Smart Seed Starting Decisions for This Season

In this episode, I’m following up on last week’s seed-starting encore and sharing a few things that came to mind after listening back and spending more time working through my own seed starting this year. I talk about why choosing the right seed companies matters, what can go wrong when seed quality isn’t what you expect, and what I ran into when I had to order seeds from unfamiliar sources—including Etsy and eBay—when popular varieties were already sold out. I also share some practical tips on ordering seed quantities and why sometimes buying more seed actually makes sense. We’ll dig into grow lights too—both LED and fluorescent—and I’ll explain how heat, light distance, and watering all work together (and what can happen when they don’t). I also compare soil blocks and plastic cell trays, walking through the pros and cons of each so you can decide what works best for your setup. And toward the end, I’ll share details about my Seed Basics and Beyond webinar and the Master Seed Starting course, for those of you who want to go deeper and really dial in your seed-starting process this season. If you’re getting ready to start seeds—or already have trays under lights—I think this episode will help you avoid some common mistakes and feel more confident moving forward. What’s one thing you’ve changed or refined in your seed-starting setup over the years? Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Recap 01:04 Seed Company Selection 02:22 Challenges with Seed Quality 02:58 Ordering from Unfamiliar Sources 03:42 Etsy and eBay Seed Purchases 05:17 Tips for Ordering Seeds 05:51 Seed Packet Quantities 07:44 Lighting for Seed Starting 08:43 Fluorescent vs. LED Lights 09:24 Managing Heat from Lights 12:44 Soil Trays vs. Soil Blocks 14:21 Pros and Cons of Soil Blocks 17:43 Alternative Seed Starting Kits 20:32 Webinar and Course Information 24:37 Conclusion Links & Resources: Episode 453-How to Prepare for Seed Starting Season-Encore Presentation: https://joegardener.com/podcast/how-t... Master Seed Starting Open for 2026 Enrollment: https://organicgardeningacademy.com/p... Follow joegardener® on:   / joegardener     / joegardenertv     / joegardener   Growing a Greener World Episodes: ‪ ⁨@ggwtv⁩    My Online Gardening Academy™ on Teachable: https://organicgardeningacademy.com/ 📬 Subscribe to my email list for weekly organic gardening tips and podcast reminders in your inbox: https://joegardener.com/subscribe-joe... And if you enjoy deeper conversations about organic gardening, ecology, and practical ways to grow smarter, be sure to subscribe to this channel. *Some links listed in my videos may be affiliate links. I receive a commission every time you purchase a product through an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.