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Top 21 Seed Starting Supplies: From the Basics to the Bougee

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This guide shares the essential seed-starting supplies that lay the foundation for a thriving garden. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener looking for something new or a budding enthusiast, join us in unlocking the potential of your green dreams.

Basics

We all start somewhere and if you are a beginner gardener or are giving your first go at starting your garden from seeds, I suggest you start here. The truth is, you really don’t need much to start growing veggies, herbs, flowers and even some fruits from seed. If you get creative you can use just about anything (including things some would consider trash) to get your garden started from seed this year. I’ll begin with some pretty basic supplies but if the budget is tight, think about things you can repurpose before you buy.

1. Seeds: Choosing the Right Varieties

  • There are so many places to buy seeds; from the big box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s to online sellers like Baker’s Creek Heirloom seeds and Botanical Interests.

2. Seed Starting Soil: Nurturing the Foundation

3. Seed Starting Trays: Setting the Stage for Success

  • There are so many options when it comes to seed starting trays, countless sizes and shapes to choose from below are just a few I like:
  • 40 cell starting trays
  • 10 cell starting trays
  • Both of these options should last you a couple growing seasons if you take good care of them but keep in mind they are made of plastic and overtime can break and crack. There are more durable options available but I wouldn’t consider those part of the basics.

4. Watering Can: Hydration for Healthy Plants

5. Garden Labels: Marking the Path to Prosperity

  • If you are telling yourself you will remember what seeds are where, trust me when I say you will not. I do this to myself every year and without fail, every year I’m questioning what I have in at least one tray somewhere. Again, you can get creative with how to label your seed starting trays but luckily small garden labels are quite affordable.
  • Many like this one, even come with a pen
  • Or you can also try taller garden labels like these, Tall garden labels

For the Indoor Seed Starter

If you are anything like me, you want a headstart on the seed starting journey each year. In Zone 6b/7a, I don’t like wasting any time during the growing season. Below are some great options, I would venture to say must-haves, when starting your seeds indoors

6. Grow Lights: Illuminating the Path to Thriving Plants

  • You will find an unreal amount of options in this market and the best one for you really depends on your set up.
  • If you have some sort of shelving unit, you’ll want grow lights like this that you can hang from the shelf above.
  • If you’re working with a smaller set up, you can try these flexible gooseneck grow lights
  • Another common option is a stand-type grow light
  • Lastly, if you have a spare lamp, you can also get grow light, light bulbs

7. Heat Mat Magic: Providing the Perfect Warmth

  • Many seeds need at least some level of warmth to germinate. Depending on the specific seeds or the location in which you start your seeds, you may find a heat mat to be quite helpful in jump-starting your seeds.

8. Indoor Greenhouse: Creating a Haven for Seedlings

  • Advantages of using an indoor greenhouse
  • I love this one as it is not too large yet fits many trays and small plants. This indoor green house comes with a frame, four tiers of shelves and a PE cover. It is durable enough to use outside as well, should you wish to.

9. Garden Kits: All-in-One Solutions for Busy Gardeners

Now we mean business

At this point, we have moved away from essentials. Do I have every item on this list in one form or fashion? Yes. These little luxuries make the gardening and seed starting process easier and more enjoyable.

10. Gloves: Shielding Your Hands, Nurturing Your Garden

  • Gardening and particularly starting seeds can be a dirty job. It’s literally all dirt (well soil, but stick with me here) and seeds. I don’t use gloves every time because it is easier to handle the seeds, particularly, without gloves. But sometimes I just don’t feel like spending 5 minutes scrubbing dirt out from under my nails and these gardening gloves are my go to.

11. Garden Belt or Apron: Your Stylish and Functional Gardening Companion

  • A garden belt or apron is really a game changer. Especially, as the temperatures begin to heat up and you don’t wear quite as many layers when gardening. I can’t even tell you the number of times I walk back and forth across my yard for different tools. Or the number of times I’ve harvested vegetables by holding the hem of my shirt up to make a little pouch. Getting into the habit of wearing a garden belt or apron has seriously made my life so much easier. I think this garden belt/apron combo is a brilliant choice!

