1. sift seed mix 2. use smaller pot 3.bottom watering 4. add fertilizer to seed starting mix 5. take advantage of newer grow light technology Thank You !
Hi there! Thanks for all your great info. I didn't add fertilizer to my seed starting mix so is there a way to get them what they need without transplanting into soil that has it?
@@roadmap5351get a liquid fertilizer thats like a 3-2-3 and then dilute it a ton with water and use that - thats what I've been doing and it works. I am going to try to bottom water next year
I always honor a man who's willing to admit that they were wrong and changed the way they think. A man that's growing to become better and better walking in integrity. Keep up the good work, Brother.
Great info. I am 100% convinced that fertilizer in the seed start mix of any kind helps to give the seedlings a head start. Fine seed start mixes are great, but the seed leaves pop up with the seed husks on the tips. Once over the soil level, they get dried out, hard to come off. A little more resistance could help the husk to get off of the seed leaves. It would be really interesting to see how each variable compares to method from 15 yo ago as controlled sample, have the other variables introduced one at a time. What makes the biggest difference, the fertilizer in seed start mix? The pot sizes, or the lights?
It's interesting that you mention the seed coat not coming off some seedlings because I've had a couple seedlings this year that seemed to have a stuck seed coat, like for a few days, and felt like they were suffering so I carefully removed them. I'm like am I micromanaging? Probably!
I was also curious which of the individual changes have the most impact. I imagine (and am hoping 😅) fertilizer and lights have a bigger impact than pot size.
Informative video, thank you. The 'armchair scientist' in me really wanted to see the difference in each variable, pot size, sifted mix, watering, fertilizer, grow lights. Probably a pain to do all those different pots! Interesting experiments nonetheless.
These tips are gold! I’m in my second year of gardening peppers mostly, and my first year starting from seed. I’ve definitely made lot of these ‘mistakes’ and I say it like that because one thing I love about gardening is that you can enjoy it how you want. You don’t have to min/max and you will still see results because life generally finds a way. That being said, I remember last year I bought transplants from a nursery, planted them in 5 gallon buckets, and they struggled a lot in the beginning to establish their root system. Even in summer heat I was only watering some of them once a week which told me the buckets were too big for the size of the plants, soil was staying wet, there wasn’t enough aeration, and soil was getting compacted from top watering. I had a lot of fun in my first year, but there were so many improvements to be made! This year I decided to start from seeds to I could get different pepper varieties and a head start to the short growing season we have in Vancouver. I had pretty good success germinating and just transferred about half of my seedlings from their cell trays to 3.5 inch pots. The advice on bottom watering is fantastic, as well as sifting your mixes. I found the compost I bought has a lot of small pieces of wood and I even found a rock which I’m not too happy about. I’ve also been using grow lights in combination with a south facing window which I feel has made a noticeable difference in seedling growth. Do you have any advice on bottom watering seedlings? Do I just always keep water in the tray or should I let the water be absorbed and even have the soil dry out a bit?
I think for bottom watering it's best to partially fill a tray with water, then place the seedling cells in the tray for about 20 minutes, then drain the excess water. The leftover water can be used for watering other plants, or save it until needed because it likely has some extra nutrients since a bit of soil will mix with it during bottom watering. Leaving the plants in the water too long will over saturate the soil and can lead to root rot. For most plants it's good for the soil to dry a bit between watering, but don't let it get bone dry. Most of us will be more likely to over water than under water!
I find judging the weight a good way to tell if things need to be watered. Feel how heavy it is just after watering, and note how it gets lighter as it dries, and you'll get a good feel for when they need to be watered. I used to think the soil always needed to be damp, bit it can be good to have a dry top layer, just check the weight to make sure they're not totally dry.
My first year adding them to the bottom of my seed starting trays. I had used them before for growing or grown plants but never seed. The only reason i didn't mix them into my seed start mix, was the castings I got had pest seeds in them. Placing them at the bottom of the tray helped keep some of those seeds from sprouting.
Add castings later at transplant. Seed-starting is safest and better in my opinion if everything is sterile--pots, mix, and even seed should be treated. In this way, you get no disease potential or bugs which is in almost every type of store-bought mix.
@@C3VoyageAgree 100%! I put my seed starter mix in an oven bag, poor boiling water over it and mix it well, then I nuke it in the microwave for 90 seconds. It may be overkill, but once you get fungus gnats and realize how hard it is to get rid of them, that extra step is worth its weight in gold. This year I washed all my potting materials with a little bleach in soapy water. Last year I had some weird stuff going on with a few plants in the seedling stage... not taking chances. I don't treat the seeds unless they are being sprouted in a baggie and it looks like mold. Some hydrogen peroxide takes care of everything.
Getting sticks out of your soil is key. Add perlite to your soil mix, bottom water with liquid fertilizer or add fertilizer, don’t transplant until roots are probably 3-4in. Or have 4-5 leaves. If you have large pots you can put 3-4 plants in each pot, then once they get larger you can separate & give them their own pot.
Hi Luke! Thank you for these rookie learning videos. I just learned a ton from this video. I watched it this morning and it happens to be the day I'm starting my tomatoes! Boy, did you save me some time! Thank you so much. I'd love to see you do more videos like this, showing us what you used to do and how you've changed over the years. This was just AWESOME! God bless you!
Super helpful! I have had a fungus gnat problem the last 2 years. Never before that for 14 years. I was afraid to do the bottom watering, but I will switch to it! I will start sifting soil. You were spot on with the tomatoes. Mine look like the wimpy one and I don’t get tomatoes until the 1st week of April!! You know your stuff!! Thank you!!
