Starting Seeds Early Without Grow Lights

Want to start your seeds early, but don't have grow lights?
This video demonstrates several techniques of starting seeds early without grow lights, so you can get a jump start on the growing season!

I share 4 methods of starting seeds without grow lights, as well as a trick for an affordable grow light set up-- in case you have your heart set on using grow lights!

Some of the links included here are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. I will only recommend items I love and should you choose to make a purchase, it helps support the channel! Thank you!



00:00 Intro
00:33 Starting Seeds Early in a Window
03:30 A Trick to Window Growing!
07:08 Starting Seeds Early using Winter Sowing
08:58 Starting Seeds Early using Cold Frames or Low Tunnels
14:08 Starting Seeds Early using a Greenhouse
16:06 BONUS: Starting Seeds Early using Grow Lights-- on the cheap!

#zone6gardening #seedstarting #ohiogardening

[GardenerScott]

Great information, Jenna. It was wonderful that you showed how plants react differently when exposed to lower light levels. The options you show make this a very informative video.

[joan-lisa-smith]

For those starting seeds with a drafty old house like mine (15c/60f at night) I cover the seedlings at night with a cotton folded sheet (don't use plastic or you get condensation) and shove several small pop bottles I fill with hot water under there with them. This fixed my issue of seeds that need more heat to germinate like sweet peepers. I just discovered you, sub'd and hit the bell. Great info, glad I've discovered you.

[rachelgalus]

I’m elated to see all the # of comments on this video. People need to see your videos. You are the most knowledgeable grower I have seen on YouTube. We all need to grow food and grow it well. Most garden you tubers are southern or Florida/Cali. We need your unique perspective here. Thank you for taking the time to teach us.

[NWOisUponUs]

Finally found someone suffering from lack of sun like me, in Pennsylvania. This will be my first attempt at starting seeds. Till I found you I was going to give up, thanks to you, I'm going for it. Keep those videos coming I will need you through my venture for sure!!

[mollygonzalez]

Thank you Jenna for your window reflector trick! You rock! Literally the day after I watched your video, my grow light decided to burn out, leaving dozens of baby seedlings in the dark. My property is North-facing Zone 5b, but luckily I was able to utilize the one south-facing window I have and I rigged up a similar reflector panel, and the seedlings are thriving, not one has reached for the window yet!

[Tonihaddock]

Thank you for having a nice modulated voice not loud and ear splitting, or talking. About non relevant topics. Subscribing.

[itsporkroll]

Aussie sighting! I made a few cold frames this season. The best so far was the simplest, 2 clear plastic basement window well covers taped together. Maybe a bit of overkill on the coldest parts of jan/feb, but around the inside edge I put some bricks to soak up the sun during the day and release the warmth over night. You can fit alot of seedlings inside!

[SiriusScientist]

My first year seed starting we lived in a small apartment in Boston. I tried to use huge south facing windows my first year, but our apartment was on the 12th floor and the windows were too cold for some of what I tried to start. I then used a metal shelf in a corner of the room that fit one 1020 tray per shelf, and 2ft shop lights I got for $15. Worked great! I used a version of that set up, expanding what I started when we moved to a slightly bigger apartment (we initially planted in a friend’s yard, then got a community plot we used for two years). We now have a house with 2 acres north of the city and it will be my first year in our new garden. I did a winter garden with container micro tomatoes this winter and that turned out great (using my seedling lights).

[jamespalmerministries]

Jenna great idea with the reflector box in the window.

[oldtymeliving]

Love your German Shepard just chilling out in the sun and brought back memories of ruby my Belgium Shepard
She was the smartest most faithful dog I ever had. Keep showing people how to grow their own food. I really believe that growing you own food is becoming more a necessity than it is for fun anymore. Have a great day.

[Selahsmum]

You are so kind and we are so spoiled that you do such thorough videos for us! God bless you!

[jeanscruggs]

I'm 68, have not grown so much as a weed, but for food security purposes, want to gain gardening knowledge/skills. I do not have the space or $ for grow lights and so, it appeared my garden was doomed to fail. Thank you so much for "shedding some light" on this gloomy subject. You truly are a Godsend to this elderly newbie.

[jcl]

I have been looking a long time for someone to talk about starting seedlings indoors without grow lights. All I can find is "not recommended, you should use grow lights." I think that throughout history, gardeners have tried to get a jump on their growing season indoors - noone had grow lights. (when I was young, the only people who did were the pot growers.
I'm sure some of our ancestors were clever enough to rig up workable solutions. I thought about using mirrors in front of a window, just a thought, haven't tried it. Thanks for the logical answers, I'm glad to hear solutions, not absolutes.

[carolynsteele]

Really great episode with really good information! I do pretty much all these methods and found them all to be effective. The cold frames work well if I’m home and available to keep adjusting the lids for excessive heat and cold. Winter sowing is set and pretty much forget, and covered hoop rows are excellent. but for optimal results I use fluorescent light with T5 bulbs set very close to the plants. We get the lights free from people remodeling their kitchens and my hubby adds an electrical plug.

[suzanneweary]

You don't know how much I needed this video. Fingers crossed! Thank you, Jenna

[donnacotter]

It's my first year using lights. I couldn't afford grow lights and am using six, 6500K, 5000 lumen LED shop lights. I line my shelves with cardboard to catch any drips from removing domes, etc. for safety sake. I use a mylar blanket to reflect the light back and I also use some extra hooks to tilt the lights toward the center a bit to get better coverage. I'm already out of room and have so much more to grow!! Thanks for these alternatives.

[ronndapagan]

Thankhwnk you for providing a garden channel from Ohio. I live in the southwest Ohio about an hour north of Cincinnati and in the general area of Insterstate 75 and 70 . I have two green houses. One is the portable and the other is the aluminum 8ft by 6ft. I started with container gardening last year latearound the end of May and around the middle of June. The starter grow kits did produce somewhat inside but when I took them outside they stopped. When I returned from my birthday visit with my dad and younger brother in Arizona, I bought starter plants from Lowes, Home Depot and Walmart to get a head start on my garden. My seed tray did not produce any of the seeeds that I planted. By September, I puchased the aluminum 6ft by 8ft greenhouse to try to grow food through the fall and winter but that didn't work. Also the panels of my aluminum greenhouse have to be gorilla taped to the frame. This year, I plan to make a wooden frame for both greenhouses and a platform to put my various containers on in my backyard. I like the idea of a cold frame because I tried to grow some vegetables over the winter and they are just starting to sprout. Thank you for bringing gardening to Ohio.

[cindyeasterling]

Great ideas! I started the milk jugs cold sowing this time and they're working great! I'm going to try the aluminum foil method now and see how well it works for me. I really didn't want to invest in the grow light set-up just yet. Thanks for the advice!

[marianmurphy]

If you need heat to germinate seeds..I’ve found that using an electric drying airier works..especially if you use that trick of putting seeds on damp kitchen paper in a plastic sandwich bag..just pop on top something you’ve put on the dryer

[rebeccazody]

Yay! Winter sowing is great! I have 120 jugs out right now. 1/2 are flowers.