Seed Starting Masterclass: My Blueprint for Success Every Time
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- Опубліковано 29 тра 2024
- We all know that feeling of disappointment when al the seeds we lovingly sowed have failed to germinate. It's so frustrating! So how can we avoid it happening and ensure that we get more success with our seedlings?
In this week's episode, Ben treats us to a seed starting masterclass, with ten top tips for seed starting magic.
For more videos on success with seedlings, check out these next:
The Complete Guide To Sowing Seeds
• The Complete Guide To ...
Sow Like a Pro!
• Seed Starting Success:...
Or to 10X your seedlings, watch this:
Budget Busting Plants: More Food For Free
• Budget Busting Plants💰...
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If you've noticed any pests or beneficial insects in your garden lately please report them to us at BigBugHunt.com - Навчання та стиль
Beginners can really get caught up to speed just by spending 15 minutes with Ben here. Even experienced gardeners can benefit from a refresh and a new tip or two. Well done sir!
Thanks so much - appreciate your kind words. :-)
Couldn't have said it better myself.
That’s why I’m here. Started gardening less than 2 weeks ago 😂❤ 9 sunflowers popped above ground :) but I think I killed a bunch of seeds in trays 😢 Live and learn (and get educated) ❤❤❤❤❤
I have been researching gardening for 40 years now, and this is the best video I've seen on seed starting.
That is an incredible honour. Thank you for saying that. Happy gardening. :-)
W
O
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The top of a refrigerator is also a warm spot to get seeds to germinate
Didn’t think of that- of course, I’ll need a note to remind myself where they are! 👍
oo thank you!
I've done it over my dryer 😂 laundry never stops lol
If you live somewhere with heated flooring, like some bathrooms have, this is also an excellent place to germinate seeds.
Soaking seeds before planting helped me tremendously.
A few years ago I started converting my backyard into a cottage inspired kitchen garden. Your videos have a great source of knowledge, humor and inspiration. Thanks for sharing with the rest of us!
You are very welcome. So pleased to have been part of your journey. :-)
I've done the same
I don't have fancy lights or heat mats but instead use polystyrene sheets that I have recycled from previous deliveries to make an "incubator" for my seeds. The sheets help with keeping things warm and because they are white they also help with light reflection back onto the seeds to keep them straight. I simply put my seeds on a table in front of the window and make a fence around the seeds with the polystyrene and some tape. I've been reusing the polystyrene for years now and it seems to really help.
What a fantastic method, absolutely love this! :-)
What a great idea! I don’t have electric (only generators & solar) but I can easily get hold of polystyrene. Thanks for sharing this brilliant idea! 👍🌻
I usually surround my grow shelves with foil emergency blankets to keep the light distribution
Oh thanks that's a great idea I have old polystyrene I kept for packing some day this is totally accessible to me. I've used milk bottles for tiny greenhouses before looked like a trash bin in my windows but worked and didn't cos me to buy seed trays. Was great for coriander. And tomatoes.
@@diannew5264haha I have a few of those I've never used they're always in a first aid kit and the last thing to get used!
Laughing at myself at how much the ice cube tray idea made me happy. Love the brilliant simplicity! I'm going to put it into practice as soon as I've finished watching the rest of the video. Thank You :)
That’s really great to hear. Sometimes the best ideas of the simplest aren’t they. :-)
Yes great ideas as usual.
You can likely use those pill boxes in the same way, with possibly easier separation when decanting if they have decent individual doors
Lots of tips and tricks. I appreciate your putting up lists and charts to help!!! Seeing it visually helps a lot!
So pleased they helped. Happy gardening! :-)
Hmm seems to me like this is all just a thinly-veiled plot to have a cup of chamomile tea... not that that's a bad thing
Good for the soul I reckon!
Lol 😁 love it !
