How to Start Your Own Seedlings- 6 Easy Steps!

How to Start Your Own Seedlings- 6 Easy Steps!

Starting your own seedlings is incredibly rewarding and once you try it you’ll never go back to buying transplants from the garden center! Learn how to start your own seedlings with these 6 steps to seedling success!

Some of the links included here are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. I will only recommend items I love and should you choose to make a purchase, it helps support the channel! Thank you! 💚

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00:00
00:53 Step 1- Seed Starting Media
01:44 Step 2- Water
02:46 Bonus Tip
03:38 Step 3- Light
04:26 Step 4- Heat
05:23 Step 5- Air
06:23 Step 6- Food
08:21 Bonus Step- Harden Off

#zone6gardening #ohiogardening #seedstarting

33 Comments

  1. @johnroydelacruz1433 on March 17, 2024 at 8:01 am

    Taking care seedling is like taking care children



  2. @RichardHart-bx9np on March 17, 2024 at 8:02 am

    Jenna, I just watched your garden tour 2021, I am truly inspired, motivated and excited about this coming year. Although you have 5 times the area and plant an incredible amount of plants, flowers and veggies in which I have no idea how you do it except for a love of gardening and work. Anyway your great attitude and determination has ignited the spark. Thank you for everything you do.



  3. @conniehoeppner4536 on March 17, 2024 at 8:04 am

    Very good information



  4. @hekkaunique9347 on March 17, 2024 at 8:06 am

    Needed this! Thank you!🌿♥️



  5. @ktsls82 on March 17, 2024 at 8:07 am

    Next Step Fertilizer is out of stock. Do you have any other recommendations for seedlings fertilizer? LOVE your videos! I live in Kimbolton, OH. Thanks,



  6. @borwaywong7921 on March 17, 2024 at 8:10 am

    very clear and easy to understand video. thanks!



  7. @helenmcclellan452 on March 17, 2024 at 8:10 am

    Great video, thank you!



  8. @biglipL on March 17, 2024 at 8:19 am

    I think I’ve been causing too much humidity for my seedlings. The pictures are extremely helpful



  9. @myretiredhobbiesgainesvill8140 on March 17, 2024 at 8:20 am

    Good information, very helpful and just in time. My pepper seeds have germinated, I got a fantastic rate, I think every seed sprouted. My tomato, broccoli and sage seeds are planted. Thanks for sharing.



  10. @kygal2873 on March 17, 2024 at 8:21 am

    Very helpful! Thanks again Jenna



  11. @archstanton9703 on March 17, 2024 at 8:23 am

    I’m thinking about hardening off the plants under 40% shade cloth on the north side of our house where they are more protected from the strong winds we are having. I wished I’d know about using a fan to get them use to wind but may still try it. I separated three tomato seedlings today and tore most of their roots. I planted them in 4" seedling containers using Walmart’s Better Homes & Gardens Planting potting soil and watered them with Seedlingers liquid plant food. The seedlings were wilted before I applied the soil, and I was hoping that the plant food would help with the transplant shock. Do you have any tips for separating seedlings? I was hoping to separate them so I could give them away to friends and family, but if I’m going to kill them all, I’d rather leave them be. What would happened if I planted my tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant in pairs? Any suggestions would be appreciated. By the way, the floating seed starting kits worked out great. Thanks again for your previous seed-starting kit comparison video!



  12. @tammynelson9568 on March 17, 2024 at 8:23 am

    Hello from your Ohio neighbor. I hope you survived this last big ice and snow storm we just went through. I have a question. I have a new garden shed (not a greenhouse). I has three windows and a ceiling fan in it. Sooo thoughts of using it for hardening off my seeds. From my house to there. Or would I need to keep the temperature warmer than a certain temp?



  13. @CBsGreenhouseandGarden on March 17, 2024 at 8:24 am

    Awesome tips as always Mrs. Jenna. Thanks for sharing this information with us. Stay safe and have a wonderful weekend.



  14. @RichardHart-bx9np on March 17, 2024 at 8:24 am

    Hello Jenna, I started following you last year and have continued for 2023. Learned a lot from you and admire all the work you do with all these vegetables. I thought today, are you a vegetarian or vegan? I will continue to work hard at this because there is nothing better than fresh vegetables. Thank you for your knowledge .



  15. @bbtruth2161 on March 17, 2024 at 8:24 am

    Another great video. I’ve been gardening for a while now, but only in recent years have I really started learning, hence my continuing experiments. That was one of the best start to finish seed starting lessons I’ve seen. In my experimenting this winter I’ve got lots of oops and you know better than that moments, things like damping off etc… try as I might, my house is so dry in winter with wood heat, but I think I have my water ph figured pretty well.
    I was one that tried making some soil from my gardens with out too much success and quickly gave up on that, especially for seedlings and because I don’t want other issues brought in with it. That said I have a few plants like my banana and my pineapple, some overwintering peppers that are doing really well potted up in some of my barn scrapings. Live and learn, just have to get used to the idea of having to buy seed starting mix and potting soil.
    On that note, my experimenting with coir vs. peat is having mixed results. I like the coir for drainage and fewer ph issues. My best results though seem to be with plain pro-mix which has the mycos, perlite, and lime in it. The mixes I made did not have the mycos added. So I’m thinking my results are kind of in line with yours in that the worm castings and mycos added are probably the way to go on a home made mix.
    Jury is still out on the lights. They all seem to work to some degree or another. I use a liquid organic fertilizer for seedlings, but very diluted. I will have to check out the kind you use. Good reminder for everyone on hardening off. Mess that up and those babies will fry. My deck works perfect. Saving the south facing side of my house for a lean to style greenhouse and I may build a few cold frames. Lots to do. Not long till the big seed starting push in my zone.
    Keep up the good work! Your seedlings look great! Take care.



