Getting Set Up: A Germination Station
There are two key things to consider for seed germination: ideal temperature and soil moisture.
While not completely necessary, a germination station is a great way to increase the germination rate of your seeds by providing perfect levels of temperature and moisture.
Let’s face it, if you are buying seeds and supplies to start the seeds, you have already invested in this project. You probably want to do all that you can to ensure that your seeds germinate and grow into big, strong, healthy plants. A germination station does just that.
Blog Post, Update January 16, 2023
Hey friends! My intention behind our ‘grow with us’ blog posts is to create the blog posts that I wish I had when I was starting out.
Today, I will be sharing how we successfully germinate thousands of seedlings in our basement each year for our farm and provide the links to the supplies that we actually use.
There is never just one way to do things, but this is how we have found success. There are always new tools and innovations coming out and every year we try and improve our methods and update the blog posts accordingly.
With love, Taylor and your friends at Together We Bloom
Amazon Affiliate Link Disclaimer: There are many ways that you can support our small farm: and one is by purchasing items through our Amazon affiliate links. Many of the items linked below are through our Amazon Affiliate Links. If you appreciate the information that we put together and are interested in any of the products below, please consider clicking the links to purchase the items. Don’t worry, we only promote items that we use, recommend, and believe in, and buying from these links is at no extra cost to you. We still believe in supporting your local makers, artisans, and businesses but we do rely on Amazon as well. Each purchase made through these links contributes a small amount of money to our farm.
Getting Set Up, Folding Tables:
We use folding tables for our germination station (and let’s be honest, for so many other things too.) This allows us to set up a temporary ‘germination station’ that is easy to water and check on. The number of folding tables that you will need and the size required will depend on the heat mats that you use (more information on those below) and the seed starting schedule that you make. Our heat mats are 5 feet long so we use 6-foot-long tables.
If your budget is limited, you can skip folding tables and use any flat surface, even the ground.
4 Foot Folding Table
6 Foot Folding Table:
Heat Mats / Temperature Control:
All seeds have a temperature range that will trigger the start of germination. Seeds will have a ‘germination time’ and this tells us how many days the temperature and moisture must be maintained for the seed to germinate. Buying seeds from companies that provide this information on the seed pack will make germination much easier.
The average germination temperature for most seeds is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (it is important to note here that this means soil temperature, not room temperature.) Heat mats are the best way to ensure warm soil for germination to take place. The reason that professional growers use heat mats is that they DO make a difference.
For Beginners/Small Gardens: If you are new to growing indoors or if you are not sure if you want to make a large investment you can certainly try growing under lights for germination instead of on heat mats. Observe how your germination rate is. If you are not getting great germination, try investing in 1 or 2 heat mats to see if you get better germination. In our first trial year of growing, we started with one small heat mat and quickly bought another two-pack when we saw the difference that it made (both the single and double pack are linked below.)
Single Heat Mat:
Two-Pack:
For Intermediate/Mid-Size Gardens: If you are more serious about growing indoors and you want to ensure that you are getting good germination on the seeds that you invested in, a thermostat will ensure that you stay at the perfect soil temperature. You plug the heat mat into the thermostat controller which has a probe, the probe is kept in the soil so that the thermostat will heat the mat as needed to keep it within a few degrees of your desired temperature.
Many of the heat mats have a ‘general’ 20-degree increase so there is a chance that without the thermostat, you are reaching too high of temperatures and hindering germination rather than supporting germination.
We suggest that an intermediate grower purchases a kit that has a larger heat mat and a thermostat. If you are already happy with the heat mat that you have, we will also link the thermostat that we use below. Please note that many thermostats only allow for one heat mat to plug in and control temperature, so getting one larger sized mat with the thermostat is likely better than having a small heat mat plugged into a thermostat if you are starting more seeds than a small heat mat will allow.
48” Heat Mat Kit:
For Commercial Growers / Large Gardens: On our farm where we start thousands of seeds each week, we use the thermostat above along with ‘linkable’ heat mats from Johnny’s Seeds.
This means that we can ‘daisy chain’ the heat mats together and have one plug-in point. To get started, you need one of their ‘Master Heat Mats’ that plugs into the thermostat. You can then link up to 7 of the ‘add on heat mats’ and all of the heat mats’ temperatures will be controlled from the single thermostat. This allows us to have thousands germinating at one time.
Thermostat:
Humidity Domes / Moisture Control:
Even if you choose not to set up a separate ‘germination station’ and germinate your seeds under lights, maintaining consistent moisture will improve your germination.
Depending on your climate, this perfect level of humidity may be easy or more difficult to achieve. Here in Utah, where we grow, it is extremely dry so keeping the soil moist and humidity present is important to manage. Seeds need constant moisture for germination, not too wet and not too dry conditions. Airflow is also crucial, even while attempting to keep things perfectly moist.
We use humidity domes on top of our seedlings while on the heat mats. This has made a huge difference in germination and in the frequency we have to water. I will link some humidity domes below that we have bought, but we normally purchase these Domes from Harris Seeds.
If you are on a limited budget, you can also start by using plastic wrap or ‘cling film’ to cover your seedlings. Again, be careful to allow for some airflow as you set it on your seedlings, and be cautious on surface-sown seeds that the cling film may stick to.
It is important to check on your germinating seeds daily to monitor moisture and germination.
Remove the humidity dome or cling wrap once 50%-75% of the seeds have germinated and move your seedlings to grow lights. (If you are using cling film, set it in a way that it can dry so you can reuse it.)
Humidity Domes
Plastic Wrap with Cutter:
The items linked below are items you might also consider.
I use reusable zip ties for many things, but I like to use them to hook the thermostat to the folding tables. The flagging tape also has many uses (it is how we label our dahlia tubers) but I also use it to tie up electrical cords or wires since it it easy to use, stretchy, and easy to rip when I no longer need it.
When it comes to watering and the germination station, I use the pump sprayer more than I use the watering can. The soil should already be moist when we put the seedlings on the heat mats to germinate, and the humidity domes should help maintain that moisture. If the seeds germinate quickly, you may not even have to water them until you move them under the grow lights. However, if they are slower to germinate, you will likely need to supplement with more moisture. Your options are to bottom water with a watering can or mist with a pump sprayer. Avoid using the watering can and pouring on top of the soil as this can displace the seeds and disrupt the germination process.
Other Considerations:
Flagging Tape
Reusable Zip Ties
Pump Sprayer
Watering Can