How to Grow Vegetable Seedlings in a Basement

One packet of vegetable seeds will grow many vegetable plants.

Growing vegetable plants from seeds is a way to save money on your vegetable garden. A packet of seeds will yield multiple plants and cost less than $5. Seed packets can be purchased from the home and garden department of your local hardware store. Start seeds six to eight weeks before your planting season begins. Starting seedlings in your basement requires a light source such as a sunny window or grow lights.

Things You'll Need

• Vegetable seeds
• Empty egg containers (at least one container per type of vegetable)
• Potting soil
• Masking tape
• Permanent marker
• Small watering can
• Plastic bread bags (one bag for each egg container)
• Twist ties from garbage bags or bread bags
• Sunny window or grow light

Instructions

1. Pick out the vegetable seeds. Find seeds for the vegetables you wish to grow in your garden. Read the seed packet to make sure you have the proper conditions to grow your vegetable plant to a harvesting stage.

2. Cut off the top flap of the egg carton. To grow seedlings, only use the half of the egg carton where the eggs sit. Fill each of the 12 egg spots with potting soil. The soil should not overflow into the neighboring egg spot.

3. Plant your seeds. Read the back of each seed packet. The type of vegetable seed will determine how many seeds can be planted in each egg spot. A general rule of thumb is; the larger the seed, the fewer the seeds that can be planted in each egg spot. Plant the seeds according to the directions.

4. Label your plants. Using the permanent marker, write the variety of vegetable plant onto a piece of masking tape. Place the correct masking tape label on each egg carton.

5. Water your seeds. Using the watering can saturate the planting areas. The soil should be very moist. Do not over-water. If water is spilling from the carton, carefully pour off the excess water.

6. Cover your seedlings. Place a plastic bread bag over the egg carton. The plastic will help keep the moisture inside the bag. By keeping the seedlings covered, you will not need to water them as often. Tie the bag closed with a twist tie.

7. Give your seeds light. All seeds need light to grow. Place the egg cartons on a basement window. This window must receive about 6-8 hours of sunlight every day. If your basement does not have a window, set up growing lights for your seeds.

8. Check on your seedlings every day. Look through the plastic bag to make sure the soil looks moist. If the soil appears dry, uncover your seedlings and water them. Once your baby plants are touching the top of the egg carton, uncover them.

9. Care for your baby plants in your basement. Summer vegetable plants will not be ready to go outside until after the last frost. Follow the directions on the seed packet to know when they are large enough to be planted in the garden.

Tips & Warnings

• Moisture droplets will be present inside the plastic bags. This is perfectly normal. This water will keep the soil moist.

• Keep egg cartons reserved for only one variety of seed. Each seedling grows at a different rate. Different seeds planted in the same carton will lead to some plants being ready to be uncovered before others.

References

• The Gardener's Network; Seed germination and seedling care

Resources

• Little Greenhouse; ACF indoor plant grow lights and guide