In colder climates or Seasons where Weather patterns are erratic a Germination station and indoor growing For the early stages of plants are Essential for a good yield most people Don't consider an indoor sprouting or Germination station because they feel It's too expensive or difficult to set Up in this video we're going to show you How wrong those assumptions are by Building a germination station for Around 100 or 200 planting more Seedlings that I could possibly plant in My space alerting you to a few potential Problems and I'll tell you the real Story about how much electricity these Systems use so let's Get Growing soil Blocks and Seed trays what you plant Your seeds in will determine how well They germinate and how easily they Transfer from your station to the Garden Here I'm going to be using a hexagonal Seed tray with 72 grow areas and soil Blocks that I'll show you how to make I Picked this one up around five dollars At the local hardware store and making a Basic one out of soil pods in a clear Hinge takeout container is also an Option each of these has advantages and Disadvantages which come down to time And convenience first the sea trays are Made for convenience this hexagonal Structure is superior to square or round As the roots find the walls and shoot
Downward rather than spiraling around Eliminating circular Roots creates a Better root structure for your plant When placed in a spinal garden spot Because the roots will spread out far More easily and will be less than a Clump the problem with these is that the Seeds germinate and Sprout at different Rates the Z okra for instance are Already touching the top of the Container before my Peppers even Sprouted the deeper Grosso also Encourages the roots to shoot straight Down rather than out which is a problem Over soil block box that I will detail In a comparison later in this video I Will need to transplant them by Squeezing the bottom of the pot and Carefully removing the seedlings to a Slightly larger pot for that I can use Plastic cups small four to six inch pots Or paper fiber-based Pots if you use Cups ensure a hole in the bottom for Excess water to drain out the advantage To the paper pots is that they will Deteriorate in the garden so to plant I Only need to remove the bottom and put Them in the garden I found these Self-contained systems for as low as 1.99 this would allow me to start a few Dozen plants which makes it ideal for a Small space Gardener the smaller setups Would also allow me to put seeds of all The same kind in a container eliminating
The problem of faster shoots the Self-contained systems also come with a Clear lid to keep the humidity in the Growing area but allow your grow lights To shine through enough to reduce mold And algae problems that's what you want If you want to avoid mixing soil and you Can plant in successively larger pots to Prevent circular Roots you can use soil Pods in a clear hinge takeout container With similar result volts the advantage Of this style is a retention of humidity The other option is soil blocks this is More Hands-On but it is the cheapest Route with the least amount of waste in The long run for this you will need a Soil block maker I picked this one up on Clearance for around seven dollars it Allows me to make small one-inch blocks These come in two inch four inch and Even six inch models and average over Twenty dollars but they'll last you a Lifetime of planning the advantage of Soil blocks is at a well-made one will Hold moisture at its core where the Ceilings need it because the outside is Exposed to the air and Roots die off When they're exposed to air the soil Block air prunes a root structure on the Walls this helps to keep the plant from Rapidly growing tall before it can Adequately support itself you end up With hardier plants the key to a good Soil block is a mix and I'll put my
Recipe in the description and comments Section below typically it's one part Peat moss or coco core which is coconut Fiber One Part compost or garden soil And one half part vermiculate perlite Pumice stone or sand the blocks will get More complex from there with exotic Ingredients like green sand colloidal Phosphate basalt rock powder worm Castings and feather Mill but I find This mix works the best because the Ingredients can be found at a low cost For my mix I'll use one half measuring Container of peat moss instead of Compost for the organic nutrients I'm Using a six pound bag of worm castings Proportionally the same amount as a peat Moss you could use compost for this part As what we are doing is putting organic Nutrients in the soil then add the same Amount of garden soil the garden soil Tends to be very Woody so lean toward The finer mixes as these will absorb and Retain water better and Clump up as Needed some Garden mixes also contain Fertilizer or perlite in the mix these Will both help your new plant when Providing nutrients and the other Allowing the roots to grow better Mix this thoroughly together with your Hands finally I will put in one scoop of Generic plant food the same as I would Use with a water bucket this will make Sure that I have the essential nutrients
In my plants I pull out a little of the Dry mix before adding water in case I Accidentally add too much water in that Case I can add a few handfuls of my dry Ingredients until I get the perfect mix Consistency my final ingredient is a Couple of handfuls of perlite and sand To help with soil or aeration Add Water Slowly and mix until the water is fully Absorbed continue to add water and mix Until you have a consistency in that you Can squeeze water out in your hand but The clump stays together when you toss It in between your hands think of it Like making snowballs you want the balls To keep their form not explode apart the Surface will have a little jiggle and You should have no pulling water the Clumpiness is what you want if it keeps Its form when you toss it in between Your hands but it also comes apart when You break it up it's perfect next you Load the soil blocker I really pack it In there and allow the excess water to Squeeze out these blocks have to keep Their form and I'm not afraid of over Packing because of the mix I just made You can load the soil blocker by rocking It in the mix but I also pack it in then You can just push the plunger handle Down and you have soil blocks in one Sitting I can easily make about a Hundred leave them in the Sun for a few Hours to harden up you can also
Re-moisten them with a Mist in the Quarter will retain water Of course if you don't want to mess with Any of that you can purchase pre-made Expanding seeds darling soil pods you Simply have to soak the pods and then Plant your seed now the two drawbacks Are that these sometimes like nutrients And they are much more costly you can Get around the nutrient part by soaking Them in a little compost tea or light Plant food or by making sure they are Organic so you know that they have Organic materials in them to break down And provide nutrients I'll link to the Ones that I've used successfully in the Past in the description and comments Section below Comparison between the two methods I Found the soil block was the best the Hexagonal plan resulted in my okra Sprouts getting too long and spindly Without well-developed roots for Stability the ceilings reacted to the Grow container by shooting a root down Instead of out in every direction the Soil block has solid roots that Branch Down here's a side-by-side comparison The one with the more tendrils was grown In a soil block the other one was in a Hexagon planter I had no choice but to Transplant the okra because my other Plants like peppers were still barely Sprouting I also found that the
