The first thing you’ll need when starting seeds is a suitable place to do it. In order to start seed successfully, you must meet the environmental requirements for initial germination and subsequent growth of the plants until they reach the stage when they are ready for transplanting. A well designed rack or other area will meet the needs of correct temperature to start germination, and sufficient light and space to stimulate healthy growth.

This is the rack I’ve built for starting my plants. I start a couple hundred plants each year so this setup will be overkill for most of you, but the concepts are the same regardless of the number of plants you are growing. Seeds need warmth, generally from 60 – 80°F to start germination, however some types of seeds are less tolerant of the high and low temps in that range. I’ve found that an average of 65-75°F is a good general range for a variety of seeds. A means of providing bottom heat to some of your flats warms the soil from below and speeds germination of some types of seeds such as tomatoes and peppers. Good lighting is a must – you can’t have too much light. Plants growing in low intensity light soon become spindly and weak And you need sufficient space for the plants to grow into. Plants that are too crowded have weak stems and misshapen leaves.

My rack is a two-tiered design, with a wood framework, and sides made from foam insulation board. This traps the heat generated by the lighting and provides a proper temperature range for the seeds in my unheated basement. All inside surfaces are lined with a highly reflective mylar material I’ve scavenged from work. If any of you have access to a printing company that uses the Kodak Approval proofing system, this material is a byproduct of that proofing process. Any reflective lining can be used including aluminum foil. I’m sure at least a few of you have had experiences with foil-lined closets and grow lamps. The front of the unit has additional pieces of foam insulation board cut to fit by friction so they can be easily removed for access.

The upper shelf has a gap at either side of the unit to allow for air circulation, and the top is vented to let excess heat escape. My unit is almost too well insulated and I have to be careful not to let temperatures get too high when all of the lights are in use. Keep at least a couple of thermometers in your unit to monitor the temperature in several places.

The upper section has six, four foot 2 bulb florescent fixtures hung from the top by chains that provide for easy height adjustment. Unless you’re growing seeds in a window you will never have light as intense as natural sunlight, so you need to keep your light source as close to the tops of the growing plants as possible making simple height adjustment a must. Some recommend using only special full spectrum “grow light” bulbs, but I’ve found that by using a mixture of warm and cool white bulbs you get the same results for much less expense. The bottom section has two 120W flood fixtures mounted directly on the bottom of the upper shelf. These are the heat sources for the early stages, and they also heat areas of the upper shelf to provide bottom heat for some of my flats. I’ve heard of people using heating pads or cables for supplying bottom heat to smaller containers. Just be sure to keep the heat moderate so you don’t cook your seeds.

Under the legs of the unit are large bolts threaded into T-nuts fastened to the bottoms of the legs, that are used to level the rack. It’s important that the shelves are level so you have even flow when you are watering your containers.

Of course you don’t need to go to this extent if you are just starting a couple of tomato plants, but you still need to provide the same type of environment. A rack in a warm room won’t need to be insulated, and if you have an area next to a window that receives at least a half day of direct sunlight, you won’t need the elaborate lighting. Bottom heat isn’t necessary, but does speed things up. And regardless of where you’re starting your seeds you need to pay close attention to conditions to make sure things don’t get too far from the norm, or your seeds won’t survive.

A good resource for more information is Nancy Bubel’s book “The Seed Starters Handbook”, which has become a standard reference for home gardners.

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