Starting from Seeds: Step 1 Choose Your Containers!

Once you have decided to take the plunge and start your vegetables from seed, you’ll need a few materials. Choose the right containers that are best for YOU - your space, your available sunlight, and the kind of vegetables you want to grow.

There are dozens of styles and sizes.

If you are really new to this whole gardening thing and want to start slow, starting with some larger (4-inch) containers and growing just a few varieties is the way to go. These larger containers will allow you to start seeds and also allow growing room so you don’t have to transplant your seedlings into larger containers before they go into the garden. The downside is you are certainly limited to a small number of seedlings.

If you have some garden experience and are ready to try a larger variety of vegetables, trays of “cells” are the best choice.

When I plant many varieties of tomato, a tray of cells allows me to plant and care for 60-70 seedlings easily. I can choose the best ones for my garden and throw the rest on the compost pile or better yet, give them to friends for their own garden!

Please take note: you’ll need to transplant most of your seedlings from cells to larger pots as they outgrown their tiny first home.

Biodegradable pots made of recycled paper, wood and peat are an excellent choice if you want to avoid buying plastic - but there is a decision to make here.

These pots are single use, while a plastic tray can be cleaned and reused year after year. Another benefit to these biodegradable pots is that they reduce transplant stress. When you’re ready to put your tender seedlings out in your garden, many will experience transplant stress from moving from their little plastic container to the garden soil. With these pots, you can just plop the whole container in the ground and water well. The pot will break down over the course of the season and will allow roots to break through into the soil on their own.

Then there is always the tried and true terracotta.

So evocative of the garden, right? Just look at them! They say “I’m a gardener!” Benefits? They will last for years if you care for them properly, they are the prettiest option of the bunch, and the clay naturally sucks up water and will keep your seedlings perfectly moist as they grow. The downside? They are heavy and I often have to move my seed trays around to catch indoor sunlight in the early days of spring when it is still cold outside or when I move them from my indoor planting area to the sunny porch for a few hours a day. They are also more expensive if you are growing a lot of seedlings, but may be the perfect choice if you are growing just a few. I keep them around for beauty and save them for my prettiest seedlings.

Finally, here is a free option that will help keep some of the world’s plastic out of the landfill.

With a little adjustment, you can convert just about any takeout container or plastic food carton into a seedling starter. Just poke some drainage holes in the bottom and proceed. I especially love the ones that have a plastic lid. Many seed cell trays come with a plastic dome to help trap heat and moisture and the plastic lid from this yogurt container serves the exact same purpose! This is not your prettiest option, but it’s free and sustainable, so you have my blessing!

Look for my other posts on how to make your own paper starter pots or check out my video on how to make a self-watering pot (great project for your kids!)

Next Step: Potting Soil!