😆
I missed the part WHY he was using the tea from being too disturbed by the chicken squirting 🤪 so had to watch it again. Hmm, mankind. The only animal that feels it needs to hide when pooping. Something that STEMS from the GARDEN maybe? 😆
😂
I’m so glad you said use the tea bag again, I thought it might be drink the camomile tea then collect your wee!
Haha, that would be quite something!
I soak basil and use a pipette with the tip slightly cut off to make the opening a little bigger, and use it to suck up seeds, then squirt them into the soil.
What a fab idea - love it! :-)
H202 is absolutely one of the best, PROVEN (in research) assister in germination rates.
Your demeanor and ways of presenting…including your humor…informative ways to handle seed starting, planting, tending, and harvesting the garden items is very well received. Your straight forward and brief-to-the-point advice has helped us get better and abundant harvests. Much appreciated. Oh, and I learned a few things in this video. Keep them coming.
That's so lovely to hear, thank you. I'll be sure to keep the videos coming! :-)
I'm saving this video as a reference when I begin to sow my seeds this year. Another tip I use is to have a fan gently circulating air around tomato seedlings. Makes them grow nice, thick stalks.
~ Sandra
That's a really great idea. I think you could also brush your hands gently over the seedlings to help firm them up and mimic the wind.
i blow on my seedlings to strengthen them
Don't forget the peppers as well! There was a very noticeable difference in stem thickness with my peppers that had constant fan airflow vs. the peppers that just had open window air exchange. The fan created woody stems a lot sooner, as well.👍
@@irenemacwilliam530 - I tried that, but got dizzy and fell into my seedling table! lol...
just kidding...
Your videos always arrive at the perfect time Ben 💪👍🌱
Haha - fab stuff! Keep up the excellent work on your channel. I'm checking in when I can. :-)
@@GrowVeg Oh bless you. You're a busy man so I appreciate it. I'll be checking back here when I come to gardening. I need to make some raised beds sooner rather than later I think
Thank you Ben for all the hard work you put into your videos. They are a delight to watch and full of such helpful information, I'm getting so much from watching them!
This, I particularly love the puppy breaks.
That is so so lovely of you to say. Thanks so much. :-)
While we don't condone violence on this channel ... but let's rough up our seeds! That cracked me up! I started watching your channel in August, when me and my husband bought our first garden in very bad shape. I have made an awesome compost heap that is now half full thanks to the many leaves of the fall and all the kitchen scraps we've collected and dumped there. This February will be my first ever time trying to sow seeds! I can't wait to see the results! Thank you for the awesome videos that kept me entertained on boring winter days!
I'm sure you will absolutely ace sowing seeds. Good luck with it all and I'm so pleased you found our channel. :-)
Not “ me and my husband”, but “ my husband and I”. Literacy matters.
@@judeirwin2222 thank you Jude, now let's discuss how many foreign languages you speak. English is not all people's first language.
I wish I had seen this video sooner! This is exactly the sort of video I have been looking for! Starting from seeds can feel daunting, but here it’s broken down easily. Next I need a good video like this about preventing pests
We've got you covered for that too: ua-cam.com/video/29xCQ1m_xTw/v-deo.htmlsi=8gYd87IKGiFJV925
Brilliant, thank you Ben. I’m a relatively experienced gardener and there are some great tips in there that had never crossed my mind. Really useful…a video that I’m sure to revisit. Ps great that you’ve posted lists. Again, really useful reference point and no doubt helps to make this video evergreen (pardon the pun) 😊
That is so lovely of you to say. I’m so pleased you found this video useful. Happy gardening! :-)
Such a great, peaceful gardening video. Thank you. A friend and I have had so many gardening adventures in our desert gardens. The first year, the mice ate all the watermelon seeds. We had to replant three times. Once the plants finally started growing, the early morning 'desert dew,' that is humidity, caused the young plants to wilt. As the weather changed, the intense sun burned the fruit ! We have moved on to peppers and some herbs which do well in the sun, and started growing grasses for the animals. Sometimes we just have to be guided by the land itself.
