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#Grow Seed Indoors
anipgarden · 10 months
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Cheaply Starting Seeds
This is my fourth post in a series I’ll be making on how to increase biodiversity on a budget! I’m not an expert--just an enthusiast--but I hope something you find here helps! 
Having a high-quality seed-starting setup can feel like an ultimate but distant dream. An entire shelf--an entire room, even, filled with grow lights and plant trays in the optimal setup to make tons of plants? Tons of garden tools, each with a diverse and dedicated purpose? That’s just not an option for some of us. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get started at a low cost!
Seed Starting Set-Ups
Speaking from a somewhat biased Floridian perspective, I’ve had great success starting seeds outside! My usual set-up is on a rarely-used outdoor patio table that’s moved to a sunny spot in the yard, but I’ve even grown seeds in solo cups on sidewalks, or directly in the ground, with great results! 
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Some seeds grow best when they go through a cold period before germinating, while other seeds aren’t affected much by it and just wait for warm weather. As such, a viable option is to sow your seeds in late fall, let winter roll by, and wait until the seeds sprout on their own come spring! I would try and mark off where you planted said seeds, so you don’t lose track of them and accidentally dig them up.
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Alternatively, if you want to get started while it's cold outside, a popular option I've seen is to grow in milk jugs! There's a lot of different ways to do it--everyone has their preference--but if you're already drinking things like milk or juice or sweet tea, and you're going to get jugs at some point in time--why not use them for gardening?
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An easy way to clear up a section of lawn to create open gardening space is by using a sheet mulching or lasagna gardening method (though I like to call it the Cardboard Snuff-Out). Place cardboard or newspaper down in fall/winter to mark out where you want to garden. Layer compostable materials like grass clippings and wood chips on top of it, or potting soil/bagged compost. It’ll decompose over Winter into an organically rich bed that’ll have killed the grass and weeds underneath it. You don’t have to break out any tools and sweat over it come spring, and the cardboard itself will slowly decompose as well!
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Though it's often recommended to plant things directly into the ground to decrease watering needs and increase nutritional independence, there’s plenty of reasons you may not be able to. Whether you’re renting, living in a place without a yard, or even just can’t or don’t want to break ground in a yard, you can still help biodiversity by growing in pots. Some plants have rather extensive root systems and aren’t well suited for pots, but there are still plenty of options available for plants that’ll boost biodiversity, be beautiful to look at, and grow just fine in pots! A recommendation is to get a larger pot, if you’re able, as it’ll hold onto more water and need watering less often. Not only are potted plants great for providing food for insects, but they can be shelter for other creatures too--there’s been a good few times I’ve moved a pot and found a frog or toad living underneath it.
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If you don’t have room for pots on the ground, you could consider using hanging pots or window boxes! These can be great and easily-maintained options to provide food and habitat for insects and birds in an urban living situation like apartments or townhouses, but they can also be a fun way to add even more habitat to an already-robust home garden. You can even make an entire mini habitat in a window box or pot! I can personally say I’ve seen tons of pollinators visit my yearly hanging basket garden that consists of about five to seven plants, and I’ve always loved the idea of having a window box for blooms right out my window. Just make sure that it’s safe--make sure they’re securely fixed, and that whatever they’re hanging from can handle their weight when they’re freshly watered and loaded with plants. 
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If you want to start indoors, you don’t necessarily need grow lights or heat mats (though it will make things a bit easier.) I’ve successfully grown milkweed, peppers, tomatoes, zucchinis, and even sprouted lemon seeds in college dorm rooms, and kept tomato and pepper plants in a dorm room on a sunny windowsill. For the most part, you need a nice and sunny window, some kind of container, and a source of heat (in my case, I used anything from a space heater to the warmth of my laptop running nearby. If you don’t have any sunny windows, or enough windowsill space to start plants on, its possible to obtain cheaper grow lights. One year, my mom bought me some gooseneck grow lights that could clip onto things for cheap off of Amazon. (Fair warning, though, they did light up my entire room in purple. I lived alone that year (covid year, my roomies bailed), so it was fine, but it was kind of trippy,)
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Another year, when I was in an apartment on my own, I bought a grow light modeled like a normal light bulb from the lightbulb aisle in Lowe’s and put it in my desk lamp. Growing seeds indoors can make them grow fast and leggy, so it’ll help if you can keep a desk fan on them so they focus on growing strong instead of tall and fast.
