Jul. 28, 2025
When we began starting our own seedlings I really had no idea what I needed. I looked around at local shops and talked to friends and quickly became overwhelmed. Then a light bulb went off. Plants sprout every season in nature without anything fancy. I took a deep breath and began planting with just the basics. Soil, water, light, and seeds.
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Over the years I’ve attended many seminars, read countless books and articles and when it comes to supplies most gardeners will tell you all you need are the 5 items I’m going to share with you.
If you’re not sure of the benefits of starting your own seeds be sure to read: The Benefits of Growing Your Own Seedlings
You don’t need to buy a ton of expensive indoor seed starting supplies and equipment, but you will need to purchase a few things. Besides seeds, the main essentials are seed planting trays, and a high-quality seedling soil mix or peat pellets and light. In addition to these essentials, you may want to buy a heat mat and some fertilizer. I’ll talk about each of these types of supplies in detail next, so you can figure out exactly what you’ll need to get started.
If you’re a beginner, I recommend using plastic seed starting trays or buying some kind of a seed starting kit (like this peat pellet kit). Using containers that are specifically designed for growing seeds indoors like these will make it much easier for you. We’ve been using the domed trays for 4 years and have had great success with them. That domed lid keeps the soil moist and warm.
If you already have seedling trays that you’re planning on reusing, it’s crucial to clean and disinfect them first. Disinfecting seed trays will help prevent diseases that can wipe out your seedlings. Learn exactly how to clean and disinfect your seedling trays. This is a step that I never skip.
To give your seedlings the best start you want to plant them in a seed starter mix. Seed starter mixes can be purchased or made. The mix you want to use actually contains no soil. Seed starting mixes improve moisture retention and promote better root growth. The light and airy mixture is perfect for those delicate little roots that will be developing at first.
After the first true leaves appear and they are ready to be transplanted into larger pots you can move to a traditional organic potting mixture.
Avoid using soil from outside, it dries out too quickly and can damage your plants.
Lights are a must if you want strong plants with straight stems and green leaves. You can’t get the same effect by placing them on a window sill. Seedlings need consistent light throughout the day. There are some great plant light kits and stands on Amazon and at local plant shops. Scott and made our set up to accommodate our shelves. We purchased the light strips and bulbs at Home Depot.
Heating mats are often considered optional but they make a huge difference in the amount of time it takes a seed to germinate! Our seeds germinate in a matter of 2-3 days instead of 10+ days shown on the seed packet. That time makes a difference in the size of the plant you will be transplanting once it warms up outside. We have two very large ones and one small one. We’ve had the same VIVOSUN mats for years and the mats still look and work like new!
Without water, your seeds will not germinate. Allow the soil to dry out and your plant will quickly show signs of stress. You want to keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. The tiny hairs on the roots like to breathe and too much water will prevent that. We water our seedling with rainwater from our barrels. Distilled water works great too. I avoid tap water but it will work too.
This one is optional but suggested.
A seed actually contains all of the nutrients it needs to get started. That being said I like to use either a light seaweed emulsion on our seedlings or compost tea. I’ll share more about how we fertilize in an upcoming post.
There are so many other cool things you can buy for seedling starting these are just, in my opinion, the must-haves. Do you start your own seedlings? Did I leave anything out?
Start the gardening season off with strong, healthy seedlings by using quality seed starting supplies. Discover eight of the best seed starting containers and pots, from large high end, reusable trays to budget-friendly, DIY seed starting supplies.
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What is the best container to start seeds indoors? That is a common question among gardeners and homesteaders. Can I just use a plastic cup? Do official seed starting kits have a better germination rate? There are many unknowns when you first begin to plan a garden. And a lot of conflicting information available online and in books can occasionally make the task of starting seeds indoors a bit overwhelming.
When my husband and I began gardening several years back, we were fortunate to have a “head start” thanks to my mom and dad. You see my parents had been gardening since I was a child. Having lived in multiple states and two different countries, they experienced poor soil, cold climates, wet and dry seasons, various gardening methods, small backyard gardens as well as a large garden on the farm. Their knowledge and expertise helped us navigate the gardening world quickly.
Soil blocking was the first method we used to sow seeds indoors. We used the England-made Ladbrooke soil blocker and a stack of styrofoam food trays. The germination and transplant rate were quite high. Given the success we had, we continued to use the soil blocking system for many years. As our garden expanded we began diving into other types of seed starting trays and containers. Some worked out great while others gave us less than desirable results. Currently our top two favorite seed starting containers are still the soil block method as well as the large, heavy duty Winstrip tray. Even though we do our primary seed starting in those two containers, we often are found rifling through the garage to find old pots and plastic cups when in need of additional vessels for transplanting sizable plants like luffa and tomatoes.
My hope for you is that this article will give you the needed information to select the best seed starting container for your specific needs.
There are a variety of ways to sow seeds indoors. Below is a compilation of eight of our favorite seed starting containers that have proved to be successful throughout several years of gardening. On the list you will find everything from professional germination trays and the best reusable containers to common vessels for the beginner gardeners and DIY seed starting supplies.
A Winstrip tray, built by Neversink Tools are a terrific, heavy duty plastic seed starting tray. These trays come in a variety of sizes, from 50 cells to 288 cells and work similar to the idea of a soil block. At the bottom of the tray there are uniquely shaped large holes allowing the roots of the plant to grow strong instead of circling into a tangled mess.
