Starting Seeds

Seeds! Do I toss them in dirt and hope for the best? Do I buy/build an elaborate greenhouse system? Do I give up and never eat vegetables again? The answer to all these questions is: maybe... I mean, do what you wanna do. But a better answer to how to start seeds at home is that it's super easy, and you can even do it in tupperware!

Why can't I just toss them in the ground?

You absolutely can, but if it's not a hardy direct sow species (it will usually specify on the seed bag), such as radishes or onions, you're taking a big chance because it either won't have the correct conditions to germinate or will get eaten by some pesky squirrels as a seedling. The purpose of germinating outside of garden beds/pots is to give seeds the best conditions possible to sprout and to protect them until they are big enough to be hardy against the elements. In the garden, we usually use plug trays to germinate seeds that we keep at the Thimman greenhouses (plug trays are readily available at most garden stores), but since most people don't have plug trays at home, I'm gonna outline a super easy method for germinating seeds that only requires 3 things: seeds, paper towels/coffee filters, and tupperware.

How do I do this?

1. Fold some paper towels/coffee filters until they are the size of the tupperware you are using and thoroughly soak them in water
2. Squeeze as much water out of them as you can so that they are damp but not dripping
3. Line the bottom of the tupperware with 2-3 layers
4. Once you have your Tupperware lined, you can drop your seeds onto the paper towel or coffee filters in even lines. Germinating this way tends to have a high success rate, so you shouldn't completely cover the paper towel. This can make it very difficult to separate the seeds later!
5. Get one more damp layer of paper, and gently lay it over the seeds.
6. Put the lid on your tupperware and wait! The paper towel/coffee filter creates a great material to root into, and the tupperware acts as a mini-greenhouse to keep the seeds nice and cozy.

Check the moisture of the paper towels every 2-3 days and mist/add some drops from the tap whenever it seems a bit dry. Checking on the seeds also allows the opportunity for them to get fresh air. It's up to you when to pot the seedlings/put them in the ground. I usually transfer them when they have good looking established roots and leaves and are starting to stand up straight. An easy way to do it is to wait until they hit the top of the tupperware and run out of room.

Transferring them can be a bit tricky: the roots grow into the paper, and generally, don't behave in an orderly fashion. I usually spend some time carefully tearing the paper apart until I have single seedlings or groups of seedlings to transfer. Once the separating is over though, the paper on the roots makes them super easy to plant in! Just bury the paper into a lil bit of soil, and be careful watering until the roots establish into the dirt and can keep the plant upright!

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This page was written by Rivelin Wetherill (May 2020) and edited by Ashlyn Salao (September 2020).