Yes, it is definitely worth concentrating on what grow best in your climate. Sounds like you have a very challenging set of growing conditions though!
I LOVE the idea of using an ice cube tray for soaking seeds....genius! I will give that a shot this season as I'm usually too lazy to soak (except my sweat pea flowers). And it's always great to see Rosie, she's such a cutie. Thanks for the great tips and I always appreciate your videos! I'm so excited to start seeds next month, woo hoo.
Thanks for watching. Sowing begins in earnest very soon! :-)
I recall sowing a full packet of rosemary a couple of years ago. 2 years of date left. Done in the same compost, same watering and temperature in the greenhouse. Was approx 30 seeds. One germinated. Planned on giving away many to my family and neighbours. Still have the solitary plant today and it's a beauty.
I am so pleased you at least got one decent plants from it. :-)
@@GrowVeg had many improved meals from it, especially roast potatoes.
That is still better than nothing. But rosemary is very easy to root esp in water, I do about 10cm long cutting and put it in a jar of water on the window sill, within 2- 3 weeks you get healthy roots. Semi hardwood works fine. Mint will root within a week. Once I tried with 5-6 sage twigs from supermarket, only one rooted, but the remaining could be too softwood.
Even as an Australian viewer, I found so much value in this video. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.
I'm so pleased. Thanks for watching. :-)
But since you are in the Southern Hemisphere, make sure you do everything in reverse...
I saw a video on how to start my canna seeds. It said to nick them with a saw. I tried and tried to no avail. Then I decided to soak the seeds in a glass of water over several days. Lo and behold roots began to poke through! Into a pot they went. Success without losing any fingers. 😂
That's a superb result! :-)
This is by far the best gardening video on the web, spot on with everything. The practices shown are tried and true, and it's awesome you are sharing them, so cool, thank you so much, I hope every gardener watches this. If I could just mention my own technique (sorry), which is using "old school" christmas lights as heat source. Has to be c7, the stuff from us old-timers' childhood. Table/lights/a rise (2x4), grates/pots. Obviously cant regulate heat via thermostat, but can lower or raise with the addition of extra strings of lights. I have been doing this in unheated areas for more than a decade, and am currently using it to heat a simple but effective hydroponic setup. I hope I'm not sounding arrogant, just trying to help. Thanks again for all you do, most righteous.
What a fantastic idea - I love this solution - and a great way to repurpose old lights. Love it! :-)
0:35 Master Information. Thats what needed. Excellent work
Great idea about the pre-sprouting so you'll know exactly how many germinated seeds you have! I'm off to buy a Matabi now😂
Great tips, thanks. After years of doing it, I still get a thrill from seeing seeds germinate. My own tips gleaned through trial and error include learning which seeds need to be out of freshly opened sealed packs. Old parsnip seeds for example are more trouble than they're worth but I've germinated lettuce seeds years after their expiry date. Having an idea of germination rate it useful too. With tomatoes on the window sill, I get 100% germination and rarely sow more than 6 seeds (in a disposable coffee mug) as my greenhouse will only take 6 plants. I get close to 100% germination with hollyhock seeds but lose at least half that die away early in growth, and so always sow plenty. For peas, beans, and especially sweet corn, I do a variation of the damp paper plastic bag but instead of damp paper, I use a sprinkling of damp compost in a plastic bag and keep them there until they sprout and begin to show seed leafs.
Some really great advice there. Thanks so much. :-)
Ah great I always have old seeds ..last year I laid a few on a pizza box and damped it down with a mister and saw which ones sprouted and which just went moldy and died and did nothing then I didn't plant anything at all whatsoever 😂
This is wonderfully wise counsel. Thank you very much.
I wish I was your neighbor.
That is very kind of you to say. Thanks for your support. 😀
Same
So many great tips! I always prespout my sweetcorn but never thought of doing cilantro, thank you for the idea😊
Brilliant! Inspiring information. Many thanks
I dusted off my garden planner this morning, perfect timing!