Germination rate with the same soil and Sane heating pads was much more Significant with soil blocks when I Transplant the okra with small pots I Was able to replant other seeds Immediately and that was convenient Honestly moving forward I'll probably Only use soil blocks it worked out so Well the exception would be that if I Were to plant 72 of the same plant so The germination rate was more consistent And I could really let the roots Establish with a lid off the germination Container it's easier to move outside to Harden plants off as well the soil Blocks they take some time to make and More work but they're far superior in my Opinion the root structure is denser and Branches out this provides better Stability to the small plant and Increases the likelihood of the plant Surviving Building the germination station These used to be expensive setups but The prices come down I'll list all the Parts and provide links in the Description and comments section below First you need a wire shelf these range In price and you may already have one You want to be able to create at least Two feet of space between shelves and You want to be able to run your wires to The shelves these are the only real two Requirements for my lights I got four
Bulbs on clearance in my local hardware Store for 1.99 each and I got a larger One I obtained for around fourteen Dollars these range in price from about Eight dollars for bulbs to 70 or more For large strips and bars I constantly Find these on sale so it pays a shop Around people frequently use these grow Lights in terrariums LED strips with an Adjustable light spectrum and intensity Have dropped in price in recent years Partially because of terraniums these Provide even greater light in a wider Area with very little energy consumption For my bulbs I'm going to use hanging Light sockets with cords this allows me To adjust the bulbs height over the Plants and to turn them off and on Separately the light will provide the Plant with what it needs for Photosynthesis warm slightly and reduce Algae moss and fungal growth my bulbs Are called Full Spectrum providing a Wider range of wavelengths of light Needed for plants as you explore grow Lights you'll see they get progressively More specialized allowing you to adjust The wavelength violet or purple light Has a shorter wavelength and a higher Energy it is considered effective as a Light source to facilitate the growth And development of a plant's leafy Vegetation for our purpose of basic Germination and not a whole indoor grow
Operation basic full spectrum grow Lights bulbs are perfect Finally you need a power strip to Connect everything up and to make the Ceiling warming mats seeds each have a Preferred temperature they want the soil To be before they germinate and Sprout So you're gonna have to warm the soil if This setup is the winner in your garage Nothing will probably Sprout without These I'll use one each for the two Different trays if your concern is Electricity consumption you don't really Have to be too worried my entire setup That's five lights two heating mats and A fan only consumes around 130 Watts so This whole setup uses the same amount of Electricity as one bright lamp bulb I Constructed the Shelf with a two foot or More growing area space and I use zip Ties and tape to secure wires and to Keep the system neat wires are easily Threaded through the wire shelves and Secured with a simple twist tie this Will allow me to individually turn them Off and on and adjust their heights as I Need to I'll wrap the two sides with Aluminum foil to reflect and concentrate The light and reduce drafts this is Easily fastened down with a little Crinkling and then take Two potential problems Two potential problems are gnats and Failing to keep track of plants I use
Yellow sticky traps for the gnats they Are natural in most compost and any soil That has been exposed to the outside for Any length of time they're harmless but Very annoying These sticky traps work quite Effectively they're an inexpensive Solution that replaces costly and Potentially toxic chemical Solutions the Second problem is failing to label your Plants most pepper Sprouts all look the Same so you have to label them the same Is true for young tomato plants you have To label them to avoid mixing them up When you do transfer to the Garden you Run the risk of planting them too close Together or planting too many of one Type and not enough of another do Yourself a favor and label each of your Plants from the moment the seed drops in The pot you plan to move it into then Transfer the label maker to the plant in Your garden Next steps next you're going to want to Plant one or two seeds per block and Make sure that your plant rows are all Marked two seeds will allow you to thin Them out later but will provide a Greater germination rate water the soil Blocks at least twice per day so Conditions are right for sprouting the Enclosed structures may not need any Watering at all because of their ability To retain moisture and humidity cover
Soil blocks with clear plastic wrap in The early days to help seal in moisture Plants germinate at different rates Typically after the second set of leaves Appears on your plants they're ready to Be transplanted into small plants there Is no problem with waiting longer as it Is best to wait as long as possible if The plants are a little crowded that's Okay they're still developing a solid Foundation from which to grow you're Going to want to keep your grow lights Just a few inches above your plants After removing any plastic humidity Barrier keep the soil moist by spraying At least twice per day you're also going To want to incorporate a small fan for a Gentle breeze plants breed just like Humans and the breeze helps with the Exchange of air regulates temperatures And encourages stock development when The last chance of process pass you can Safely introduce your potted plants to The outside environment first introduce Them on a warm day by placing them in The shade for a few hours progressively Increase their time outdoors and sun Exposure this process is called Hardening off when the plants can Survive outdoors with a direct sunlight That they require and the fear of frost Is pass you can leave them Outdoors Overnight move the pots around your Garden area for a few days to ensure the
Plants appear healthy in their new homes Then transplant them to the soil you'll Be weeks ahead of other gardeners by Germining indoors with a grow station Your plants will be healthier and better Established than any larger store-bought Variety you also be harvesting well Ahead of other gardeners so for around 100 or 200 depending on what you have on Hand and with some Ingenuity you can Easily set up an indoor grow station use It throughout the season to develop part Of your plants for your growing area if The weather becomes erratic and Unpredictable or a disaster wipes out Your garden you can grow some plants Indoors you are only limited by your Space if you have any thoughts or Questions post them below and as always Stay safe out there Foreign