These videos are exclusive to my book readers only. I would ask you to kindly not share them.
Closed Captioning: Seed starting can be quite intimidating but it doesn’t have to be. There’s a lot of information out there and some of it is good and some of it, not so great. This is why I wanted to include these videos as part of my book. It can be quite difficult to visualize a process that’s written down on paper. First off, If you have not read the seed starting chapter in my book yet, I encourage you to look at page 275. All right let’s get into it. The first step in my seed-starting process is to prepare the growing medium. Many seed starting mixes are hydrophobic, right out of that bad. This means they repel water rather than absorb it. Don’t worry, with some gentle coaxing your seed starting mix will take up the water. You’ll know the mix is ready to use when you can form it into a call but it will break apart easily when poked. Next, fill your cell packs or plugs about 90% of the way with mix, pressing down firmly. You want to press down enough so that medium holds together but not hard enough that you’re compressing it. In other words, give it a gentle Swedish massage, not a deep tissue massage. Next, it’s time to sow your seeds. Follow the seed packet instructions on seed sowing depth. Most seeds will only be sowed ¼ of an inch deep. Larger seeds like squash or cucumbers will be deeper. Once your seeds have been sown lightly sprinkle with more mix. Use just enough to get the required sowing depth. Press down to get good contact. Don’t forget your labels. Give the trays a good misting with water and cover with a humidity dome. The trays are now ready to be placed on your grow shelves. Remember that cool-weather crops like lettuce, beets and cabbage don’t need to be placed on a heat mat whereas warm-weather crops like tomatoes and peppers do benefit from that. You’re all set. Once the seeds germinate you can remove the humidity dome and turn off the heat mat. Make sure to review pages 277 and 278.