12. Fish Fertilizer: Boosting Plant Growth Naturally

  • As I mentioned before, organic growing practices are important to me when it comes to the food I plan to harvest and eat with my family. But I’m going to be honest, in my zone, some seedlings spend a lot of time indoors and in cell trays or small pots before they will be safe to transplant outside. Because of this, they need some food and I don’t want to give them any junk. Organic fish fertilizer is my go to. It’ll take some getting used to as the smell is potent. But it’s so easy to add a little bit to the water and give them some fuel about once a week or once every other week, after they have grown at least their first set of true leaves.

13. Compostable Pots: Sustainable Planting Solutions

  • Let me be honest, I have a love-hate relationship with compostable pots. They make transplanting easy as you truly just put the entire thing in the ground, backfill with soil and you’re done. HOWEVER, the hate comes in before these compostable pots can be planted. They are made to breakdown and sometimes if they stay too damp they can begin to fall apart before you want them to. I use compostable pots selectively. There are some seedlings that are more sensitive to transplant shock than others. This can include: pumpkins, squash, cucumbers and watermelon. Often times, it is recommended to just direct sow these. But again, if you’re like me and want to get a head start on the growing season, it’s nice to start seeds inside using compostable pots to help mitigate any root disruption which is often what leads to the transplant shock.

14. Needle Nose Pruners: The Painfully Necessary Tool

  • As your seedlings grow, you’ll find there are many that need to be pinched to encourage branching and healthier, bushier plants. While you can truly get pinch the tops off, you can get a cleaner cut using a pair of needle nose pruners.

15. Gardening Hand Trowel: The Small Tool with Big Impact

  • Hand trowels are great for transplanting seeds. They are perfectly sized to dig small holes that can fit the root system of your seedling.

And the bougie

Alright, I will say it; we have reached the completely unnecessary part of this list. Look, these items and tools are nice, convenient and fun so take a look and if you have a little extra in your garden budget this year, you won’t regret splurging on these items.

16. Garden Journal: Cultivating Memories and Wisdom

  • You do need some kind of log or notebook to document your seed-starting journey and this year’s garden notes. Trust me, your future self will thank you. You can use any sort of notebook, if you’re confident in your organization of it. Otherwise, this spiralbound garden journal is a really great option.

17. Self-Watering Devices: Effortless Hydration for Your Plants

  • Self-watering devices, to me, can sometimes be justified because they save you time. And, time is money, right? Some of the options in this realm are honestly quite affordable too. I’ve listed them from the lowest price first:
  • Watering stakes or spikes these ones are shaped like little mushrooms and are SUPER cute, on top of some practicality
  • Self-watering pots another aesthetically pleasing option and one great for direct sowing herb or lettuce seeds, indoors before the temps warm up outside
  • If you are going to make a little splurge, here’s what’s on the top of my list, an automatic indoor irrigation device. This one, particularly, can be set up for up to 15 plants. Whether you just want to save yourself a little time or are going away on a trip and want to save money on a housekeeper; it’s a win-win.

18. Seed Spreader: Sowing Seeds with Precision

  • If you are starting seeds outdoors and have a decent-sized plot to sow, you will be overjoyed by this seed spreader. It’s honestly so much more than a seed spreader. All you need to do is walk and push this bad boy because it will sow your seeds and cover them. Gardening and seed starting can be back-breaking work but not after this investment! You’ll be forking over some cash upfront, as this is the most expensive item on our bougie list but I truly think it is well worth it if you’ve got a large garden to tend to.

19. Sun Hat: Stylish Shield Against Nature’s Brilliance

  • We know to protect our skin from the sun’s rays and this can help with that and additionally, we need to remember to protect our scalp as well. This sun hat/visor is a great option as it allows for some optionality in terms of your hairstyle. There’s so much to love about gardening and honestly I also like to look cute while doing it. You can often catch me in my garden in my sun hat and a sun dress

20. Overalls: Practical and Stylish Gardening Attire

21. Seed Storage Organizer: Tidying Up Your Seed Collection

  • As you get further into gardening, there will come a time when you look around at all the seeds packets you have in random containers and old cardboard boxes; and you’ll think, well shit, this is getting out of control. You can wait for that day, or you can get ahead of it and benefit from a great seed organizer. There are a handful of ways this can be done but one of my favorites that is just so simple too, is to use a photo storage case. You can sort by vegetable variety (tomato vs cucumber or by seed start times (8 weeks before last frost vs 1 week after last frost).
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