How to Plant Seeds in a Basic Seed Tray

Planting seeds is a great way to start plants indoors for your garden. Using seed trays helps your plants grow easily and with minimal effort. By getting your seeds ready for the spring, you’ll have seedlings ready to go outside in no time!

1 Plan to start planting seeds between 6-12 weeks before the last frost date.
Actual growing time for seeds will depend on what plants you’ve decided to grow. Planning around the last frost date for your area will help you determine when to start germinating the seeds.^[1]
- Read the packaging on the seeds you are planting to see if additional steps, such as soaking or chilling, need to be taken before they are planted.
- Check the Old Farmer’s Almanac for growing dates specific for your region.
2 Purchase a cell tray with drainage holes for an easy option. Using a cell tray allows the seeds to grow without interfering with one another. Opt for cell trays that have drainage holes at the bottom if you can. They can be purchased at any gardening store.^[2]
- If your cell trays do not have drainage holes at the bottom, use a knife to poke holes in the bottom of each cell.
3 Make a seed tray out of a cardboard egg carton for a free alternative. This biodegradable option has perfect sized cells for planting and you may already have one in your home. After you’ve used all the eggs in a carton, poke a few holes at the bottom of each cell so the soil has good drainage.^[3]
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5 Fill each cell to the top with…