a biodegradable pot, I’ll be able to plant the whole thing in the soil without ever disrupting the plant. A pack of 12 is around $4
Potting mix
Potting mix is going to be what you graduate your seedlings to. Potting mix is much richer and more dense than seed starting soil and holds moisture much better. This will help feed and prepare your little plants for the real world. Grab a big bag or two for $9-10 each
Vermiculite
Vermiculite is a very light material. Best practice is to place the seed on top of the soil and sprinkle a little vermiculite on top. It covers the seed and holds moisture and gives the seed an easy way to sprout. One bag is about $7 and goes a long way
Spray bottle
Pick yourself up a spray bottle to water in the seeds and the delicate seedlings. If you pour water from a watering can or cup, it’ll disturb the soil too much and drown the seed. Using a misting feature or spray bottle will accomplish watering your plants without being too harsh. $1-4
Grow Lights
Grow lights are so important. Unless you have a greenhouse or a ton of great direct window light, grow lights are going to make all the difference. Too often in my Facebook gardening groups I see gardeners starting their seeds, seeing them sprout and then seeing their seeds become leggy and weak. Seeds sprout quickly so be prepared with grow lights before you plant. Mine was around $90 but there are so many different sizes and brands
Labels
Labels are crucial! Everyone, including myself, always thinks they’ll remember what they planted and where, but after the 400th seed cell it becomes a blur. Get yourself any plastic or water resistant labels that you can and stick them at the beginning of the row or in individual pots to identify the varieties you sowed. $4 for a pack of 100, grab more that what you think you need
Waterproof Pen
Grab a waterproof marker. This kind of pen will hold up to watering your plants without running down the label. $3 just grab one for now
Seeds
Lastly, get into the excitement by purchasing seeds. It’ll really spark joy in the process. $ infinite haha (you’ll get it later)
Recap
10 must have items to start seeds indoors like a pro
That’s it! That’s the shopping list I would make for myself if I were new to starting seeds. Getting yourself well equipped with these things will help you be so much more successful and yield you more crops.
It’s my greatest hope that as you embark on your homesteading journey, that you keep an optimistic outlook and a hopeful heart. Seed starting indoors is beyond fun and incredibly rewarding. With these 10 must have items to start seeds indoors, I have faith with some dedications and persistence you’ll have more success with starting your own plants. You’ll make a ton of mistakes, I still do, but those mistakes are what we learn from.
Happy seed starting!
