Tag Archives: sow

Jiffy Professional Greenhouse

Some people like peat pellets and some don't. I'm one of those people who love them! I start out with the Jiffy Professional Greenhouse trays that can be found at many garden centers. I get mine from Home Depot. After I use the peat pellets that are supplied with the tray, I purchase a big bag of peat and use toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls to organize and plant my seeds, so I can re-use the tray and lid without having to pay so much for new peat pellets. You can skip buying the Jiffy Greenhouse all together and go to the recycling area at Lowe's, Home Depot, or Meijer. They have many flats there that customers recycle and that are free for you to take and use, if you plan on using purchased peat and toilet paper/paper towel tubes.

You can click any image on this post to see a larger image.

1. Using a measuring cup, gradually pour 10.5 cups of water over the tray to expand the pellets.

2. Gently pull back the netting on the top of the pellets nice and wide, as shown in the top left corner.

3. Yay! All netting has officially been pulled back!

4. Using your fingers, flatten the tops of the peat pellets.

5. Sow your seeds (only 2 to 3 per pellet) and make sure to label which seeds are in each pellet. I use an excel spreadsheet to do this and then print it off to attach to the greenhouse.

6. Don't forget to place the dome (lid) on the tray and keep it in a warm location away from direct sunlight. Condensation will form. When the first seeds sprout, prop the dome open.

7. When all seeds have sprouted, remove the dome and place in a sunny location. I use my table top light setup when this happens.

To re-use your tray, I am re-using a few peat pellets, but mostly am using tubes. Fill the tray with peat. Add 10.5 cups of water evenly throughout. Cut the tubes to 1.5" high and place in tray where other pellets should have gone. Then, follow instructions the same way as with peat pellets.

Tips:

• After the first true leaves appear, remove all except the strongest seedling in each pellet. If you want to save them all (like me), remove the netting and separate the seeds into their own individual pots (I use dixie cups).
• When the pellets turn light brown, they need more water. Add water by misting the seedlings with a spray bottle.
• To harden off your plants, place them outside in shade for several days and bring the plants in at night. Gradually expose them to full sunlight.
• Before transplanting them to their final locations in the garden, be sure to remove the netting so their roots can properly form. In my experience, the netting doesn't dissolve and stunts root growth.
• Dig holes deep enough to cover the top of the pellets. Gently firm soil around the pellet and water.

I created this chart because year after year, I was looking up all of the seeds online to figure out when to start what. It took forever, and I didn't always find what I was looking for right away, taking hours to find the information that I was looking for. This year, I decided to just make a permanent chart of when to start my seeds, so I could save myself from the hassle each growing season. It took me an entire week to research when and how to start each of the following seeds.

This chart doesn't include every seed, obviously, but includes the seeds that I will be sowing this season.

I will add to the chart for every new seed that I grow for years to come, and will adjust data and notes as I learn and grow. This probably won't be adjusted until next year when I get new seed varieties to try, but for now, I am happy to share my chart with you. I hope that it provides helpful seed starting information that isn't easy to find on the internet.  Feel free to save the Excel spreadsheet that I provided in order to edit it to match the seeds that you are starting!

The Date to Sow column is for Zone 6, but I have also included the When to Plant column which applies to everyone. The Light/Dark column tells if the seeds need light or darkness to germinate.

Feel free to download the PDF file here: Garden Hoard's 'When to Start Seeds Indoors' or the Excel file here: Garden Hoard's 'When to Start Seeds Indoors'