I watch your vids. Stopped for a while for illness. I am semi back, no garden yet I love it. Not only do your seedlings grow better, the potting mix vid was awesome. But I have watched you grow as well. Thanks for continuing. I know how hard it is to be, producer, camera person, editor etc. I really appreciate the work you have done over the years! Mitch respect uncle Dan
I learned bottom watering from Greenhouse Frank, who ran the biology greenhouse. When us landscapers got a chance, we'd sneak inside and hang out with him. He always kept a bathtub around and would just plunk all of the pots that needed watering in there!
This is really good information thank you. I was planning on sowing my tomatoes in bigger pots to save time on potting on. I also knew about giving them a liquid feed every so often but wouldn't have thought to add a long acting fertiliser. I've made the decision not to grow other than my perennials this year because we are finally just about ready to put our house up for sale. I'm saving your video for next year though when I hope to be in our new house with our new garden I can run with.
A year ago you did a vid about adding white sides around your seed starting station. The difference that one change made in my seedlings was astounding! I'll never go back!
You’re an amazing teacher, Luke! I’m in zone 6b, NE Ohio. I grew up “doing chores” in my parents garden and somewhat learning from them & my Grandma. I’ve loved gardening with flowers 🌸 and planting a few veggies🥒🍅 in the past 9 years…This is the first year that I’ve planted from seed indoors with heating mats and grow lights. Thank you for providing us with your knowledge!
HI neighbor. I am in NW Ohio. My first year to start things inside too. I grew up on a farm and we planted things outside direct. We never started things inside so this is all new to me. Love your videos Luke and have learned a lot.
Would love a video on which seedlings like to stay moist and which ones don't! Then I could plan out my trays better on how much the entire tray needs to be bottom watered. My trays are mixed seedlings because my garden is smaller, so I don't need entire trays of each type of plant.
I can tell you to err on the side of dry. Damp off is AWFUL. Brassicas hate being moist at all. Always bottom water brassicas and let them dry out between waterings. ❤better to maybe use a syringe or basted to water individual plants that seem droopy rather than soak the whole tray. Speaking from Years of tragic experience.
Now I wonder what the seeding in the 4" pot might have looked like is some water soluble fertilizer was added to bottom watering? And proper lighting. I guess what I'm wondering is if the pot size does really matter? Hmmm.
I look at it like a houseplant & you don’t plant a houseplant in a huge pot compared to the roots because the plant can’t soak up enough of the water which can lead to root rot. You’ll be wasting water as well.
Great reminder to always keep learning and updating your methods. More comparison videos of how you used to do things compared to how you have grown today would be a great series
STOP IT! I JUST finished watering my lil guys. My tomato seedlings are 14 days old today and they look exactly like the bad one. And here I was so proud T_T
Great info as always! And speaking of old videos, one of my favorites is still that one video that you did about multi-sowing beets, and your reaction when you stumbled onto that one especially massive beet. 😂
It is my first year trying to start a more bigger food producing garden, and I am starting to get sprouts right away, and they look healthier! What a pro tip on the sifting the mix- I notice there is always this really woody stringy just crunk in the mix, that actually makes it a lot more hydrophobic it seems. But I have been using worm castings. I noticed the ratio on the fertilizer you used in the video is kind of high, and I remember a lady at the garden center I went to telling me that any fertilizer above a certain number like 1 or 3 meant it is probably non-organic, meaning like closer to a synthetic thing. It looks like though, you maybe make your own. I use light, and I have fertilizer, now just to implement the other tips! Thank you.
@@GetFitEatRight Normally that’s how I do it. Full flats. So it looks like I’m growing grass. Last year I did about 750 onions that way. The problem I have is I’m only able to get to the garden on the weekends. And last year, after I planted all those onions, we had a freak heat wave and temps hit 40c. And those bare rooted onions just fried in that heat because I was unable to get there to water them. So. This year, I’m trying them in the cells. I’m hoping that soil plug will provide them a bit of protection if the weather goes sideways on me again.
If you are saving seeds from heirlooms to replant, you may still want to skip the fertilizer addition as you will end up promoting plants that rely on a fertilizer bump. The tougher plants that survive without that chemical bump will be better survivors to save seed from. Because, perhaps, gardeners cannot get fertilizer in a dystopian future where "home gardens are bad". That won't happen, right? ...
I use worm castings in my home made starter mix( 2-1 ratio peat moss and vermiculite) - after first set of true leaves, I use water soluble every 2 weeks-Steve zone 6 b.
This is a HUGE help! I love it that you are willing to share these secret pointers. I took notes and taped them up in my grow room. Thanks MI Gardener!
I found something similar this year, I started most of my tomatoes in soil blocks. I started a few in pots. The ones in the soil blocks did so much better, they are at least 2-3x the size.
Was your soil in the blocks and the soil in the containers the exact same? Did you add fertilizer to either of the soils? I have a soil block I purchased last year, have yet to use it. I thought they would get too dried out or the opposite too wet and fall apart.
I must have watched an old video of you saying no fertilizer for seedlings. I’m glad I keep growing and learning with you, Luke. I’ve got my Trifecta, now pray I can stay well enough get my seeds started!
Thank you for this video I planted my tomato seeds 2 days ago🤦♀️and used raised bed soil and didn’t sift it and I am using 4” pots🤷♀️ pray for my seedlings 🤣
Thanks for sharing! Just starting pepper and tomato seeds for the first time, and I see I'm only a couple hours South near Toledo. I appreciate the fast cut to the information with just the right amount of context. Have a great season!
😂when I seen what you sifted out I wondered where the plastic, stones, glass and cigar tips were. Decided to get Promix BX and totally different so far.
