I hope you’re finishing your February strong and heading into a wonderful spring season! We’re in our 4th month of snow cover and spring can’t come soon enough! I’m over it already. 😅

So let’s talk seeds again! Last week I shared when to start your seeds, and today I’m going to share with you 3 seed starting mistakes I see beginners make all the time.

They’re simple mistakes that don’t seem like a big deal at first, but they often lead to weak, stressed seedlings before planting season even begins.

Here are the big three:

Mistake #1: Starting seeds too early

This is by far the most common one.

It’s tempting to start seeds as soon as you see seed displays in stores or when winter starts to feel long. But plants grow based on light and timing, not our impatience.

When seeds are started too early, seedlings often:

• outgrow their containers
• become root-bound
• get tall and floppy while waiting to go outside

A slightly smaller plant started at the right time almost always catches up and performs better in the garden.

If you made your seed starting plan after last week’s email, you’re already avoiding this mistake.

Mistake #2: Not enough light

Most seedlings fail because they simply don’t get enough light.

A sunny window feels bright to us, but in late winter the sunlight angle is still low, and seedlings stretch toward the light trying to survive. This is what causes “leggy” seedlings with long, weak stems.

The easiest solution is pretty simple, which is to place seedlings under a basic grow light positioned just a few inches above the plants.

You don’t need an expensive setup. Even a simple shop light from your local home improvement store works just fine for starting seeds.

Short, sturdy seedlings are almost always the result of strong, consistent light.

Mistake #3: Overwatering

This one comes from good intentions.

It’s tempting to think seedlings need constant water, but seedlings need moist soil, not soggy soil.

Soil that stays too wet can lead to:

• rotting root systems
• fungus problems
• seedlings suddenly collapsing (called damping off)

Instead of watering on a schedule, check the soil first. If the surface still feels damp, wait another day. You want the soil to feel like a wrung out sponge, not a soaking wet one.

Seed starting can feel intimidating at first, but once timing, light, and watering are dialed in, everything becomes much easier.

If you have any questions, just hit reply and send them my way. And if you need my free Garden Planning Starter Kit that I mentioned last week, that includes my Seed Sowing Chart to organize your seed starting, let me know and ill get the link right to you.

Happy growing! 🌱

Liz