I started my seeds a little differently this year. For the past two years, I planted seeds on a very small scale, using just a few peat pots and a homemade light hut. Well, this year, an unexpected gift from my gardening mentor (otherwise known as my dad) gave me the push I needed to turn things up a notch.
Dad has decided to garden 100% from plants this year. No seeds. So he packed up his Burpee grow light and heating mat and gifted it to me! Score! I’m using these with a moisture wicking mat I already own and it’s working great. Just enough heat and moisture to keep my seedlings happy.
I also tried some new seed starting containers this year. Instead of peat pots, I’m using seed starting pellets which expand with the addition of about an ounce of warm water on each pellet. Just in case the pellets were a total fail, I used an egg carton for a dozen seeds as well.
Turns out the seeds love them both! I didn’t plant a ton of seeds, mind you, but 100% of what I did plant sprouted! That’s never happened for me before. I think the combination of good seed starting soil, along with the warmth from the heater and moisture wicked from below the seed containers was a great combination. Unlike previous years, I’ve managed to avoid mold so far as well.
Here’s hoping these little guys grow up as successfully as they have started!
Clover and Thyme 
Ooh, how fun! And lucky you to inherit such great stuff! I love watching my seedlings pop up and grow. I don’t know if I could ever go back to buying already started plants because I get such an immense amount of satisfaction from starting my own…and, as you noted, the varieties are endless!
May I make a suggestion I’ve learned from experience? Lower your light to about 2 inches above the seedlings. The higher the light, the more the seedlings try to reach it and they tend to become very leggy, which weakens them. If you keep your light lower, they will grow more compactly, which makes for a healthier, more robust plant. 😀
Thanks so much for the tip, Jenn! I knew I wanted to avoid leggy plants, but I wasn’t sure how low to place the light. I’ll go lower it right now! 🙂