My whole mini garden is in my living room 😂. Bottom watering is so the way to go! Fungus knats drive me bits. Thanks for another fun and informative video ❤
The fungus gnats were a BIG issue because I have a LOT of plants and soil in my grow room . The yellow sticky gnat traps are GREAT. I use the ones you stick in the soil AND hang the ones that are shaped like a ball in my mini greenhouse and in the room. I have ZERO flying insects now. Amazon and even Temu sells them. MI gardener vids are the best.
I’ve been swearing by adding Trifecta to my seed starting mix for at least a decade. It doesn’t flush out with just the spraying of the soil, but it’s there right when they need it! Thanks, Luke! :)
From someone who is just starting out - your video is extremely helpful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. May God abundantly bless and reward you!
I want to thank Luke for such a great notification system. I received my alerts that certain bare roots were available and was able to run over and put in my order. Totally stoked as I can't find any of those locally. Super happy. Love me some MIGARDENER!!
This is my second year gardening and i always watch your videos as you put them out to learn when and how you are doing things because i wantbto learn all i can to grow a garden that will put food on my table, shelves and freezer i am canning to i live in Michigan zone 5 so i have almost the same growing time i have the best time gardening it's work but it seems to be a different kind of work because i enjoy this it's a stress reliever i just love growing everything i can
Hahaha, I feel called out 😂 I did all these things. Hi, I am a first time seed starting gardener 👋 I love learning and bettering myself through experience and people like Luke and Brian Lowell and Jess Sowards are the best kind of teachers ❤
Yep, second-year rookie here. I made most of those mistakes. I did learn to use the smaller cell trays this year. I will apply your tips to the next batch of seeds I start. Thank you!
Hi Luke, I just been growing 5 years yes the watering thing makes sense. Last two years such a problem with snapdragons and petunias. Put a few seeds in 3 inch pots. They died. This year I bought 5x5 incerts seem with small seeds to over plant leave them alone. Strong plants up pot them I plant by color. Oh well I try and try again and take notes. Been on your channel a long time.
Loving the videos, a little question for anyone who would like to answer, would you still recommend bottom watering if you are using a water soluble fertilizer?
Great info I never thought about sifting the seed starting mix. My seedlings are doing great now but they struggled in the beginning and now I know why! Thanks😊
We've always added fertilizer to our seed mixes in the past. Our best results though happened this year, when we a) withheld fertilizer from the seed mix and b) added liquid organic fertilizer only after the first true leaves appeared. We're seeing more robust root growth, more compact vegetative growth, and greater resilience to environmental and/or pathogenic elements.
I remember some seeds you started growing maybe in 2013-14? (I cant remember when i first started watching your channel) and they looked like the ones in the smaller pots here. I believe you had already changed how you were starting them bc i tried starting seeds that year and was not having much luck haha. And then switched to your method. Your advice here is spot on. I have some different opinions on fertilizer at the start (germinating)as it’s actually pretty hard to control it in smaller pots i have found. But waiting a week or so after germinating and then fertilizing or maybe fertilizing in the next mix you up pot into has worked well for me.
The biggest thing I've learned over the years is hardening them off. My job doesn't give me time to do it during daylight very often. Instead, I got some 360nm flourecent tube blacklights to supplement my LED growlights. I let them cycle with the grow lights from sprouting to planting and my plants bounce back from sun shock much quicker.
When I started gardening eons ago I remembered my teachers growing plants under fllorescent lights in the classroom, so I used basement florescent shop lights to start my seedlings, and I have to say they worked perfectly, and don't peter out like the grow lights do!
Thank you so much! Very timely! My tomato seeds just started coming up and they look like the one from 15 years ago lol at least I know what to do now.
I was watching an older video and saw you have no front fence from the street. You could put in a picket fence with a garden bed of garlic next to it for some pretty flowers but a useful edible plant.
Because lights used for growing seedlings have changed so much, I would like more specificity about which grow lights, how far to keep them from plants, etc. I am still doing best with flourescents (cool & warm) from Big Box stores versus "LED grow lights" from those same stores. Going for the true "grow lights" that cannot be found in most Big Box stores is not in my budget. So, why are my seedlings that are growing under "LED grow lights" not doing as well as those under flourescents? I imagine it has something to do with the space between the plant and the bulb, but I've not hacked that one yet. If the bulb is too close the plant leaves suffer, if they are too far away (6+ inches) the seedlings get leggy. Do you have a video already that parses through the current options and how to use them? Also, launching into soil blocking these past few years. Thanks. Love your info.
Super helpful thank you. I just started some seedlings, intuitively some in very small containers and others not. I use worm castings as the fertilizer, what do you think about that for fertilizer?
I can agree about the pot size because i also have noticed that my seedling was growing more in a small pot but my other seedling in the big pot took so long to grow so the growth rate was different
Thank so much for this video! I am a newbie to gardening and just started doing my own seed starter trays last year. Yep, I have too big of pots and have been top watering. I also just saw a fungus gnat. I am going to repot the plants again. Lessons learned:)
For tomato seedlings, I started using the double solo cup method and only fill the cup part way with seedling mix. This way, as the plant grows taller, I can add soil to the top to get more root growth along the stem. My LED shop lights have the right lumens and kelvin to produce the needed light at a fraction of the cost of marketed grow lights. But I am also taking my young seedlings out sooner for a little natural sunshine each day when it's warm enough. Don't forget to have a fan with low settings on the plants to mimmick gentle breezes, which also helps prevent dampening off. A little cinnamon sprinkled on the top, a fan, and a covered bottom (bottom cup) keeps the fungus gnats away.
