All the guides
Twenty-four short, sourced guides, from the first packet to saving your own seed.
Sowing
Containers, mixes, depth and the steps in order.
- How to grow plants from seed, step by stepThe whole sequence for a beginner: packet, container, mix, sowing, warmth, light, pricking out, feeding, hardening off and planting out.
- Growing from seed: choose a containerSeed trays, cell packs, small pots, paper pots and recycled containers: which suits which seed, and how to keep them clean.
- Choosing a seed-starting mixWhy garden soil is the wrong thing for seed trays, what to buy instead, a simple mix you can make, and how peat pellets fit in.
- What supplies do I need to grow seeds?A short, honest shopping list for starting seeds at home, with what is essential and what can wait.
- How to germinate different types of seedsHard-coated, light-needing, cold-needing, slow and short-lived seed each need something different. A quick way to tell which you have.
- How deep should seeds be planted?The rules of thumb for sowing depth, why fine seed stays near the surface, and a calculator for seed you have on hand.
- Seed-starting tipsTen habits that prevent most seed-starting failures, each linked to the guide that explains it.
- Sowing seeds outdoorsDirect sowing in the garden: when, how, thinning, protection, and which crops prefer to be sown where they will grow.
- Why start seeds in springFive reasons spring seed-starting is worth the trouble, and how to work out the right week for your garden.
- Preparing soil for growing vegetablesHow to get a bed ready for sowing and planting: clearing, loosening, feeding with compost, and keeping the structure.
Light, heat and water
What seeds and seedlings need once they are sown.
- How often to water seeds and seedlingsThere is no schedule: how to judge moisture, water gently or from below, and avoid both drying out and waterlogging.
- How important is light when growing from seed?Why seedlings stretch, how much light they need, how to place grow lights, and when light is a germination trigger.
- Temperature for growing seedsThe germination range most seeds like, how to warm a tray, and the night temperature that makes it safe to plant out.
Looking after seedlings
Feeding, moving on, mould and everyday care.
- How to fertilise when growing from seedWhen to start feeding seedlings, how often, and why potting on matters as much as feed.
- How to care for your seedlingsThe daily and weekly checks that keep seedlings sturdy: light, warmth, water, air, thinning, feeding and potting on.
- Avoiding mould and damping offWhat white fuzz on seed trays usually means, how damping off kills seedlings, and how to prevent both.
Planting out
Hardening off, transplanting and timing by crop.
- How to harden off seedlings before planting outA two-to-three-week routine from the RHS and extension services for getting indoor seedlings used to the outdoors, with a planner that sets the dates.
- How to transplant seedlingsPricking out into pots and planting out in the garden: when, how to handle seedlings, how deep, and aftercare.
- When should tomato seedlings be planted out?Work back from your last frost date: when to sow, harden off and plant out tomatoes, with the planner prefilled.
Saving and troubleshooting
Collecting your own seed, and what to do when nothing comes up.
- Common mistakes when growing seeds indoorsThe ten slips behind most failed seed trays, with the fix for each and links to the guides that explain them.
- Why are my cucumber seedlings dying?The usual causes of cucumber seedling loss: overwatering, cold, damping off, root disturbance and starting too early.
- When should I give up on seeds?How long to wait, how to check whether seed in the ground is still alive, and a calculator for a germination test.
- How to save seeds for growingWhich crops are easy to save from, how to collect and dry the seed, how to store it, and how to test it. Based on extension advice.