  16. @PeachyBeanInc on March 17, 2024 at 8:25 am

    I’ve been binge watching your channel. I am embarking on year 3 of gardening but am scaling up quite a bit this year to produce as much as I can. Thanks so much for all the great tips, info and videos Jenna 🙂



  17. @rogerbeaird5742 on March 17, 2024 at 8:25 am

    Jen😄😃😃…and the award goes too …😄🇺🇸👋👋Jenna for the gardeners planters award 😃



  18. @rayehodgson1409 on March 17, 2024 at 8:29 am

    Just found your videos🙂

    Last year I planted asparagus in January. Worked well, as long as I got them into 6" deep flats, and provided some high quality nutrients.



  19. @akhtarali9854 on March 17, 2024 at 8:30 am

    Whole video is very helpfull & informative , do you use vermicompost to grow seedling ?



  20. @conradofm on March 17, 2024 at 8:30 am

    nice



  21. @susanhousley6901 on March 17, 2024 at 8:34 am

    Hi Jenna, so glad I’ve found your videos. Moving here from the UK where anything grows, you just have to chuck it in the ground, to somewhere with heavy clay and a short growing season was a huge learning curve for me.
    One thing I feel compelled to mention is the growing medium. Many varieties here offered in stores still have a peat mix. Stores and providers of compost etc. in Europe are working towards peat free mixes in an effort to protect the environment. Thousand year stores of peat are being decimated in the name of profit. These habitats are crucial to many creatures we share this planet with. Sorry for the preachy, preach but it’s an area us gardeners and wildlife lovers need to be aware of so we can help to fix it.



  22. @helenmansuy2169 on March 17, 2024 at 8:34 am

    Thank you so much.



  23. @jeffbergeron3288 on March 17, 2024 at 8:35 am

    Jenna, When using the seed starter kits that have wicking mats, should fertilizer be added to the water tray below or just water above as you did? Thanks



  24. @stephenmoberg8807 on March 17, 2024 at 8:37 am

    Bottom water



  25. @williamaber2791 on March 17, 2024 at 8:38 am

    Very helpful video. Thanks for sharing



  26. @kiravanderzanden on March 17, 2024 at 8:39 am

    How do you harden them off if the weather is hot, and you have work most of the day? Thanks!



  27. @FaithHopeCharity523 on March 17, 2024 at 8:44 am

    Jenna, what is your thought on soaking seeds before planting them? Also, Garden’s Alive is out of the fertilizer you mentioned. Any substitutes you recommend? Thank you!



  28. @lyndapierce2333 on March 17, 2024 at 8:52 am

    Thank you,very helpful to have all the steps covered in one place.👋🥰👋



  29. @JulesGardening on March 17, 2024 at 8:54 am

    Must say, this winter was nice. Like you said. Variety is the key for starting your own. We have had a pretty good go of it. This one company, wow their seeds just HIT. Won’t say here for commericial reasons, but very happy with everything we have going.
    Having a mess with the onions, well the sweet onions. So much WATER. lol.
    I agree on the seed starting media. Used, hmm, Sungro seed starter. Good stuff.
    Good advice on the watering Jenna. And yeah, really like the humidity dome trick. Very handy.
    Yep. Got the grow light thing figured out. Getting better Jenna. lol.
    Hey I got that heat matt. And yep. Made that mistake too. Heat mat under the brassicas. BAD idea for me anyway.
    oooh. Did not know that per fertilizer. THANK YOU Jenna. 👊
    Good show as usual. Thanks so much. 👍



  30. @charliehoos9773 on March 17, 2024 at 8:58 am

    Thank you 😊



  31. @GogWarrior on March 17, 2024 at 8:59 am

    Very helpful video..i learn a lot😍



  32. @bobbywilliams2839 on March 17, 2024 at 8:59 am

    Wish I saw this video last year. It’s basic no non sense and concise which is hard to find all in one place. Good video.



  33. @zephaniahmarion4890 on March 17, 2024 at 9:00 am

    I like to add xtreme myco to the seedlings hole, it really helps promote fruit growth..Myco is what actually feeds the plant because the plant can’t take up the nutrients and less the micro eat and break it down first, then take a s*** and then the plants eat the micro s*** technically but my buddies mendo dope in California get 10 lb cannabis plants using Xtreme Micro and I have been using it for years getting pretty dang good results myself..I totally suggest adding it to the regime.