From first planting a seed in soil, to germination, to harvesting, the following are products that I use and love for plant indoor and out. Use these products to keep your herbs, vegetables, and flowers blooming throughout the year.
From Seed to Seedling
Seed starting trays are a perfect way to begin your seeds indoors providing a jump start to the season. The MIXC 1020 trays offer a few advantages compared to competitors. Having four adjustable ventilation holes allows for more control over the condensation inside the dome. The included seedling trays also allow you to choose your own soil material. If you prefer to use pellets, the trays include 36 holes that will fit 30mm pellets. My favorite feature of these trays is the height of the dome, more than double the height of some competitors. This allows the plants to grow taller without having to either raise the lid, or use a different material to keep the humidity in.
Providing Heat for Germination
Heat mats are a perfect way to provide a constant temperature to seeds starting in trays, increasing the chance of germination. VIVOSUN’s mats are the standard size which can fit two 10-inch square trays, or one 10 by 20 inch tray. VIVOSUN also offers a temperature control device allowing gardeners to control the exact temperature of trays.
Don't Allow a Lack of Windows to Stop Your Success
If your home does not have ample lighting, or there isn’t a space next to your windows for seed starting trays, grow lights will be your savior. These are the lights I use, and I love them. Where I have my trays is on a tiled window seat, and the clip fits on the lip of the tile. The lights are long enough to provide enough light to cover up to a 20-inch tray. The power switch allows you to light one one, two, or three of the light arms. It also allows you to control which colors illuminate, and has a 3, 6, and 12 hour timer.
Hand Tools to Help Transplant Your Seedlings
Every gardener needs a basic set of tools to aid with routine maintenance. This 12 piece set provides the essentials needed for everyday gardening tasks. They are decent quality, without compounding the cost of buying the tools individually. The tools will help you weed, remove debris, transplant, tie off stems, and also store everything with the included tote.
Providing Nutrients to Plants
Whether I’m first moving a plant into the ground, transplanting, or re-nourishing soil, bone meal is a secret weapon I learned from my mom. Jobe’s organic bend contains nitrogen, phosphate, and calcium to help promote root development and fruit and flower growth. It’s a plant food that I always make sure I have on hand and use regularly during the growing season.
Rooting Powder Allows Your Plants to Multiply
If you have a plant that you’d like to start new seedlings from, rooting powder can work wonders, and the process is simple. Rooting hormone, while not necessary, provides nutrients to help speed up root development. It also comes in handy if you’ve had plants in the past that did not grow roots well on their own in the past. When I pick stems to root, I look for 3 to 5 inch pieces that have new growth at the end. I remove about the lower third of the stems, and gently scrape the naked stem with a knife. Use caution to not only avoid cutting yourself, but also to only lightly scratch the surface of the stem off. I dip the stem into the rooting powder, shake off the excess back into the jar, and then immediately place the stem into a growing medium. Be sure to keep the medium moist to aid with root development.