Start your seedlings
Start your sowing early and get mature plants quickly.
Starting sowingDuring cycling, you can start your first sowing. The greenhouse was delivered with substrates (rockwool plugs) and a selection of organic seeds.
Starting your sowing quickly will allow you to obtain mature plants at the right time to plant up your greenhouse.
1. Key concepts for successful sowing
Sowing consists of germinating your seeds to obtain a plant and growing it in the greenhouse.
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You cannot sow seeds directly in place in the Aerospring or ZipGrow towers. Sowing must be done outside the growing system. Once you have a mature plant, it can be transplanted and grown.
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To germinate and develop, a seed needs specific light, temperature and irrigation conditions.
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Germination time depends on the plant species you want to grow. It can take between 48 hours and 3 weeks for seeds to germinate and emerge.
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The first 2 leaves are called cotyledons, and they are storage leaves that allow the plant to develop roots and then its true leaves.
Illustration showing the development of the seed after sowing.
A - Seed germination = formation of the stem and cotyledons (storage leaves)
B - Plant growth = formation of the true leaves through photosynthesis
1 - True leaves, 2 - Cotyledons
After germination, each plant will develop for several weeks. The growth duration varies depending on the plant species.
| Plant species | Time between sowing and obtaining a mature plant |
|---|---|
| Lettuces, chicories, spinach, Swiss chard, cabbages, Chinese mustard, sorrel, chives, basil, mint, lemon balm… | About 2 to 3 weeks (1) |
| Melon, gherkin, cucumber, courgette, celery, fennel, parsley… | About 3 to 4 weeks (1) |
| Tomato | About 7 to 8 weeks (1) |
| Pepper, eggplant | About 8 to 10 weeks (1) |
Table showing growth time in a seed propagator before transplanting into the growing system.
(1) Under optimal growing conditions.
Tip: When transplanting your plants into the growing system, remember to use the root activator. It promotes a denser root system and improves plant establishment in the new environment.
Sowing must be done in a substrate such as soil, rockwool, peat…
- In your permaculture beds, you can sow directly in place, especially for root vegetables (carrots, beetroot, radishes, turnips, onions) but also for legumes (beans, peas, broad beans).
When is the plant ready to be put into cultivation?
- The plant is between 5 and 10 cm tall.
- The true leaves are well developed.
- The roots are dense and visible around the substrate.
Importance of lightYou must make sure that the seedlings receive enough light after emergence. During seed germination, the plant will seek light. To prevent the stem from becoming leggy, we recommend placing your sowing under artificial light. This way, the plant can form vigorous leaves, stems and roots.
How many seeds are needed to obtain one plant?
The number of seeds varies according to the species sown.
| Plant species | |
|---|---|
| Lettuces, chicories, cabbages, fennel, fruit vegetables (eggplant, tomato, pepper, cucumber, courgette, etc.) | 1 seed |
| Spinach, Swiss chard, sorrel, celery, cress, rocket | 5 to 6 seeds |
| Herbs (parsley, basil, dill, salad burnet, etc.) | 5 to 10 seeds |
| Herbs (mint, thyme, lemon balm, chamomile, etc.) | A pinch |
Preparing sowing with the LED seed propagator
TipYou can use a pen cap to place the seed(s) at the bottom of each plug.
Using a pen cap to place the seeds at the bottom of the plug
Direct sowing in a permaculture bed
For some plants, germination and production are better with direct sowing. This means that you sow the seeds directly into the soil of the permaculture beds.
Direct sowing in a tower is not recommended: germination takes place from the soil upward. In the case of direct sowing in a tower, the seed would not germinate in the right direction.
Which species should be direct sown?
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Lamb's lettuce, purslane or spinach.
How should they be sown? Broadcast over a defined area, namely a quarter or half of a permaculture bed, or in rows with seeds every centimetre. -
Legumes: broad beans, peas, beans.
How should they be sown? In rows, with one seed every centimetre or, still in rows, 7 to 8 seeds per cluster spaced 10 cm apart. -
Root vegetables: carrots, beetroot, turnips, parsnips, etc.
How should they be sown? In rows, one seed every 2-3 cm. 3 to 4 weeks after sowing, remember to thin well, that is, remove young shoots so as to have 5 cm spacing between each plant.
2. Sowing with the LED seed propagator
See our wiki page dedicated to preparing sowing with the LED seed propagator.
The LED seed propagator is available on our shop.
Seed propagator
Label and dateSo you do not forget what you have sown, add labels with the plant species and the date.
3. Sowing during the cold season
If you choose to start your sowing when temperatures are below 15°C, it is recommended to sow indoors or in your greenhouse by adding a heating mat.
Make sure to place your sowing under LED light or near a window. To maintain heat and humidity during the development of your seedlings, you can add a transparent dome.
Irrigate the sowing regularly, but make sure not to flood them so as not to suffocate the roots.
Positioning a dome when outdoor temperatures are below 15°C.
Adding the heating matWhen temperatures are below 15°C and you start sowing, germination is difficult. Add the heating mat to increase the germination rate of the plants.
4. Sowing during the warm season
As soon as night temperatures are above 15°C, you can sow in the greenhouse without a dome. You will no longer need a heating mat.
Also make sure that the plugs remain moist by irrigating regularly so that the plants do not dry out.
5. Order plants ready to be transplanted
Do you not have the time or do not want to make your own sowing?We offer ready-to-grow plants that you can put directly into cultivation. Order them now from our shop.
Ready-to-grow plants
If you have other questions about preparing your sowing, contact us directly at [email protected].