BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO RAISING SEEDLINGS

Home grown, fresh produce can taste so good, and there are so many benefits to growing some of your own food. You might have already been growing some of your own food, or want to start, by sowing seed direct in your garden beds, or by planting out seedlings that you bought from the markets, plant nursery or hardware store.

Planting seedlings can give you a head start and save time. It may also offer more certain results, as the initial growing phase can occur in a controlled setting, with less risk of pests, or poor weather conditions, ruining them.

You may decide to start raising your own seedlings in punnets, pots or trays, to then be transplanted into garden beds once they have grown big enough. This can save you money, but it also can increase the range of vegetables and herbs available for you to grow. You can choose from an amazing range of heritage/ heirloom varieties of seeds, and have the satisfaction of doing it from scratch!

Check out the Beginner’s Guide to Edible Gardening and Beginner’s Guide to Seed Saving.

What are the benefits and challenges of raising our own seedlings?

Growing your own seedlings has many benefits, including:

It can be better value, as a packet of seed, some pots and seed raising mix can cost less/ produce more, than buying seedlings (saving your own seed, reusing pots and making your own seed raising mix can save you even more)
An exciting wide range of unique varieties to choose from that you may not be able to source as seedlings, and this way you can help protect biodiversity
Reduce negative impact that can be associated with packaging, distribution and production of conventional seedlings
Be resilient against possible food shortages or price rises, or food distribution issues, by knowing how to grow from seed
It is satisfying and enjoyable hobby
You can connect with other seed savers

There can be challenges, including that it does take more time (to actually pot up the seeds, but then also waiting weeks for them to grow big enough to transplant), you need somewhere to raise them with the right conditions, and there may be poor germination rates, pest issues etc.

What do we need to raise our own seedling?

THE ESSENTIALS

Seeds for growing veges and herbs need the right amount of warmth, moisture, light and oxygen to help them to germinate and grow. To create the right conditions to germinate the seeds, and support the growth of the seedlings, you will need:

Seed Raising Mix (fine soil which retains moisture, is light and airy, and has some nutrition to support the growing seedling)
Mini pots, seed trays or other containers
Sunlight & Warmth (as much good quality light as you can find, with consistent warm temperatures)
Water (using a spray/ misting bottle, or small watering can/ bottle with fine nozzle)
Seeds (bought, saved or swapped)
Labels/ labelling system like cut up plastic containers with permanent marker, or a removeable chalk pen directly on the pots

What do we raise them in?

There are many types of containers or set ups, that you can use to raise the seeds, for transplanting.

Plastic pots
Seed trays or Punnets
Plantable pots
Other pots/ options include recycled and DIY options

A NOTE ON Seed raising mix

Seed raising mix is a fine blend of materials that encourage the germination of seeds, and growth of the seedlings. It needs to retain moisture, but not become saturated or compacted. It needs to be light and airy, so roots can grow and breathe easily. It needs some nutrition, but not so much that it overwhelms the seedling. You may be happy to buy bags of seed raising mix, or you may want to make your own mix.

Raising Seedlings | Dirt to Dinner | Growing Home

What varieties of produce should we raise?

Some varieties of vegetables and herbs only grow well by planting them as seed, directly into the garden bed where they will grow, as they do not transplant very well into the garden bed after germination occurs (they get ‘transplant shock’). These include carrots, beetroot, radishes, swede, turnip, beans, peas, silverbeet/ chard, spinach, corn, kohlrabi, coriander, parsley, dill.

Other produce can be either sown direct, or raised as seedlings and transplanted. What you choose to grow will depend on the space you have, the climate or zone you are in, what season it is or what you are heading towards, and what you eat.

In areas like Canberra, the warm season is quite short, so ‘extending the season’ means potting up warm season seeds and raising seedlings in advance (several weeks), which enables a head start once the soil has warmed up enough and the risk of frosts has passed, in Mid Spring.

I highly recommend checking out Gardenate (they also have an app) to work out what climate/ growing zone you are in for your country, and the guidelines for what is recommend for you to plant in what season/ month. You can see their suggestions on what can be sown direct/ potted up, and transplanted, and the timing required.

Easy to RAISE Cool Season vegetables & herbs

Kale
Onion/ Leeks/ Spring Onions
Try in plantable pots: Sugar Snap Peas, Snow Peas, Peas, Asian greens

Easy to RAISE Warm Season Vegetables & Herbs

Zucchini
Tomatoes – cherry or grape tomatoes
Basil
Chillies
Capsicum
Try in plantable pots: Cucumber, Sunflowers, Pumpkin, Squash, Melons, Beans

Easy To RAISE Year Round + Perennial vegetables & herbs

Herbs (chives, sage, tarragon)
Lettuce

What are the steps to ‘pot up’ seeds, and raise our seedlings?

OK, now that you have made your plans of how you will raise your seedlings, and what you want to grow, let’s get ready to pot up.

1. PREPARE EQUIPMENT, including seeds, seed raising mix, containers to grow in, hand trowel (or use a small pot, to scoop up seed raising mix into the containers/ pots), dibber (or use the end of a pen), gardening gloves, watering can or spray bottle, labels and pen (I use plastic ice cream containers and lids, cut into strips), or a chalk pen that doesn’t come off unless rubbed off

2. POTTING UP Line up all your pots, fill with seed raising mix to almost full, make labels, make a small hole for each seed (with your finger/ pen), place the seeds in the hole, cover up with more seed raising mix, put a label in (or write on with chalk pen, gently spray or water each day or every second day, until the soil is moistened, not saturated.

For a step by step instructions including how to grow and get your seedlings ready to transplant, check out the Raising Seedling eGuide.

How do we troubleshoot any issues whilst raising seedlings?

If your vegetable or herb seed didn’t germinate, ask yourself these questions:

When did I pot it up? Does it simply need more time?
Did I bury the seed too deep, or not deep enough?
Is the tray/ pot getting enough sunlight? Is it staying warm overnight?
Is it getting enough water? Has it gotten too much (and possibly rotted?)
Was the seed old/ beyond it’s Use By date? Had it been stored incorrectly? Can I contact the company for a replacement?
Any pests or diseases? Could it have germinated already, but been eaten?

If your vegetable or herb seedlings are not thriving, ask yourself these questions:

Is it getting enough sunlight, warmth & consistent watering?
When did it germinate? Does it simply need more time to grow?
Was the seed raising mix good quality? Does it need a gentle feed?
Does it need plant feed? Is there competition for the nutrients?
Any pests or diseases?

If your vegetable or herb seedlings have become lanky/ spindly, ask yourself these questions:

Are they getting enough quality sunlight?
Are they too hot & undergoing rapid growth spurts?
Are they getting enough water?
Are they too close together & need thinning?
Are they getting too much feed/ fertiliser, causing rapid growth spurts?

BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO RAISING SEEDLINGS