I love planting garden seed starter plants to get them ready to go in my garden at the end of May. This year I bought a small indoor greenhouse to help with that cause, and I am so excited to try it out. It is about 5 feet tall and three feet wide and has four racks. This will allow me room to grow several trays of plants using my reusable seed trays, as well as room for me to get some other plants started like flowers, cat grass, etc.
If you want to get the same setup we do, you can get the greenhouse here from Amazon, and the SEED STARTER TRAYS from Amazon. I got my seeds and soil from Home Depot and Walmart. I also have some bigger/deeper plastic pots that I can use to transplant the seedlings too as they get bigger.
I have always enjoyed doing this because I can choose which fruits and veggies I want and get them started, as well as get my kids involved in gardening and excited about what we will be growing. We have several different grow boxes and garden areas in our yard, so I put them each in charge of one during the summer. We are sharing more tips on gardening with kids soon.
For the last few years, I have done this and haven’t used a greenhouse. It wasn’t too bad other than I had a hard time finding room for all the plants in the sun (which was usually on our table) and then moving them around anytime I wanted to use the table for anything. The greenhouse I got has wheels so I can just push it around, and it zips up so hopefully, it will keep my cats out. After we have used it (over the next couple of months) I will update and see how it actually went.
I will start my seeds in smaller containers, and then as they grow I will CAREFULLY transplant them into bigger pots as they grow. This makes them stronger and the roots a chance to get bigger before I plant them outside.
Here are the seeds I like to start indoors:
- peppers
- tomatoes
- broccoli
- strawberries
Other plants you can start indoors:
- cauliflower
- Brussel sprouts
- watermelon
- okra
- eggplant
- basil
- tomatillo
- kale
- cabbage
- celery
- pumpkin
I highly recommend using an indoor greenhouse to grow your garden seed starter plants. Other items that you may find useful for getting started with planting seed starters:
- Plastic Plant Labels Garden Markers
- Seed starter trays (or you can get)
- Seed Starter Tray with Grow Lights
- 4″ Plastic Plants Nursery Pot/Pots Seedlings (to transplant to as the plants grow)
- Portable Indoor Greenhouse (like this one) that can be taken down when not in use
I truly love planting and growing our own seeds into starter plants. Its fun and rewarding to watch the process and it really is fun to get my whole family involved. This is the perfect time to start your seeds so that you can get them in the ground around Mother’s Day.
If you want to get a head start, here are a list of seeds that you can get planted now so you can have an early spring crop:
- peas (replant every 2-3 weeks)
- spinach
- lettuce
- fava beans
- arugula
Seeds to have on hand to plant straight into your garden when the soil warms up:
- cucumber
- squash
- turnips
- beans
- carrots
- corn
- peas (plant these every 2-3 weeks)
What are your favorite seeds to plant indoors?
We are also planting flowers and herbs this week and I will update more with that as well.
Other gardening posts that you might like:
Planting a fall crop in your vegetable garden
Indoor Herb Garden DIY in mason jars
What to Plant in your garden (and when)