As someone who is a lot like you, I respect the long game and especially the top tier pattern recognition it takes to get to that point. Also the ability to evolve with learned experience-re: fertilizer. My question is, you use granular fert for slow-release, correct?I am wondering how I am going to pre-wet my seed starting mix(premix big box store yellow package mostly peat) and add granular without it being a wet soupy mess? Also, I went to your affiliate link and it doesn't take me to anything but a "Welcome to Amazon Customer Service" page. I went to your store front and didn't see Trifecta there either? Just letting you know.
I definitely made most of these mistakes this year! I started doing bottom watering this year but stopped because I was using unsifted potting soil. I will try that again. QUESTION: how long do you leave them in the tray of water when bottom watering AND what grow lights do you use?
I really appreciate this video and the accountability/learning process. So many channels and influencers parrot the same incorrect information for the sake of content so the viewer fails. This was super refreshing
Great video. Did most of what you talked about this year for an early Florida crop. Will be starting to harvest peppers next week and tomatoes the following week and everything is lush and green. By the way, your Migardener large cherry tomatoes are going gangbusters. Hope they taste as good as they look. Hopefully the Florida heat and pests don't screw things up.
What are the stats of the improved grow light technology? What should we look for when choosing a new grow light, according to you? I've gone through several gardening communities asking these questions and I receive so many different answers, but I've learned enough to know that there are "new" grow lights available for purchase today which are a waste of money. I've heard people talk about lumens, kelvins, wavelength, and wattage, but either nobody agrees or it's been set out in such a way that I can't determine any consistent set of guidelines. I was going to make it a research project and get some lights for starting peppers and tomatoes indoors this year, but I ended up needing something off an online supplier with a minimum order amount, and I used what I had gathered so far to try to pick the best lights from what they had available, but my tomato seedlings are still much taller than yours.
Outstanding!! I learned a ton from this video and your other videos as well! I've been making these mistakes and have seen the same results that you are demonstrating in this video. Now, I know why...Thank you!
I stared sifting my mix 2 years ago. I noticed my miracle grow mix had way more large pieces than ever before. I noticed the mix wasn’t as good as it was before. I started using the Sta Green flower and vegetable soil that I put in my beds. I have had more success with germination rate than before.
Thank you Luke for this common sense, educational video! It is very helpful to new growers such as my self!! P.S. i live in BC went to school with your parents and LOVE your cousins!! 😂
There are tradeoffs with large vs small pots. Youre right they dry more quickly but that often menas you have to transplant before they get to the garden and some of us dont have time for that. I would argue, if you are starting your seeds late yes small pots are the way to go. But the earlier you go I think the large pot seedlings will catch the ones in the smaller pots due to simply having more soil mass to draw from. This is why nurseries charge more for larger pots because the plants tend to be larger in them.
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1. sift seed mix
2. use smaller pot
3.bottom watering
4. add fertilizer to seed starting mix
5. take advantage of newer grow light technology
Thank You !
Hi there! Thanks for all your great info. I didn't add fertilizer to my seed starting mix so is there a way to get them what they need without transplanting into soil that has it?
@@roadmap5351try liquid fertilizer
@@roadmap5351get a liquid fertilizer thats like a 3-2-3 and then dilute it a ton with water and use that - thats what I've been doing and it works. I am going to try to bottom water next year
Thank you for the break down!! 😅
@@roadmap5351 Maybe try some water soluble fertilizer
I always honor a man who's willing to admit that they were wrong and changed the way they think. A man that's growing to become better and better walking in integrity. Keep up the good work, Brother.
Yea I cought that ….respect
I've noticed that you use different sized pots and seed cells. Maybe a video on how to decide which size for which seed? Appreciate all your videos!
Yes!🎉🎉
I always learn something new!
@@lindazelms6741
O 5:14p I’m😅
lol
I would find this helpful as well!
I agree🙌🏾
Well first there’s the fact that you can remember 15 years ago and what you did!😂 Good info to have. Thank you!
I'm a second year gardener who took some notes last year (my first year) and I can't remember what I did😂
I don’t know how your seedlings can live in the small cell for so long. My tomatoes were going root bound in solo cups after 6 weeks
@beckymartinez9926 I use cell pots from vego garden. They air prune the roots. It''s awesome!
Great info. I am 100% convinced that fertilizer in the seed start mix of any kind helps to give the seedlings a head start. Fine seed start mixes are great, but the seed leaves pop up with the seed husks on the tips. Once over the soil level, they get dried out, hard to come off. A little more resistance could help the husk to get off of the seed leaves.
It would be really interesting to see how each variable compares to method from 15 yo ago as controlled sample, have the other variables introduced one at a time. What makes the biggest difference, the fertilizer in seed start mix? The pot sizes, or the lights?
It's interesting that you mention the seed coat not coming off some seedlings because I've had a couple seedlings this year that seemed to have a stuck seed coat, like for a few days, and felt like they were suffering so I carefully removed them. I'm like am I micromanaging? Probably!
..my thoughts exactly.
I was also curious which of the individual changes have the most impact. I imagine (and am hoping 😅) fertilizer and lights have a bigger impact than pot size.
I think I will share these questions with my granddaughter. She likes gardening; this would be a great science project for her.
what fertilizer to you use, I assume it is granlular?
Informative video, thank you.
The 'armchair scientist' in me really wanted to see the difference in each variable, pot size, sifted mix, watering, fertilizer, grow lights. Probably a pain to do all those different pots! Interesting experiments nonetheless.
This. "I changed 6 things and here is the amazing difference comparing two variations of 36".
