What is your purpose?
Every growing operation, whether a commercial farm or backyard garden, starts with seeds. And around this time of the year, growers like you and me are dreaming of seed-starting systems with good germination, healthy seedlings, and low costs.
Choosing a system that will give you those things depends on your size, location, and growing goals. In this post, we’re going to describe some of the best systems for commercial indoor and greenhouse growers, classroom growers, and hobby growers.
Commercial systems: consistency in large volumes
If your’e working with clients and schedules, then you need a system that you can count on. The more consistent you can get with seed starting, the easier scheduling is. Yield estimates become more reliable, you spend fewer hours troubleshooting, and you’re able to please your customers better in general.

- Order high-quality seeds with good germination rates & preventative treatments.
- Use automated timers and flood tables to reduce patchy watering.
- Implement regular checkpoints for troubleshooting & pest monitoring.
Indoor seed starting systems: DIY vs pre-fabricated systems
There are two ways that commercial growers can set up a seedling cart. Both use a nutrient tank and pump that allows automated irrigation of flood trays. The main differences are in size, cost, and durability.
You can use either of these in a regular greenhouse, but if you’re building on a shoestring budget, not ready to make the investment, or looking for something more temporary, you can go with other greenhouse options.
This is a great option for small indoor growers at $549.99. If you’re planning on scaling up in the future or if you want a stronger structure, you should think about the larger version of this, the Seedling Cart XL.
Greenhouse seed starting: seedling benches and direct seeding
One of the cheapest options for greenhouse growers is an open seedling bench. An alternative is just starting seeds on the ground. If you have a greenhouse with good drainage on the floors, you can put them just about anywhere with light and they’ll do fine.
Question: should I use plugs or seed directly?
If you’re growing in a diverse operation where direct seeding (planting seeds directly into soil or other media) is an option, you be wondering which method is better?
If you’re growing in a diverse operation where direct seeding (planting seeds directly into soil or other media) is an option, you be wondering which method is better?
We believe that the best way to plant seeds, (best defined here as the highest probability of getting the healthiest seedlings possible that are easily and efficiently transplanted) is planting seeds using plug trays.
Here’s a quick explanation of why and how we do that:
Space is wasted in the garden bed or Tower while the seedling grows and germinates. Unless you diligently plant, seeds could disperse in the garden bed or Tower. Seeds that don’t germinate also waste space in your bed.
Plugs save time and space. By using plug trays, seedlings are allowed to do the initial growing before they move over to a bed or a Tower.
Plugs are more effective. Only the seeds that germinate and grow well are planted. Seedlings that lack vigor or seeds that fail to germinate can be thrown out.
The disadvantages of plugs are that they cost money and add a transplanting step to your process. For most commercial farmers, these costs are worth the better yield, but hobby growers might still consider direct seeding.
Hobby, home, and classroom seed systems
Speaking of small growers, there are several smaller seed methods that get the job done without the costs of a commercial system.
Light
Seedlings need 12-18 hours of light. Supplementary light is recommended. For more info about how much light to give your seedlings, see this article!
Consistent watering
Seedling plugs should be watered two to four times a day depending on the environment. Make sure that your seedlings don’t have standing water and are given a chance to mostly dry out between waterings.
How do you start seeds?
Do you have any tips for starting seeds? Leave them in the comments below!
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