While the initial cost of the trays is a bit of an investment, if you purchase the trays in bulk quantities, you will receive quite a discount. We have had our Winstrip trays for a few seasons now and have been very impressed.
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Neversink Tools
Influenced by another fellow homesteader, last gardening season I purchased the SuperSeed starting trays from Burpee. The bell peppers, cayenne and jalapeños we grew in the seed trays germinated well. The silicone bottom made it easy to pop the plant out when it was time to transplant into the garden. A transparent black watering tray below the cells helps to collect excess water and prevent root damage. We have been happy with our purchase and have found the seed containers to be easy to clean after the seedlings have been transplanted.
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Amazon
Burpee
Home Depot
The very first way we started seeds indoors was with a soil blocker. Many of our small seeds were planted into the tiny soil block using the Ladbrooke 3/4-inch soil blocker. When the plants outgrew their square, we transplanted the micro block into a large 4-inch mold. The blocks were placed on a small food tray to keep them together and collect any extra water.
The benefits of soil blocking are endless. We like to use soil blocks because it prevents the plants from being root bound and helps reduce the shock of being transplanted. Because the soil blocks are “pot-less” we have additional space to grow more seeds on our indoor seed starting shelving unit.
The company is the world’s best cheap seed starting trays supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
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Amazon
Ladbrooke
If you are a beginner gardener or are looking for a seed starting tray that is very inexpensive, a lightweight plastic growing tray may be what you are looking for. These types of trays can have multiple seed cells or you can find them built as a giant flat. They are available at almost all hardware stores and sometimes are sold at grocery stores.
I find the large growing flats useful as a drainage tray but they can also be used as a propagation tray for wheatgrass and micro greens. The downside to these types of trays is that they often only last for a season or two unless used very carefully.
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True Leaf Market
Home Depot
When you see a solo cup, most people think of a big shindig or party. But they can be used for so much more than just drinking. Red solo cups are excellent for starting seeds and transplanting a seedling into a bigger pot. Last year, I started our okra seeds in small soil blocks. When they had outgrown the block, I transferred them to a solo cup. I pricked a hole in the bottom of the cup for drainage and labeled them according to their plant identification. Surprisingly, even though the cups are lightweight they are quite durable and get be reused several times.
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Walmart
Grocery stores
Retail discount stores
Small gardening pots are great to start seedlings in. There are a variety of materials and sizes to choose from. Square plastic pots are among the most common because they can easily fit into a garden tray or flat. Other options include biodegradable pots, clay pots and galvanized planters. Whichever you select, be sure the container has a drainage hole on the bottom of the pot.
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Hardware stores
Walmart
Meijers
If you don’t have any plastic cups on hand, styrofoam coffee cups work well for starting seeds indoors. Simply fill the cup 3/4 full with quality potting soil or a seed starting mix. Poke a hole into the center of the dirt, place your seed and cover with a light layer of soil. Plant only one seed per cup to avoid overcrowding.
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An aluminum pan that you would normally cook a lasagna in is a great DIY seed starter tray. We like to use them to plant a large amount of seeds at once. The foil pan is filled with potting soil then we sprinkle the seeds among the dirt and lightly cover with another layer of soil. The seeds are spritzed with water and placed in a warm spot to germinate. After the seeds have sprouted we transfer them to something like the Winstrip seed starting tray so that each plant has its own cell and the roots do not interweave and become a tangled.
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If you’re not ready to make the plunge into seed starting supplies there are many common household items that can be easily turned into seed starting trays. Here are a few homemade seed starter ideas:
There are many plants, such as tomatoes and bell peppers that will have a far superior growing capability if started indoors. The best way to determine if you should start a seed indoors is to look on the back of a seed packet. There you will find information about how long it takes the seed to sprout, the ideal temperature the plant likes to grow in and when to expect to harvest the plant. Below are just a few of many seeds that should be started indoors:
The timeframe of when to start your seeds indoors depends on where you live. It is best to begin your seeds about 45-60 days before your last frost date. Before you sow your seeds, you will need to determine your zone number. Knowing what zone you are in will not only help you to be aware of when to begin planting your seeds indoors but it will also help you determine what plant thrives in your area and what does not.
Yes and no. To be honest there have been years that I did not disinfect my seedling trays and my plants grew beautifully. Other years I have given my seed starting trays a quick spray and rinse and had no problems with disease. The reason you would want to disinfect your seed containers is if you had any problems with disease or fungi issues in the previous years.
To sterilize your seed trays rinse out any remaining soil with water. Spray the containers with either bleach, vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Let everything sit and dry completely before using the trays. I have also found sitting the trays outside in the sunshine can not only help disinfect the trays but also encourage them to dry quickly.
A light covering can be beneficial when starting seeds indoors, however it isn’t required. By adding a cover or layer of plastic wrap over the seed trays, you create a greenhouse-like effect. This helps to keep the soil moist and warm until the seeds sprout. Once sprouted, you can remove the cover.
Plants such as peppers, lettuce and lemon balm can stay in a small seed starting tray for a couple of weeks. As the plant grows bigger you will need to transplant them into a larger container. By “potting-up” you provide the seedling more nutrients and room for their root system to expand.
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