How to Grow Seedlings: Personal Experience + Instruction

Seedlings — a scary word for all beginner gardeners. Blogger Annie Selke knows this from experience — she went through all stages and came up with a simple way that even the most uncertain beginner can manage. The girl shared this in her blog, and we decided to share it with you.

With this instruction, you can easily grow plants right at home and then transplant them into the ground in the garden. Since the newspaper we use for pots easily decomposes, it can be planted into the soil along with the seedlings.

Step 1

Take a small pot or jar and a newspaper sheet — it needs to be cut into strips. They should be about twice as tall as the jar and around 40–50 cm long.

Step 2

Place the jar on the newspaper as shown in the photo, and wrap it up. Make sure the paper fits tightly against the surface. Don't forget to secure the edges of the newspaper with tape so the improvised pot doesn't fall apart.

Step 3

Roll the remaining paper to form a bottom for the pot. If you sprinkle a few drops of water on the newspaper, it will become soft and pliable, making it easier to work with.

Step 4

Then turn the jar upside down and carefully remove it from the paper. Repeat these steps as many times as needed.

Step 5

Place the resulting pots on a shallow tray or baking sheet and fill them with soil (but not all the way — leave some space at the top).

Step 6

Sow the seeds according to the instructions on the package. You can plant from three to four seeds in each pot. The more seeds, the deeper they should be planted in the soil.

Don’t forget to label the pots so you don’t get confused later.

Step 7

Water the soil from a container with a narrow neck — you can use a bottle from a dish soap dispenser. The soil should be evenly moist but not overly wet.

Step 8

Place the tray in a spot with sufficient light but not direct sunlight. Water the pots regularly and check the soil daily to ensure it isn’t too dry.

When shoots appear, move the tray closer to a window and sunlight. If there isn't much light in the apartment, you can buy special grow lights for plants.

Step 9

After a couple of weeks, you can move the tray with seedlings outdoors so they get used to harsher conditions. Bring them back inside at night if the temperature drops.

After that, you can transplant the seedlings into the garden soil following the instructions on the seed packet.

Photo source: blog.annieselke.com