You should make a video of you viewing some of your old videos and commenting what you would do differently
Luke I've watched your videos for about 8 years and appreciate all the tips...Thank you so very much 💐
These tips are gold! I’m in my second year of gardening peppers mostly, and my first year starting from seed. I’ve definitely made lot of these ‘mistakes’ and I say it like that because one thing I love about gardening is that you can enjoy it how you want. You don’t have to min/max and you will still see results because life generally finds a way. That being said, I remember last year I bought transplants from a nursery, planted them in 5 gallon buckets, and they struggled a lot in the beginning to establish their root system. Even in summer heat I was only watering some of them once a week which told me the buckets were too big for the size of the plants, soil was staying wet, there wasn’t enough aeration, and soil was getting compacted from top watering. I had a lot of fun in my first year, but there were so many improvements to be made!
This year I decided to start from seeds to I could get different pepper varieties and a head start to the short growing season we have in Vancouver. I had pretty good success germinating and just transferred about half of my seedlings from their cell trays to 3.5 inch pots. The advice on bottom watering is fantastic, as well as sifting your mixes. I found the compost I bought has a lot of small pieces of wood and I even found a rock which I’m not too happy about. I’ve also been using grow lights in combination with a south facing window which I feel has made a noticeable difference in seedling growth.
Do you have any advice on bottom watering seedlings? Do I just always keep water in the tray or should I let the water be absorbed and even have the soil dry out a bit?
I think for bottom watering it's best to partially fill a tray with water, then place the seedling cells in the tray for about 20 minutes, then drain the excess water.
The leftover water can be used for watering other plants, or save it until needed because it likely has some extra nutrients since a bit of soil will mix with it during bottom watering.
Leaving the plants in the water too long will over saturate the soil and can lead to root rot. For most plants it's good for the soil to dry a bit between watering, but don't let it get bone dry. Most of us will be more likely to over water than under water!
I find judging the weight a good way to tell if things need to be watered. Feel how heavy it is just after watering, and note how it gets lighter as it dries, and you'll get a good feel for when they need to be watered. I used to think the soil always needed to be damp, bit it can be good to have a dry top layer, just check the weight to make sure they're not totally dry.
As for the fertilizer, mixing about 10-15% worm castings in with the seed starting mix has made a huge difference for me.
My first year adding them to the bottom of my seed starting trays. I had used them before for growing or grown plants but never seed. The only reason i didn't mix them into my seed start mix, was the castings I got had pest seeds in them. Placing them at the bottom of the tray helped keep some of those seeds from sprouting.
@@thefilamentcornerthis is genius, I’ve had some problems this year with unwanted seeds sprouting in my mix and this would solve that problem
Add castings later at transplant. Seed-starting is safest and better in my opinion if everything is sterile--pots, mix, and even seed should be treated. In this way, you get no disease potential or bugs which is in almost every type of store-bought mix.
@@C3VoyageAgree 100%! I put my seed starter mix in an oven bag, poor boiling water over it and mix it well, then I nuke it in the microwave for 90 seconds. It may be overkill, but once you get fungus gnats and realize how hard it is to get rid of them, that extra step is worth its weight in gold.
This year I washed all my potting materials with a little bleach in soapy water. Last year I had some weird stuff going on with a few plants in the seedling stage... not taking chances.
I don't treat the seeds unless they are being sprouted in a baggie and it looks like mold. Some hydrogen peroxide takes care of everything.
@@joanies6778you are microwaving your starter soil?
Getting sticks out of your soil is key. Add perlite to your soil mix, bottom water with liquid fertilizer or add fertilizer, don’t transplant until roots are probably 3-4in. Or have 4-5 leaves. If you have large pots you can put 3-4 plants in each pot, then once they get larger you can separate & give them their own pot.
Hi Luke! Thank you for these rookie learning videos. I just learned a ton from this video. I watched it this morning and it happens to be the day I'm starting my tomatoes! Boy, did you save me some time! Thank you so much. I'd love to see you do more videos like this, showing us what you used to do and how you've changed over the years. This was just AWESOME! God bless you!
Super helpful! I have had a fungus gnat problem the last 2 years. Never before that for 14 years. I was afraid to do the bottom watering, but I will switch to it! I will start sifting soil. You were spot on with the tomatoes. Mine look like the wimpy one and I don’t get tomatoes until the 1st week of April!! You know your stuff!! Thank you!!
Thank you for showing me everything I have been doing wrong. I have been so frustrated trying to start seeds ❤. I now feel hope.
Thank you for updating your information as you learn more. I find this so useful.
I like to use bigger containers but I also use a syringe to water a small amount more often until they get established
I watch your vids. Stopped for a while for illness. I am semi back, no garden yet I love it. Not only do your seedlings grow better, the potting mix vid was awesome. But I have watched you grow as well. Thanks for continuing. I know how hard it is to be, producer, camera person, editor etc. I really appreciate the work you have done over the years! Mitch respect uncle Dan
I learned bottom watering from Greenhouse Frank, who ran the biology greenhouse. When us landscapers got a chance, we'd sneak inside and hang out with him. He always kept a bathtub around and would just plunk all of the pots that needed watering in there!
thanks for explaining bottom watering and how it works. others have brought it up but have not explained it well. keep up with the great videos!!!
This is really good information thank you. I was planning on sowing my tomatoes in bigger pots to save time on potting on. I also knew about giving them a liquid feed every so often but wouldn't have thought to add a long acting fertiliser. I've made the decision not to grow other than my perennials this year because we are finally just about ready to put our house up for sale. I'm saving your video for next year though when I hope to be in our new house with our new garden I can run with.
Just found you and already learned new things and also enjoy how transparent you are.
A year ago you did a vid about adding white sides around your seed starting station. The difference that one change made in my seedlings was astounding! I'll never go back!
