Creating an Indoor Growing Station

This is my second year growing herbs and this year I will start some indoors—the ones I didn't have luck with growing from seed outdoors and some that I will sell at local markets.

Here is my journey creating a simple grow station that works especially well for those living in tight spaces.

1> Find a shelf

The best shelf for this setup is open, with no back. You could also use a table, but a shelf is good if you don’t have a lot of space.

2> Set up Grow Lights

When the plants sprout, they are going to need about 16 hours of light, more than a south-facing window can provide. I researched grow lights, then found one of the recommended ones at Home Depot. They are easy to mount underneath the shelf by drilling a couple holes, and their power cords daisy chain together.

For the top of the shelf I found a light that clamps onto the shelf. This light's advantage is that there is no work involved in mounting it and you can put it in a variety of locations as the need arises.

The lights should be 3-4 inches from the seedlings once they sprout, so I will place bricks underneath, removing them as the plants grow.

3> Select containers

I chose to sow my seeds in cardboard egg cartons because of their ability to absorb water and they’re free once you eat the eggs. I also picked up a growing tray on sale at the end of last season. I want to compare the quality of the plants in each type container. Ideally, I would put a drainage tray underneath the containers, but I didn’t have any lying around, so towels will have to do. I don’t expect great quantities of water to come pouring out.

4> Fill Containers

I grow my herbs organically, so I chose an organic seed starting mix. After filling the containers to within ¼-inch of the rim, I add lukewarm water to moisten. I use distilled water because I fear the salt in the softened tap water may be too harsh for the seedlings. In the commercial growing tray, I just add water and the peat pellets expand.

5> Sow Seeds

Before you sow your seeds, look at the germination times and plant seeds with similar germination times in the same tray or carton. (You will be covering the tray to keep the seeds moist until they sprout, so you want them all to sprout around the same time.)

Plant two seeds per pot as insurance against one not sprouting. See the seed packet for depth and any other sowing instructions.

After sowing, moisten with a fine spray to settle the mixture around the seeds.

Make a tag for each type of seed with the planting date, expected germination date, and in the case of the tray, the row in which they have been planted.

Cover the seeds with clear glass or plastic to keep in the moisture. The commercial tray came with a plastic dome that didn't work very well because the cardboard tray expanded when I added water to the peat pellets.

6> Keep the Seeds Moist

Keep the seeds evenly moist by misting with warm water until germination. For best germination. Maintain a soil temperature of about 70 degrees.

Look for next month’s blog when I will show you the sprouting seeds and maybe do some transplanting.