For gardeners of all experience levels, one of the toughest tasks to conquer in the garden is seed planting. Some have a real knack for starting a garden, and others struggle regardless of how many times they have tried. The cost difference between planting your garden from seed, and starting your garden with transplants from your local nursery can be quite surprising.
One of the best ways to help alleviate some of the pain from planting from seeds is by starting your vegetables in plug plants trays. These are specially designed trays for starting seedlings, and are designed to optimize growth conditions of the young plants.
The trays come in a variety of different sizes and can hold a wide range of vegetable types. The differences in trays can allow you to find the right size for your particular needs, and gives you the flexibility you need in starting your plants.
Although not all vegetables can be started from a transplant, most do considerably well started in this method. The tray is simply filled with mineral rich soil and prepared for the seeds. Once the seeds have been placed in the soil, a cover is generally placed over the entire tray. This boosts the temperature and locks in some of the moisture for the plants.
Once the seeds have sprouted, the cover is either removed or propped oven for the remainder of their growth pattern. After the plug plants have reached maturity, they will be ready to transplant directly into your home garden.
Before transplanting, make sure that you harden the plants to their new environment. This can be done by exposing the plant to the outdoor conditions and allowing them to get some direct sunlight for a couple of hours. You will find that starting your plants in a plug plant tray is an excellent way to simplify the planting process of your garden, enhancing your overall gardening experience.