Fab stuff! :-)
I like the ice cube tray to soak multiple seeds. For my chilli's, i used paper mache/ cow pot cells and put them in a small tesco profiterole tub as a dome propagator and placed it on the window sill next to the radiator in the living room and then moved it under grow lights once they germinated a week later.
What a fantastic method you have there. Love it! :-)
Thanks my friend!!! Well needed information!!!
Great update as always Ben. I have never sown celery before and I bought some to try, they were pelleted and the package said soak 🤷♀️ so I did. You got it I had a nice mushy sludge in the dish but I sowed anyway 🙏. I’m going to be using the chitting method for lots this year. Have a great day from 🥶🥶 minus 14c 🇨🇦, Ali
Yes, the chitting method is very handy. -14C is incredibly fresh. Keep warm! :-)
One of the best gardening videos I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen thousands. Great job.
Oh wow - thank you so much! Really appreciate it. :-)
Thank you for covering the two areas that I have always had issues with: hydrophobic soil and how to properly prepare seeds for planting. Your tutorial relieves my mind greatly and inspires me very much!
That's great to hear. Appreciate your comment. :-)
Great video to watch as the snow falls. Very informative too. Thank you!
thanks for this teaching video, it helps a beginner like me.
Most of these tips I already know and use, but I really like your idea of soaking seeds in an ice cube tray. With or without hydrogen peroxide, putting each type of seed in its own little pocket saves a lot of space on the table.
Yes indeed, it saves so much space. :-)
You can use warm water instead of a heat mat. I like to pour half a gallon of rain into a pot, boil it and pour it back into the other half that’s cold. This works great to start seeds.
Great idea! :-)
Wouldnt that get cold in a few hours? I thought they took a few days to germinate?
Thank you so much. I've watched a lot of videos on seed starting but that was by far the best. The lists were particularly useful.
That's really great to hear. Thanks for watching. :-)
Excellent tutorial Ben and the team. So valuable is the information here, I just keep on learning from you guys. Thanks very much.
So pleased. Thanks for watching Mike. :-)
Wonderful timing! did some retail therapy and have quite some seeds coming my way. This is going to help with getting them to germinate.
I knew a commercial Brassica seedling grower. When the plants got to a certain size, he would stop feeding for the last week. Just water. This forced them in to a dormant state. Then when they were planted out, they grew faster than others as they came out of that dormant state.
What a great tip - thank you for sharing this. :-)
Already have practiced some of these, but some I had never heard of doing. I'm quite excited to try the new to me ones! My germination for peppers has been low or takes so long. I love tea, especially chamomile. The sandpaper one is also on my list to try!
Thank you for sharing!
So pleased this has offered a few new ideas. :-)
Hi! Been enjoying your gardening videos, thank you. Please consider doing a video on growing fruit trees from seed please. I can’t afford the apple trees at the nursery…
Thanks for your kind words. Will definitely consider this for future video. :-)
My husband and I want to add a couple of fruit trees as well. Definitely an apple, not sure about the second. SW Ohio, US, here. Videos would be appreciated.
Thanks for another great video ❤ the dog's expression 😊
She is rather sweet sometimes! :-)
Great tips, particularly soaking garlic cloves, I'm off to do that now!
With such a short growing season here in 6b of the Pacific Northwest, starting seeds indoors is really important.
Some seeds I see are just too small, such as milkweed or yarrow.
Thanks for the very fine tips sir.
You may want to try winter sowing in plastic gallon water jugs. I start many cool weather crops outdoors that way. I started yarrow, echinacea, alyssum, spinach, artichoke and many more and I live in Ct
Thank you for the kind words. And yes, definitely give the plastic gallon water, jugs method a try. Great suggestion! :-)
@@lgarden7086 Larger surface area to work with. Good tip. Thank you.