If you’re fortunate enough to have a friend with a nice set up, you could see if they’re willing to let you borrow some of their space to start your own plants as well! My set-up in college was by no means High Class, but I was still more than willing to start seeds for my friends who asked!
Containers for Seed Starting
So now that we’ve talked starting seeds indoors and out, we need to address what to start them in. It’s important that whatever you’re using has drainage holes, and be large enough to support your plant (starting something like milkweed or a squash in a tiny little pot won’t yield great results). Fortunately, there are options here!
If you’re looking to buy pots, Dollar Tree will sell some small plastic pots for cheap in the spring! They’re kind of thin, and won’t last forever, but they’re great for a few uses and don’t cost a lot of money. Something that’s a bit more pricey but are longer-lasting, in my experience, are the Burpee SuperSeed trays. They come in different sizes, but I’m fond of the 16-cell trays--they have silicone bottoms and are made of a nice solid plastic with a tray to hold water, so they hold up for a long time and are easy to clean and reuse!
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Burpee seed tray, my beloved.
What’s better than a cheap pot? Free ones, and there’s plenty of options there! I’ve seen people use toilet paper or paper towel rolls as pots by folding the bottoms in and have it work well for them! I think this method would work best if you had some kind of tray to keep them moist, because mine dried out fast last time I tried this method. I’ve also seen people make pots out of newspaper with a few different methods, and the people who use this method love it--apparently, the roots pass through the paper easier and it decomposes faster when buried, so you can just transplant the whole pot and avoid any kind of transplanting shock. If you don’t have any newspaper on hand, you can likely ask your friends or neighbors! 
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I’ve gotten lots of mileage from reusing old containers by poking a few holes in the bottom with knives or scissors--just be careful while you’re doing it! I, personally, am more likely to use an already-used solo cup for it--they’re a nice size, so they hold a good amount of soil and moisture and give the seedling a good amount of root space. I tend to write the plant information on the side of the cup in sharpie marker, or on an index card in pen. I’ve also heard of people making use of egg cartons, fruit containers, yogurt cups, milk cartons, soda bottles--the more you start thinking about what you could easily poke a hole in, the more options start coming around!
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This photo may be from 2018, but I'll still regularly reuse cups like this! They're also great for cuttings!
As you start planning to move your seedlings into the ground and preparing planting sites, you’ll likely need a few tools to do it! How do you get these? You may be able to borrow some tools from a neighbor! As long as you make sure to return them in good condition, depending on how friendly your neighbors are, they might be totally fine with you borrowing their tools for awhile. If you don’t want to take that route, there may be a tool library you can borrow from, or a mutual aid group that can loan you tools for awhile. Either way, borrowing tools is cheaper than buying them--though, if you do have to buy tools, cheap hand-tools from Walmart or the dollar store work just fine. They’ll even last a good while if they’re taken care of when not in use! I've even seen places like Ross sell some tools and pots in spring!
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Spotted in a Walmart gardening section by the registers, 2023.
Of course, your mileage may vary with these. I genuinely cannot think of the last time my house got a newspaper, and as I've mentioned I don't have to worry about snow. Similarly, maybe you don't use plastic cups when you can help it, or don't have a particular affinity for eggs and yogurt. Maybe there isn't a tool library in your area--I sure don't know if there is in mine--but it could still be worth poking around and asking a neighbor!
That's the end of this post! My next post is gonna be about ways to support your plants for cheap--we're gonna be talking compost, mulch, and trellises. Until then, I hope this advice was helpful! Feel free to reply with any questions, your success stories, or anything you think I may have forgotten to add in!
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wildrungarden · 6 months
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9/19/23 ~ Hydroponics at school. Those cucumbers grew super fast 😳 and some Romaine Lettuce!
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balkanradfem · 1 year
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A woman shows you all kinds of containers that to and don't work for raising little transplants inside of your home! And she's right and I agree with her.
