Preparing Your Project
In a bowl or pan, put approximately
2 inches of water.
Open your grow plug package and
place them in the water for about 10
minutes, allowing them to engorge
themselves and expand.
Once your grow plugs are full of
water, tear open the outer
membrane, fill each of the 12 holes
in the cultivating tray. Let them
drain. Do not pack tightly, fill to the
top.
Poke a ½ inch deep hole in the
center using a pencil, pen or similar
item. Keep soil moist, not soggy.
Caring For Your Sprouts
As the seedlings grow, use a mister
or a small watering can to keep the
soil moist but not soggy. Let the soil
dry slightly between waterings.
Ensure good air movement to help
prevent disease. Using the fertilizer
pack, mix with water and feed the
seedlings regularly with liquid
fertilizer, mixed at the rate
recommended on the package.
Choose a south-facing exposure.
Rotate the tray regularly to keep
plants from leaning into the light.
Planting Your Seeds
Some of the small ones can be
sprinkled right in the small hole on
the top of the grow plugs. Larger
seeds will need to be buried or
pushed down. For insurance, plant
two seeds per cell. If both seeds
germinate, snip one and let the
other grow.
Seed-starting happens in two
stages: germination and growing.
Germination is the sprouting stage,
when the embryo of the plant
emerges from the seed. You won't
need light at this stage, but you will
need gentle warmth (not harsh
heat).
Light And More Light
Seedlings need a lot of light. If
you're growing in a window, choose
a south-facing exposure. Rotate
regularly.
If you're growing under lights, adjust
them so they're just a few inches
above the tops of the seedlings. Set
the lights on a timer for 15 hours a
day.
Keep in mind that seedlings need
darkness, too, so they can rest. As
the seedlings grow taller, raise the
lights.
Care and Feeding
Use a mister or a small watering
can. Do not use the fertilizer yet. To
speed germination, cover with
plastic dome that fits over the seed-
starting tray. This helps keep the
seeds moist before they germinate.
When you see the that most the
plants have sprouts of green, you
can remove the clear dome. Do not
keep cover on after plants are
touching the top of the dome.
You'll need to check daily: To see if
the seeds have sprouted; to remove
the dome, if used, when it's time
and move the sprouts into the light.
Moving Seedlings Outdoors
It's not a good idea to move your
seedlings directly from the
protected environment of your
home into the garden. You've been
coddling these seedlings for weeks,
so they need a gradual transition to
the great outdoors. The process is
called hardening off. About a week
before you plan to set the seedlings
into the garden, place them in a
protected spot outdoors (partly
shaded, out of the wind) for a few
hours, bringing them in at night.
Gradually, over the course of a
week or 10 days, expose them to
more and more sunshine and wind.
Kitchen Herb Garden Instructions
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