Am so glad the temperatures are given in both units, esp for someone like me who never grasped Fahrenheit. Centigrade is the only temperature I can relate to easily. Thankyou.
Growing down in Florida. Thank you for your knowledge. I appreciated the difference in seed temperature! Here we can't grow what you grow up north but we can grow what you can't up north! And that is awesome. And knowing the difference is key to making a good garden turn into a bad garden.
Absolutely. You guys must enjoy a lovely long growing season at least. :-)
Many thanks for yet another great video packed full of advice and tips. I have always had problems with seed germination. Hopefully this tear I will have better success 😊
I'm sure you will. :-)
very helpful video!!! Thank you
Awesome video once again!! I've been watching your videos since you started & seen how your channel has grown... I've always thought every video you've done is top notch & professional. You have helped me out so much with all these simple tips & tricks to make life easier, whilst gardening! I also have a question, where did you get your Hand Sprayer from? as it looks good quality.
Also Keep up the good work Ben... 👍🙂
Google Matabi bottle sprayer
Thank you so much for your kind words. What I’m using as a pump-action hand sprayer. 😀
I'll be pre-germinating my parsnip seeds this year! I followed "traditional" gardeners advice last year and sowed them direct on the 1st of May. Out of 250 seeds (Gladiator F1), this winter I had a total of 3 Parsnips! I think even if its not "traditional", if I use the paper towel trick or even the old pea-drainpipe trick for parsnips, I'm bound to get more than 3!
Definitely worth a try! Also be sure to keep the sown area moist as the seedlings appear. And use fresh seed - parsnip seed doesn't last for long. Usually around two years max.
Thank you, Ben! We actually have snow at the moment so it will be awhile before we can plant outside but these tips will be helpful!
Thank you very much for taking the time to research these methods and share them with us all.
Much appreciated!!🌱
Very helpful, and perfect timing as I plan my autumn garden, thank you 😃
Good morning Ben, good advice regarding our precious seeds! I by accident I found by leaving the garlic in just a touch of water makes them sprout and you can judge here to see healthy cloves or dud ones. I also like to soak the hard outer seeds in water, it does help to get them germinated sooner. Almost just common sense. A gardener's work is never done, there is always something to be done, clearing, cutting back, sowing, germinating you name it, hence you will have a flourishing vegetable patch and flower border. Thank you for sharing and showing how to get better results it will even get some to become enthusiastic and start sowing, even indoors. Have a great planting and planning day. Kind regards.
Thanks so much. As you say, a gardener’s work is never done. Keeps us busy, hey?! 😀
This video has SO much great information! Thank you! I'm just now beginning to try my hand at gardening and found a lot of great advice here!
Great video Ben!
Very good. I love the detailed temperatures, etc!
Thank you kindly. Brilliant and most helpful.
Brillant tips.Thankyou
I thought I was doing it wrong . But that temp chart was brillant
I’m sure everyone on this channel knows this and it’s really a lil extension of some of the tips . if you lack any real space and want to germinate a few seeds pop them in sand paper lined match box give them a shake to scarify
“ but here is the clever bit if yo have no heat bed or germination cover. Cover them on a lil piece of damp kitchen paper and stick it in a li air sealed lol plastic bag to germinate. And pop it near a warm area 0:15 After few days all the seeds are popping open to say hello .
😂😂😂 I didn’t see the end . Lol he does it there pfft
The word is “ little”, not “lil”. Lazy speech and writing mark you out as semi-literate.
So much information, thank you! I appreciate understanding not just what to do, but also the reasoning behind it.
Great video - exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!! ❤
I just really like how enthusiastic you are! The cool season crops are the ones that are the most difficult to get out because our spring is so wet, it rains right up until it doesn't and then it's just hot lately. However it's never too late to try. Who knows, it could happen.