What video or tip was that?
What is adding white sides around the seed station ?
Add white painted cardboard around your grow station to bounce the light back at the plants
One year ago. The name of the vid was: Increase the efficiency of your grow lights by 75% with these simple tips
You’re an amazing teacher, Luke! I’m in zone 6b, NE Ohio. I grew up “doing chores” in my parents garden and somewhat learning from them & my Grandma. I’ve loved gardening with flowers 🌸 and planting a few veggies🥒🍅 in the past 9 years…This is the first year that I’ve planted from seed indoors with heating mats and grow lights. Thank you for providing us with your knowledge!
HI neighbor. I am in NW Ohio. My first year to start things inside too. I grew up on a farm and we planted things outside direct. We never started things inside so this is all new to me. Love your videos Luke and have learned a lot.
Hi fellow 6b-er! I too learned most of what I know from growing up with grandparents and parents who gardened. Learning so much from MIGardener
Would love a video on which seedlings like to stay moist and which ones don't! Then I could plan out my trays better on how much the entire tray needs to be bottom watered. My trays are mixed seedlings because my garden is smaller, so I don't need entire trays of each type of plant.
I can tell you to err on the side of dry. Damp off is AWFUL.
Brassicas hate being moist at all. Always bottom water brassicas and let them dry out between waterings. ❤better to maybe use a syringe or basted to water individual plants that seem droopy rather than soak the whole tray. Speaking from Years of tragic experience.
@@peachykeen7634 I've had so many damp off this year. I started using a spray bottle but a syringe is a good idea!!
Now I wonder what the seeding in the 4" pot might have looked like is some water soluble fertilizer was added to bottom watering? And proper lighting. I guess what I'm wondering is if the pot size does really matter? Hmmm.
I look at it like a houseplant & you don’t plant a houseplant in a huge pot compared to the roots because the plant can’t soak up enough of the water which can lead to root rot. You’ll be wasting water as well.
now I can say I have 15+ years of gardening experience 😎
Can you do an update on the seedling please. Thanks. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Great reminder to always keep learning and updating your methods. More comparison videos of how you used to do things compared to how you have grown today would be a great series
QUESTION: What do you use to sift the soil?
I was thinking if asking my hubby to build a 2ft x 2ft tiny wire frame.
I'm 2.5 minutes in and THANK YOU SO MUCH! wow. I have been doing it all wrong.
I was putting my seeds in a big seed cell so not too have to move again later. I wa😅do that anymore. Thanks for your video.
STOP IT! I JUST finished watering my lil guys. My tomato seedlings are 14 days old today and they look exactly like the bad one. And here I was so proud T_T
Great info as always!
And speaking of old videos, one of my favorites is still that one video that you did about multi-sowing beets, and your reaction when you stumbled onto that one especially massive beet. 😂
It is my first year trying to start a more bigger food producing garden, and I am starting to get sprouts right away, and they look healthier! What a pro tip on the sifting the mix- I notice there is always this really woody stringy just crunk in the mix, that actually makes it a lot more hydrophobic it seems. But I have been using worm castings. I noticed the ratio on the fertilizer you used in the video is kind of high, and I remember a lady at the garden center I went to telling me that any fertilizer above a certain number like 1 or 3 meant it is probably non-organic, meaning like closer to a synthetic thing. It looks like though, you maybe make your own.
I use light, and I have fertilizer, now just to implement the other tips! Thank you.
Thank you for going straight to the point.
I’m growing onions in 200 cell trays this year. As opposed to planting seed like grass in a tray.
So far. So good
Why in cells, I just did them as a full flat. So just wondering.
@@GetFitEatRight Normally that’s how I do it. Full flats. So it looks like I’m growing grass.
Last year I did about 750 onions that way.
The problem I have is I’m only able to get to the garden on the weekends. And last year, after I planted all those onions, we had a freak heat wave and temps hit 40c. And those bare rooted onions just fried in that heat because I was unable to get there to water them.
So. This year, I’m trying them in the cells. I’m hoping that soil plug will provide them a bit of protection if the weather goes sideways on me again.
If you are saving seeds from heirlooms to replant, you may still want to skip the fertilizer addition as you will end up promoting plants that rely on a fertilizer bump. The tougher plants that survive without that chemical bump will be better survivors to save seed from. Because, perhaps, gardeners cannot get fertilizer in a dystopian future where "home gardens are bad". That won't happen, right? ...
I like this idea but the dystopian thing is kind of odd 😅
There is no fertilizer “bump”. He doesn’t use any chemicals. The plant itself controls nutrients uptake by communicating with microbes. All natural
@@seanwoode5037 Roots CAN burn with too much of a nutrient, just like how too much of a vitamin or even too much water can kill a human.
@@seanwoode5037 And that can happen even with a natural fertilizer
Great Video! I am going to replant my tiny 4 week old tomato seedlings like this and hope they do better.
I use worm castings in my home made starter mix( 2-1 ratio peat moss and vermiculite) - after first set of true leaves, I use water soluble every 2 weeks-Steve zone 6 b.
This is a HUGE help! I love it that you are willing to share these secret pointers. I took notes and taped them up in my grow room. Thanks MI Gardener!
The thing I changed this year was to water my seedlings with water from my fish tank. It was such an improvement in my plants' growth.
Great information! I just bought new grow lights to replace my flourescent shop lights.
I found something similar this year, I started most of my tomatoes in soil blocks. I started a few in pots. The ones in the soil blocks did so much better, they are at least 2-3x the size.
Was your soil in the blocks and the soil in the containers the exact same? Did you add fertilizer to either of the soils?
I have a soil block I purchased last year, have yet to use it. I thought they would get too dried out or the opposite too wet and fall apart.
