Authored by Suzanne Alicie in Gardening 
Published on 07-09-2009

Whether you are a flower or vegetable gardener there usually comes a time when you need to start your seeds indoors before moving them outside. This can be a daunting task when you consider all the different things you will need to do, but if you take it one step at a time. Before you know it you will have happy little sprouts popping up and getting ready to be put in the ground. It doesn’t take a lot of money, talent or even skill really. All you need are a few supplies and of course a supply of patience; nature does the hard work for you.

What you will need:

• 1 package of small paper drinking cups- like the kind that you keep in the bathroom.
• 1 sharp pencil
• 1 package of seed starting mix
• Large Tray
• A place to sit your seeds that will receive sunlight and is protected from cold drafts
• Seeds
• Water

Growing Seeds Indoors- Step 1

Poke three holes in the bottom of each cup with the pencil. This will allow water to drain out so you don’t rot your seeds. Fill each cup with seed starting mix and moisten it. Allow the cups to sit on the tray for several hours so that the nutrients and vitamins in the seed starter get moistened and will provide a great environment for your seeds.

Growing Seeds Indoors-Step 2

Gently place a seed in each cup and push it down just under the surface of the starter mix with your fingertip. You want the seed covered and completely surrounded by the mix but not buried deeply. When starting flower seeds that you are going to grow in a patch it is okay to start more than one seed per cup. Just remember that the roots spread quickly and will need to be either moved to a larger container, or placed in the ground sooner if you want them to be strong and healthy.

Growing Seeds Indoors-Step 3

Place the tray near a window or door that gets sunlight throughout the day. To further increase the heat and moisture for your seeds, water them thoroughly and place plastic wrap across the top of the cups from one end of the tray to the other while they are in the sun. This will hold in the heat and moisture as well as helping keep the seed starting mixture doing what it is supposed to do. Air circulation is important to your seeds, so don’t keep them covered all the time. Just for a few hours each day while they are sunning.

Growing Seeds Indoors-Step 4

After around 14 days you should see sprouts coming up and starting to unfurl their tiny leaves. Continue to water and sun the plants for several weeks until they are about 3 inches tall and have strong stems. Then you can take the next step and adjust the plants to being outdoors for a few hours each day before transplanting them to the ground.