How to Start Seeds Indoors

It's easy to start your own seeds indoors. When starting seeds indoors there are just a few factors that are critical to success and Gardener Scott discusses not only how to do the different steps, but also why they need to be done. Learn how to start seeds and prepare yourself for growing seedlings to put in your garden.

To get a heat mat like the one shown in the video, click here:
Seed starter kit with peat pellets:
Flats for growing:

[Steve-psqw]

Gardner Scott, you have the best educational videos! You show us and don't just speak to what you are doing, that is so helpful!! You also explain the process and the science behind the actions. Your productions are always top notch, very well done, truly professional.

[castrodon]

Thanks for confirming that I didn’t need light in order to germinate my seeds

[tlcprc]

feels like i have seen you before on TV or somewhere. You are just so professional and polished - good stuff!

[NatureHeadSupreme]

There's not more that I can say outside of THANK

[maryz]

Gardener Scott, you're the best. Thank you for all the good information. You are my go to.

[VaSewPro]

I love how you explain things in depth. I not only want to know how, but why. And you do that beautifully. Now I just need to educate myself on amending garden soil. If I need to do it or not? My parents use to always plant in the spring and use cow manure. That's it. And we had a huge harvest of vegetables. I did this once and not likely to do it again. I had so many weeds to contend with it wasn't even funny.

[rendezvu]

Thank you for open my eyes, you are a great motevator

[queenSummerKeli]

Ahh mix matters!!! I have been using my potting mix even tried my store bought compost and have had failer every time!! Thanks once more Gardener Scott!!!

[davidpruitt]

New subscriber here. I have watched alot of your videos and must say that you are the BOB ROSS of gardening. I like how you simplify things and your detail on matters. Thank you.👍🏻

[robertshorthill]

I take a strip of newspaper, roll it around a uniform form and seal the overlapping end with a glue like Elmer's. I fold in the bottom to make a paper pot bottom. It costs me nothing except about 20 minutes to make several. Then I put in starter mix and wet the mix till it wets the paper. I save those 7 X 10 inch salad containers that hold maybe 8 or 10 pots. The moisture won't evaporate while seeds germinate. When they pop out of stater mix they go under grow lights and they are on their way for spring. When baby plants are about 2 or 3 inches tall, they go into larger pots with potting soil. I can either peal away the paper entirely or leave it, I've done it both ways. The baby roots don't care -- they grow into the potting soil and get started growing. Then, when they are maybe 8 or 10 inches tall and ready to harden off outdoors in shade, but natural sunlight for 10 days or so, they are about ready to set in their summer homes for the duration of summer. It's truly a thing of amazement to see a tomato plant reach 4 or 5 feet tall that one grew from a single seed 4 or more months before. Cheers, my grower friends. Bob

[Alehamod]

Thank you sit. Very informative thank you.👍👍👍👍

[jenpaige]

Your video was so helpful! Thank you for this

[stephenmoberg]

Merry Christmas Gardener Scott - you’re the bomb !

[priayief]

Great information! I always get many good tips from your videos. I liked your method of germinating onions and leeks in trays. I have always used cells but it makes more sense to use trays ... dunno why I didn't think of that.


Last year I did an experiment to see which germinating medium was best for me. I used my own, sieved compost (no, I didn't sterilize it but I will in future), SunGro Germination mix and fine vermiculite. I sowed tomato and pepper seeds.


The clear winner was the vermiculite (in terms of germination rates and robust seedlings). Cheers.

[YunXing]

It is a amazing gardening knowledge world!And thanks a lot!

[PepinoG]

Gardener Scott. You are the best! What kind of seeds to you recommend?

[falconfarms]

Hey Gardener Scott, I found your channel about 3 weeks ago. You've given me good pointers and explained questions Ive always wondered about, thank you. I like your style of vlogging, van you share any advice on how I can grow my viewership for my channel.

[williamr]

great video! however, when you said to pour the condensation from the lid back into the soil, i believe it causes mold. i did that last year and a mold began to grow on the soil tops. it stopped after i stopped doing that.

[firefalcon]

i can second that notion on garden soil and bringing in unwanted guests. I BOUGHT a bag of 'garden soil' to move my tomatoes and peppers into after they got too big for the cell trays. Unfortunately, As i thought store bought soil was sterilized, well, it wasnt. I ended up with all kinds of tiny flies flying around my plants because their eggs were in the garden soil i bought from walmart. not going to do that ever again.

[kmiller]

What is the ideal temperature for most seeds? I heat with kerosene and wood so the temp in my home fluctuates a good bit. Thank You for sharing your knowledge with us and God Bless you and your family from middle GA 🙏 Kendra