I must have watched an old video of you saying no fertilizer for seedlings. I’m glad I keep growing and learning with you, Luke. I’ve got my Trifecta, now pray I can stay well enough get my seeds started!
Totally agree about bottom watering. So far this year, no fungus gnats. Also, I love chunky vermiculite on top.
Thank you for this video I planted my tomato seeds 2 days ago🤦♀️and used raised bed soil and didn’t sift it and I am using 4” pots🤷♀️ pray for my seedlings 🤣
They will be absolutely fine
Thanks for sharing! Just starting pepper and tomato seeds for the first time, and I see I'm only a couple hours South near Toledo. I appreciate the fast cut to the information with just the right amount of context. Have a great season!
😂when I seen what you sifted out I wondered where the plastic, stones, glass and cigar tips were.
Decided to get Promix BX and totally different so far.
My whole mini garden is in my living room 😂. Bottom watering is so the way to go! Fungus knats drive me bits. Thanks for another fun and informative video ❤
The fungus gnats were a BIG issue because I have a LOT of plants and soil in my grow room .
The yellow sticky gnat traps are GREAT. I use the ones you stick in the soil AND hang the ones that are shaped like a ball in my mini greenhouse and in the room. I have ZERO flying insects now. Amazon and even Temu sells them. MI gardener vids are the best.
@@cynsationalcontainergarden4911 I'll come check out your channel! I use the little sticky traps too, been a lifesaver.
I’ve been swearing by adding Trifecta to my seed starting mix for at least a decade. It doesn’t flush out with just the spraying of the soil, but it’s there right when they need it! Thanks, Luke! :)
From someone who is just starting out - your video is extremely helpful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. May God abundantly bless and reward you!
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us so that we can benefit from what your have learned over the years!
I want to thank Luke for such a great notification system. I received my alerts that certain bare roots were available and was able to run over and put in my order. Totally stoked as I can't find any of those locally. Super happy. Love me some MIGARDENER!!
This is my second year gardening and i always watch your videos as you put them out to learn when and how you are doing things because i wantbto learn all i can to grow a garden that will put food on my table, shelves and freezer i am canning to i live in Michigan zone 5 so i have almost the same growing time i have the best time gardening it's work but it seems to be a different kind of work because i enjoy this it's a stress reliever i just love growing everything i can
I am going to go smaller with my next phase of planting based on this video and the other recent video. Thanks for sharing your experience 👊🏻🌻👊🏻
Hang on.. were both plants using the same type of light source?
Is so, which spectrum is better?
Hahaha, I feel called out 😂 I did all these things. Hi, I am a first time seed starting gardener 👋 I love learning and bettering myself through experience and people like Luke and Brian Lowell and Jess Sowards are the best kind of teachers ❤
Yep, second-year rookie here. I made most of those mistakes. I did learn to use the smaller cell trays this year. I will apply your tips to the next batch of seeds I start. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing. Would love to know what type of grow lights you prefer.
Hi Luke,
I just been growing 5 years yes the watering thing makes sense. Last two years such a problem with snapdragons and petunias. Put a few seeds in 3 inch pots. They died. This year I bought 5x5 incerts seem with small seeds to over plant leave them alone. Strong plants up pot them I plant by color. Oh well I try and try again and take notes. Been on your channel a long time.
Loving the videos, a little question for anyone who would like to answer, would you still recommend bottom watering if you are using a water soluble fertilizer?
Thanks for the tips! No wonder I’m not getting much results with my tomato seedlings. I should’ve sift the seed mix and use a smaller pot.
Not bigger pot looks like it's holds the same amount of soil as a solo cup and that's what I've been using but they're working all right
Great info I never thought about sifting the seed starting mix. My seedlings are doing great now but they struggled in the beginning and now I know why! Thanks😊
This is so true! Thank you because I will approve the way I do things now.
We've always added fertilizer to our seed mixes in the past. Our best results though happened this year, when we a) withheld fertilizer from the seed mix and b) added liquid organic fertilizer only after the first true leaves appeared. We're seeing more robust root growth, more compact vegetative growth, and greater resilience to environmental and/or pathogenic elements.
I remember some seeds you started growing maybe in 2013-14? (I cant remember when i first started watching your channel) and they looked like the ones in the smaller pots here. I believe you had already changed how you were starting them bc i tried starting seeds that year and was not having much luck haha. And then switched to your method. Your advice here is spot on. I have some different opinions on fertilizer at the start (germinating)as it’s actually pretty hard to control it in smaller pots i have found. But waiting a week or so after germinating and then fertilizing or maybe fertilizing in the next mix you up pot into has worked well for me.
The biggest thing I've learned over the years is hardening them off. My job doesn't give me time to do it during daylight very often. Instead, I got some 360nm flourecent tube blacklights to supplement my LED growlights. I let them cycle with the grow lights from sprouting to planting and my plants bounce back from sun shock much quicker.
When I started gardening eons ago I remembered my teachers growing plants under fllorescent lights in the classroom, so I used basement florescent shop lights to start my seedlings, and I have to say they worked perfectly, and don't peter out like the grow lights do!
I use $15 4' shop lights for years to start my plants on a metal shelf.
Thank you so much! Very timely! My tomato seeds just started coming up and they look like the one from 15 years ago lol at least I know what to do now.
I was watching an older video and saw you have no front fence from the street. You could put in a picket fence with a garden bed of garlic next to it for some pretty flowers but a useful edible plant.