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speedlimit15 · 5 months
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more people should grow fruiting/flowering plants as a hobby i promise it’s really rewarding
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the-re-farmer · 13 days
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Our 2024 Garden: starting tomatoes, peppers and milkweed (video)
Okay, so I’m really a week early for this, but I decided to start more seeds, anyhow! It was also an excuse to finally get my video making software up and running on the new computer. That was far more complicated than it should have been, but once it was all set up, everything went well. Plus, PBC makes a cameo appearance. This time, I started the three varieties of short season bell peppers���
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View On WordPress
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chokrihizem · 10 months
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How to Start Loquat From Seeds Indoors
Loquat trees are tropical fruit trees that are beloved by many gardeners. The tree can grow up to 25 feet in height, and produce a sweet, tangy fruit that is delicious when eaten fresh or made into jams. Starting Loquat from seeds indoors is easy. This video will teach you how to start loquat from seeds indoors so keep watching!
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phinilez · 1 year
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mrsbeef · 2 years
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:3
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bestproductguide · 2 years
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We all love herbs. We can use them to improve our health as well as use them for cooking, to spice up food, to make a great scents and much more.
All these things should be kept in mind while growing herbs from seed, as it is best to keep the seeds in small separate pots. If you are using divided containers, make sure there is only one seedling per container. Plastic wraps are easily available in the kitchen which can be used to cover the containers.
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pineconeherb · 8 months
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Cannabis is a flowering plant that belongs to the Cannabaceae family. The plant has distinct characteristics, including palmate leaves with serrated edges and serrated leaflets. It is dioecious, meaning that it has separate male and female plants. The female flowers, known as buds, contain the highest concentration of cannabinoids, which are the chemical compounds responsible for the plant's effects.
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inhydro · 1 year
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One of the Best Hydroponic Terrace Gardening | Inhydro
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Are you interested in learning how to start a hydroponic terrace garden in India? If so, then you have come to the right place. In this comprehensive guide from Inhydro, you will learn everything you need to know about Hydroponic farming and setting up a successful terrace garden. We will explain all the basics of hydroponics and provide tips and tricks for successful hydroponic gardening in India. So, let's get started and learn all about Hydroponic terrace gardening in India.
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My baby!! I've grown this one from seed, a 3.5 year journey so far. Can't wait for her to keep growing!
Questions? Ask them away!!!
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wildrungarden · 6 months
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9/19/23 ~ Sweet Potato harvest at school today. Some of these suckers were HUGE! I took home a lot.
Recipes to come 😇
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jemichi90 · 11 months
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Me and my mother have really gotten into windowsill gardening this year - mostly because of the ever rising cost of food. But I also planted something that’s special to me for another reason. These three were red geranium seeds that I planted exactly one month ago. The photo on the left is from before my trip, and on the right it’s after the trip - just a bit over a week later. I planted three seeds just because I wasn’t sure if they’d all sprout, but they did. The small one was unlucky and had some trouble. I wasn’t sure if it would survive (which made me realize how fitting it is that three of them sprouted), but after some support it’s still growing - even if slowly.
They’ve all come a long way from this:
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wholelottabotany · 11 months
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Honest (Single year) Review of the Burpee Superseed seedling trays
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Hey all! So I have been my seedlings in this tray for a little over a month, and I have some thoughts so far.
First of all, I like the ease of use that comes with it. The cells are labeled with a letter/number grid, and it comes with a blank list that you can fill in accordingly. It made it pretty easy to remember exactly what I planted where, without having to use stakes to label them. There's also a silicon base to the cells, so you can pop out seedlings pretty easily when it's time to plant.
Now I got the 36 cell tray, but it also came in 16 and 8 cell trays. This was definitely a mistake, and this is why:
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A lot of my babies are currently root bound in their small cells. So that is causing some watering issues and my tomatoes have pretty much halted their growth because of it. So in a couple days I am going to be transplanting all of my seedlings into their home pots, or into transport pots for my family. Hopefully I can rescue them and give them some more time to grow before summer time.
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solarpunk-oasis · 2 years
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Random plant recommendation for vegetable gardens:
Senposai Greens.
These things are a beast. They taste like very mild, slightly tangy cabbage and they cook up super quick. Short stems, big leaves. Also they’ve been really heat tolerant and bug resistant so far: needed a little watering after about 2 weeks of no rain and 90+ degree weather, but the minute it rained and cooled down for a day or two, they were back to thriving.
Final bonus: guaranteed to give your garden that Studio Ghibli Look.
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