Seed Starting: How to Build an Indoor Growing Station
When I began my cut flower growing journey in 2019, I started simply by planting seed directly into the soil outdoors when the weather got warm.
Over a few years of experience and trial, I discovered that specific varieties of flowers I wanted to grow needed a head start to ensure they bloomed in a timely manner. This was the beginning of my indoor seed starting practices.
I’ve now grown thousands of flowers for my cut flower farm and bouquet club business by starting seeds on my indoor growing station, then transplanting them outdoors to finish.
If you’re thinking about starting your garden seeds indoors this year, I’m sharing all the information you need to get going!
What You’ll Learn:
What are the Benefits of Starting Seeds Indoors?
Where to House Your Indoor Growing Station
Indoor Growing Station Set-Up
Seed Starting Supplies
What are the Benefits of Starting Seeds Indoors?
Extend Growing Season: For those of us in cooler climates (think hardiness zones 3-7), you can get your seeds planted sooner and not wait for suitable outdoor weather.
Get Blooms Sooner: By starting the growing process sooner, you’ll get blooms sooner. For example, a zinnia needs about 90 days to bloom from the time the seed is planted. By giving them a head start indoors for 30 days, you’ll only need 60 more days to get a bloom after transplanting outdoors.
Control Growing Environment: Seedlings grow in a consistent environment and build their strength before being exposed to unpredictable conditions outdoors-temperature, wind, water, weeds and pests.
Where to House Your Indoor Growing Station
You can place your growing shelf anywhere in your home. I've seen them in offices, bedrooms, kitchens, heated garages, etc. When determining the best place for your seed starting station, consider: temperatures, access to power, and access to water, and mess.
My seed starting shelf is located in the basement. The main reason I have it there is because it's where I have space. It also stays at a pretty consistent temperature, around 55-60 degrees, and I have easy access to water. I can easily sweep up potting mix and other materials that fall on the concrete floor without worrying about a mess.
Indoor Growing Station Set-Up
There are a lot of different ways you can go about creating a seed starting station. I’m sharing the indoor growing set-up that works for my specific need.
While designing my indoor growing station, cost was a big consideration. Since I was doing this for the first time, I didn't want to invest a lot of money if something didn't work out. I found all the materials readily available at my local hardware and box stores. I linked all the exact items I used in this post for your reference.
Shelving Unit
Any type of shelf will do, but I chose a steel wire shelf with caster wheels for a few reasons:
The lights can easily hang from the metal rack.
The metal won't be damaged if water drips on it.
The wheels make it possible to move the shelf more easily.
I found that the 48 inch x 18 inch x 72 inch size allows me to have four shelves with lights. My seed trays fit perfectly arranged side by side with this width. I don't currently utilize the top shelf, but you definitely could store items on top or hang grow lights from something above the shelf for maximum use.
Lights & Lighting Fixture
Contrary to what some say, you don't need expensive grow lights to succesfully start seeds! I won't get into all the science and details, but I will share what has worked for me. I bought inexpensive shop lights that hold fluorescent light bulbs for my set-up.
I purchased 48 inch long fixtures that hold two bulbs. I hung two fixtures side by side for each shelf layer and they fit perfectly across the width of the shelf. To go in each light, I used one 32 Watt T8 Cool White Fluorescent bulb and one 32 Watt T8 Daylight Fluorescent bulb. From my research, I learned these two types of lights combined provide the color temperature required by plants to grow. (Here's where I could dive into science nerd mode. Lucky for you, I'll refrain. Just know these two bulb types make it happen!)
One important note when purchasing light fixtures is make sure your lights have a way to suspend from your shelf. Mine came with chains and s hooks, which makes them super easy to adjust the height of the light over your seedlings as they grow.
When the seeds are just planted, you'll position the lights very close to the soil. As the plants grow taller, you will raise the light fixture. If you keep the lights too farm away from the soil or seedling, your plants will get leggy as they stretch toward the light-you don’t want that.
Seedling Heat Mat
Seeds need a warm, humid environment to germinate. The easiest way to provide heat is to set the tray of seedlings on a heat mat. This electric heat mat is waterproof and is the perfect size for a single tray of seedlings. If you’ll be starting multiple trays of seedlings at once, I recommend this larger mat that fits perfectly on one shelf of your indoor growing station. Seedling heat mats are designed to warm up to 10-20 degrees above the ambient air temperature. You can purchase a thermostat to control the heating element more exactly, but I've had success without it.
Electrical Accessories
Power Strip-Each shop light and your heat mats require electricity. You may also find that additional power cords are needed to reach from your grow shelf to the outlet. Before you set up your grow shelf, be sure that the outlet you plan to rely on for power can support all of the electrical needs of your lights, heat mat and other accessories.
Timer-I plug the power strip into a timer before it goes into the main outlet. If you’re forgetful or have a busy personal schedule, trust me, you’re going to want the automatic timer. Seedling should get about 14-16 hours of light each day to mimic a natural light schedule. My lights are timed to come on at 6 am and go off at 10 pm.
Other Helpful Items
Thermometer-If the seedlings are in a room that varies in temperature, this will help you know when the temperature is out of range so you can make adjustments.
Fan-Seedlings can be prone to disease in a humid, warm environment. Air movement is a great way to help prevent these problems. A fan gently blowing over your seedlings also mimics a breeze, which helps your seedlings grow stronger stems.
Seed Starting Supplies
Now that you know what my indoor growing station set-up consists of, here's a list of seed starting supplies I utilize:
Reusable Seed Trays-These are my go-to trays. More of an investment piece but worth it if you’re growing year after year. Easy to clean and sturdy.
Soil Block Makers- If you prefer using less plastic, these are perfect for creating blocks of soil for seedlings to grow in.
Soil Block Trays-If going the soil block route, these trays are great for fitting 4-5 of the small blocks.
Humidity Domes-Imperative to maintain humidity when seeds are germinating.
Germination Mix-I use a variety of soils, but I do like this fine grit mix.
Vermiculite-Great for topdressing the soil of your seed trays to help prevent algae growth.
Plant Labels-Trust me on this, you’ll want to label everything you plant with the variety and date.
Spray Bottle-Moisten the top layer of soil without disturbing the seed.
Garden Journal-A notebook to document your garden plan, seed starting schedule, etc.
Seeds-I shared all my favorite seed vendors in this Instagram post.
This simple indoor growing station set-up and seed starting supplies have served me well and awarded me with healthy seedlings for many years! I hope that you find this information helpful in starting your garden indoors this year.
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