What Exciting Time Is It… It’s Seed Starting Time!

There are a couple ways to start and grow a garden. From seed, either inside or direct sow into the ground. Or from starts that you buy at your local nursery.

To be honest, there is no wrong way to do it as long as you are following your frost dates in your area and aren’t putting them outside too early.

While I have tried all the methods above, my favorite is starting seeds inside and then moving them outside when the risk of frost is over in my area.

There are a couple reasons I prefer doing it this way:

1. Cost

My number one reason for starting seeds inside is cost. It is incredibly cheaper to buy a pack of seeds and start them yourself, then to buy a started plant at the nursery. Not to mention when you buy a pack of seeds you usually get way more seeds than you need for one growing season. I have had success using the same packet of seeds the following year! BIG savings there!

2. Earlier Harvest

I love that I can start the process inside early and get the plants going good before bringing them outside to get a harvest earlier. This is exceptionally important if you live in a climate with a shorter growing period. Yummy, delicious fruits and vegetables sooner then expected…. Yes please!

3. I’m a Nerd

My last reason for loving starting seeds inside is, I’m just a nerd and absolutely thrive on seeing my seeds germinate and pop up. 🤣 Watching the life cycle of the plant start from a little seed and sprout up makes me so happy! Not to mention, how invested I feel for each little plant. Putting your hard work into planting a seed, watering it, giving it light, and then watching it sprout makes you so invested in your garden that you can’t help but take precious care of it all summer long…. Even when the days get hot.

So now your thinking…

“I want to start my own seeds! But how?”

In my newest You Tube video below, I walk you step by step on how I start my seeds. I show you my set up and what it looks like in my house. I show you what I use to flag each one in the beginning, so I remember what I plant in each cup. And finally, I show you how I separate out my plants and tag them when 2 or more seeds germinate in each cup.

My favorite place to buy my seeds is online at Baker Seed Co. They usually ship for free, and I almost always get a fun free packet of seeds in the bunch to try! I have included their website here.

One other thing to note…. There is an initial investment up front with buying the shelf (if you don’t already have one that would work), the grow lights, and the trays. But after the first year your investment pays off because you are able to use it year after year!

Disclosure: My posts contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You won’t pay a penny more, but I will receive a small commission.

I have linked everything I use in my seed starting set up to my amazon store front, under “Homestead Resources”. You can find my Amazon storefront here. I did not link my grow lights, because I did not buy them on Amazon. I bought them at my local Home Depot years ago.

Don’t be intimidated…

My very first year I was so intimidated. I kept thinking, if this is a total flop at least I didn’t invest that much in seeds and will still have time to buy starts… But much to my surprise everything sprouted, and I had a wonderful garden that year with a bountiful harvest!

So, here is a bit of encouragement…. Even though it may seem intimidating and hard, try it! I promise you will be really happy you did. It really is simple and so rewarding in the end!