Started on my growing fruit and veg journey only a week ago and your video was very helpful, thank you
Because lights used for growing seedlings have changed so much, I would like more specificity about which grow lights, how far to keep them from plants, etc. I am still doing best with flourescents (cool & warm) from Big Box stores versus "LED grow lights" from those same stores. Going for the true "grow lights" that cannot be found in most Big Box stores is not in my budget. So, why are my seedlings that are growing under "LED grow lights" not doing as well as those under flourescents? I imagine it has something to do with the space between the plant and the bulb, but I've not hacked that one yet. If the bulb is too close the plant leaves suffer, if they are too far away (6+ inches) the seedlings get leggy. Do you have a video already that parses through the current options and how to use them? Also, launching into soil blocking these past few years. Thanks. Love your info.
Thanks Luke. I was going to use the larger pots for my seed tomatoes, but not anymore.
Super helpful thank you. I just started some seedlings, intuitively some in very small containers and others not. I use worm castings as the fertilizer, what do you think about that for fertilizer?
I can agree about the pot size because i also have noticed that my seedling was growing more in a small pot but my other seedling in the big pot took so long to grow so the growth rate was different
I like the wood pallets on cinder blocks good idea
Brilliant. Thank you. Having a massive problem with damping off
Thank so much for this video! I am a newbie to gardening and just started doing my own seed starter trays last year. Yep, I have too big of pots and have been top watering. I also just saw a fungus gnat. I am going to repot the plants again. Lessons learned:)
I would love to see the fertilizer mix in the big pot and small pot to see if it makes a difference keeping everything else the same.
For tomato seedlings, I started using the double solo cup method and only fill the cup part way with seedling mix. This way, as the plant grows taller, I can add soil to the top to get more root growth along the stem.
My LED shop lights have the right lumens and kelvin to produce the needed light at a fraction of the cost of marketed grow lights. But I am also taking my young seedlings out sooner for a little natural sunshine each day when it's warm enough. Don't forget to have a fan with low settings on the plants to mimmick gentle breezes, which also helps prevent dampening off.
A little cinnamon sprinkled on the top, a fan, and a covered bottom (bottom cup) keeps the fungus gnats away.
Best video ever on how to start healthy new seedlings.
I’ve learned from you and a few others on seed starting and a better way to grow my plants. Thank you so much.
As someone who is a lot like you, I respect the long game and especially the top tier pattern recognition it takes to get to that point. Also the ability to evolve with learned experience-re: fertilizer. My question is, you use granular fert for slow-release, correct?I am wondering how I am going to pre-wet my seed starting mix(premix big box store yellow package mostly peat) and add granular without it being a wet soupy mess? Also, I went to your affiliate link and it doesn't take me to anything but a "Welcome to Amazon Customer Service" page. I went to your store front and didn't see Trifecta there either? Just letting you know.
I definitely made most of these mistakes this year! I started doing bottom watering this year but stopped because I was using unsifted potting soil. I will try that again. QUESTION: how long do you leave them in the tray of water when bottom watering AND what grow lights do you use?
Thank you! I learned so much from this video, and also, those are the PERFECT glasses for your face
Interesting to know for a first time grower, what should I do when the seedling leafs starts to become yellow
Omg I am watching this and I think you just fixed my problem! My pepper seedling problem!! Too much water I think bc of the larger pot
I really appreciate this video and the accountability/learning process. So many channels and influencers parrot the same incorrect information for the sake of content so the viewer fails. This was super refreshing
Great video. Did most of what you talked about this year for an early Florida crop. Will be starting to harvest peppers next week and tomatoes the following week and everything is lush and green. By the way, your Migardener large cherry tomatoes are going gangbusters. Hope they taste as good as they look. Hopefully the Florida heat and pests don't screw things up.
What are the stats of the improved grow light technology? What should we look for when choosing a new grow light, according to you? I've gone through several gardening communities asking these questions and I receive so many different answers, but I've learned enough to know that there are "new" grow lights available for purchase today which are a waste of money. I've heard people talk about lumens, kelvins, wavelength, and wattage, but either nobody agrees or it's been set out in such a way that I can't determine any consistent set of guidelines. I was going to make it a research project and get some lights for starting peppers and tomatoes indoors this year, but I ended up needing something off an online supplier with a minimum order amount, and I used what I had gathered so far to try to pick the best lights from what they had available, but my tomato seedlings are still much taller than yours.
Outstanding!! I learned a ton from this video and your other videos as well! I've been making these mistakes and have seen the same results that you are demonstrating in this video. Now, I know why...Thank you!
I’ve been learning right along with you, glad you are a step ahead though! I share information with friends! Thank you!
You sir have a new subscriber, from over the pond! 👍🏼
I found that a heat-mat set to 80 degrees F made a huge difference in germination and very early growth.
Great video, I will start sifting. What lights exactly are better?
Have new grow lights this year, our seedlings are going INSANE, loving it.
Which grow lights do you use
@@eunicedeoliveira1974 some Spider Farmer lights on one rack and the other has Barrinas
I stared sifting my mix 2 years ago. I noticed my miracle grow mix had way more large pieces than ever before. I noticed the mix wasn’t as good as it was before. I started using the Sta Green flower and vegetable soil that I put in my beds. I have had more success with germination rate than before.
Thank you Luke for this common sense, educational video! It is very helpful to new growers such as my self!! P.S. i live in BC went to school with your parents and LOVE your cousins!! 😂
There are tradeoffs with large vs small pots. Youre right they dry more quickly but that often menas you have to transplant before they get to the garden and some of us dont have time for that. I would argue, if you are starting your seeds late yes small pots are the way to go. But the earlier you go I think the large pot seedlings will catch the ones in the smaller pots due to simply having more soil mass to draw from. This is why nurseries charge more for larger pots because the plants tend to be larger in them.