Gardening and botany are two hobbies that revolve around being very gentle when caring for other lifeforms–especially those that are not even beginning to blossom yet. If you are trying to grow plants straight from seeds, every little detail matters.
If you are trying to start seeds outdoors, you won’t always need to cover them, especially if you live in a humid area. Indoor seed starting, though, may require special care that includes covering the plants with film.
If you have never started seeds before or tried to speed up germination, it’s smart to know what to do. Our quick guide will make it possible for you to get the most out of your seed, starting without too much hassle.
Should You Cover Your Seed Trays?
Covering seed trays is an act that’s generally accepted as a must-do if you are trying to start your garden from seeds, especially when indoors. Of course, there’s a right and a wrong way to help your seeds be the best they can be.
To learn more about this, it’s important to delve into the details of seed starting and understand the plants you’re trying to grow.
Why Do People Cover Their Seed Trays?
When a seed’s first starting out, it’s very delicate–much like a newborn baby. Also, like newborns, seeds need the right nutrients and environment to grow. The biggest threat to many seeds, if not most, is unstable moisture levels.
Covering your seed trays is an easy way to stabilize moisture levels without taking away from your seeds’ ability to get its recommended amount of sunlight. It also helps speed up germination, which, in turn, helps plants get healthier and stronger.
How To Properly Cover Your Seed Trays
Just like with any other aspect of gardening, there’s a right way to do things and a wrong way to do them. Here’s how to give your seeds the best possible start:
- Fill up your seed trays with soil. High-quality soil is ideal, as is using seed trays that are broad and flat. Make sure that your pots are free of pathogens and that the soil is clean of pathogens as well.
- Plant your seeds per instructions on their packets. Each seed packet comes with planting instructions. If your seed just needs to be rested on the soil, skip this next step.
- Lightly cover your seeds with seed starting mix. There should be enough seed starting mix to loosely “powder” your seeds – covering them to a depth of no more than two seed diameters, maximum. It’s possible for the little seeds to run out of energy as they germinate and not make it to the surface if you bury them too deep. Smaller seeds can be gently pressed into the surface and lightly dusted with your mix. Pay close attention to the instructions on your seed packet as some seeds may require light to germinate and shouldn’t be covered at all.
- Place your seed trays in water. The soil will wick up moisture without it directly hitting the seeds. This prevents fungus from killing your seeds before they germinate.
- Add a drying agent to the top of the soil. Many people use chicken grit or moss to help keep plants dry. This is only necessary if your plants are known for being mold-prone.
- Remove the seeds from water, and spritz with more water near the top. This will give them enough moisture without killing them.
- Place the seeds on a mat, and cover them with cling wrap. The cling wrap keeps your seedlings’ moisture stable in a way that open exposure won’t. If your seeds are very fungus-prone, poking some holes in the wrap can offer them extra ventilation.
From here, all you really have to do is wait until they begin to sprout and then slowly remove the covering a little bit more each day over a few days time in order to help acclimate the seedlings to their new environment.
Once Seed Trays Are Covered, Do I Still Have To Water Them?
Yes! Though seed trays do well when covered, you can still lose moisture in a very dry environment. To make sure that your seeds are properly hydrated, lift up the film daily and do a “touch test.”
If your soil isn’t moist and feels dry or flaky, you probably should spritz some more water on your trays.
How Much Water Is Too Much Water?
Though seedlings need water to survive, water can also kill them pretty quickly. The best moisture level for seeds that are just starting out is lightly misty. If your seed starting mix and soil feel soggy to the touch, you probably watered them too much.
There are always exceptions to the rules, so it’s important to double-check what your seed package says. If your seed package says that your plants will require wet soil, by all means, follow the package’s instructions.
Watering Tips For Newbies
Cling wrap is a great way to stabilize moisture levels in your seed trays, but that doesn’t do much good if you don’t have the right water levels for your seedlings in the first place. These tips below can help you avoid over- or under-watering your plants:
- Never soak your soil through. Seedlings don’t do well with very wet, soggy soil. In fact, it causes them to rot. Ideal soil should be damp to the touch.
- Check your soil daily. The moment it feels dry to the touch is the moment you should probably mist it.
- Don’t water using a watering can. This is an easy way to overwhelm your plants. A spray bottle is a much better option in most cases.
- If you decide to keep your trays in a water bed, make sure to continue adding water to the tray once the water dries up. Additionally, having a hydroponic bed for your seed trays may oversaturate your seedlings. To make sure that you don’t have too much water, always check your soil’s moisture levels.
- Consider investing in a moisture sensor for your seed tray. If you’re very new to gardening, a moisture sensor , like this one (on Amazon), can make your life easier and take out the guesswork from watering.
- Always double-check your seed instructions. Not all plants are going to work well with standard seed starting procedures. If you are planting a specialty seed or a plant that is known for requiring unique care methods, follow the advice given to you for that specific plant instead.
Do I Need To Place Seedlings Near Light?
If your seedlings haven’t sprouted yet, there’s no need for light. What they will need more than sunlight is warmth. This is why it’s a good idea to buy a heating mat for seedlings if you live in a cold area.
If you aren’t interested in splurging for a heat pad, that’s okay. You can start seeds off by simply placing them on top of your refrigerator, in a warm attic, near a laundry room, or anywhere else that has a decent amount of heat.
Most seeds do best at a temperature around 68 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit during this stage of their lives.
When Do My Plants Need Sunlight?
The moment that your plants start to sprout, they will need light or sun exposure. This can happen anywhere between a couple of days to a couple of weeks, depending on what kind of plants you’re trying to grow.
What Material Is The Best For Seed Tray Coverings?
Professionals and extremely passionate gardeners tend to use seed tray domes with built-in vents to start their seeds. These are plastic, reusable domes that keep moisture levels stable, snap onto standard trays or pots, and also have a vent that allows seeds to “breathe.”
That said, buying a tray dome isn’t the only option on the list. Most gardeners are perfectly fine with using regular, old-fashioned cling wrap that’s stretched over the seed tray.