Most Common Seed Starting Mistakes to Avoid

These are some of the most common Seed Starting Mistakes many new gardeners make. This guide will help you to avoid them and encourage you to grow seedlings that will survive the test of time.

1. Placing Incorrectly

Plant the seeds at a spot where you will not forget to take care of them. You also have to make sure that the conditions for the plants to grow healthy are good. As a tip you can label the seeds including the sowing days in that way you can see the difference between each seed.

2. Wrong Soil

Seeds are sensitive so you need to take extra care in which soil you plant them. You can use a seed starting mix or soilless growing medium that is not rich.

3. Planting Seeds Deep in the Soil

Number one rule is to always read the label on how to plant a certain seed and how deep it has to be in the soil. Because it is always safer to plant the seed too shallow than too deep.

4. Not Starting at the Right Time

The easiest way to know when is the right time to plant a seed is to make a personal planned calendar. Based on the weather in your area you will know when is the right time to plant a certain seed.

5. Improper Watering

The best way to water the seed properly is to pre-wetting the seed starting mix. After that use a spray bottle rather than a watering can to avoid putting too much water on the seed which can displace the seed or uproot the baby plants.

6. Too Much or Too Little Sunlight

For the best growth of the plant it is better to keep them in the Eastern direction, exposure to bright indirect light and morning sun is also beneficial.

7. Using a Fertilizer

After the appearance of the seeds first or second leave you can start adding the plant a one – quarter dose of balanced liquid feed.

8. Not Soaking Large Seeds

When you are planting a larger seed it is always good to soak them overnight to help them sprout more quickly.

9. Growing So Many Seeds Together

Too much seed in a pot will create a competition for nutrients so the best way is to plant a single seed in a small pot and 3-4 seeds in a medium pot.

10. Not Using Viable Seeds

Before you plant a seed, put them in a glass of water. If the seed is sinking that means that the seed is viable and will be able to germinate in normal conditions, but if the seed is floating that means that the germinations will be of low rate.

11. Not Caring About Temperature

The perfect soil temperature is 60 to 85 F or 15 to 30 C and anything above and below this temperature your germination rate will dip.