Fingers crossed it will happen. :-)
Very instructive. Thank you
We have a balcony, it is our second year here. This video is the best for beginners, lots of useful information! Thank you for sharing and showing us we have so many options!
It’s my first year starting everything from seed. Very helpful indeed 😊
🐝 Thanks for the great video 🌻 this was verry helpfull
So pleased you enjoyed the video. Happy gardening! :-)
Thanks for the germination table.
Totally agree Ben 🙏🌱
A great recap, reminded me of many things my dad taught me. Always looking to learn something new. I will say, that bit about the camomile tea was fresh for me! 4:53 Awesome video!
HI there from NZ. This is such a helpful video. I will be watching it again and again. I took heaps of photos. And, I will write down all the tables and make a chart that I can print out. Thank you for taking you valuable time to make a very much needed video!
Thanks for watching Martin. You can also find the tables here: www.growveg.com/guides/seed-starting-masterclass-my-blueprint-for-success-every-time//
With so many gardening videos available on yt I prefer yours. Your enthusiasm is contageous. You waste no time explaining (the standard from other channels is a not needed long intro) and gosh it's really good advice. Your smile gives an upbeat, cute vibe of a bob ross for gardens. 😂❤ What is there not to like? Makes me wanna take up gardening asap!
Thanks so much. This is so lovely to read! Happy gardening! :-)
North American youtubers especially tend to do minutes long introductions which essentially rehash the title.
On top of the fridge also.
Good tips for cold climates.
Sick a thorough video! Thank you!
You’re most welcome, thank you for watching. :-)
Best , most diligent video ive seen on seeds thankyou
Very helpful, and well done instructional video! Thank you!
This is the most interesting thing you have done
And that chart at the start is very helpful
Thank you
Best video ever! Everything explained perfectly! Thanks a lot!
Love the organization list to plan ahead. Peroxide/water soak. Thanks for so many great tips.
Timely and great information, Ben! As always, your videos are so informative and get straight to the point. We appreciate that so much! Thanks for these tips!
That's really lovely to hear. Thanks for watching! :-)
Wow! So many golden pieces of advice. I learned the hard way that sowing too soon won't get my seedlings started. Actually they rotted 😅 Thank you so much for sharing so much valuable knowledge ❤
excellent video . thanks
Thank you for the charts/tables!
💖 Thank you so very much for sharing your experiences and wisdom!
Thanks for watching. :-)
Thanks for lessons... from across the pond 😊
Extremely AMAZING application you have created thank you so much
Happy New Year Ben and Rosie! Great presentation with the basics and beyond. I'm now a big fan of winter sowing in jugs that act as mini green houses. Nature takes care of much of the process, and the seedlings produced are lush and healthy. I'll try again with some of these methods, but a short bout of inattention (or a weekend away) can result in disaster. As always, you inspire us!
Thanks so much. I've tried the mini greenhouse method too - a great idea to get an early start. :-)
This was a very informative video. Thank you!
THANK YOU!!!! What a BIG help!❤
Starting spring seeds past few days, this info will make it waaaaay easier! Thx!🥬🥒🫑🍈🍎🍅🫛🥦🌶
So pleased you found the video useful. Thanks for watching! :-)
Very informative video thank you!!!! Got a lot of useful information watching this as usual
I have very cold windowsill, i used very thick polycarbonate sheet. It made huge difference. By about 4 celsius. 😊
That is a fantastic difference. Well done! :-)
Best video you have ever made! Good on ya!
Oh wow - thanks so much!
THE VERY BEST VIDEO I'VE WATCHED ON STARTING SEED!! ❤ I just need those gadgets.
Excellent video, thank you.
Super interesting thank you! As a beginner gardener this is really useful info 🙏
I am totally new never grown any vegetables this video has helped me a lot to understand what I need to do and how to do it thank you very much I have subscribed to your channel for more help as I progress ❤😊
So pleased you found this video useful. Thanks for subscribing - and a warm welcome to the channel! :-)