Seedling Grower Starter Kit Instructions

 MATERIALS INCLUDED

(1) 72-Cell Plug Trays

(2) 48-Cell Plug Trays

(3) Shallow White Leak-proof Trays

(4) 2"-High Clear PET Domes

 

 

We created this Seedling Grower Starter Kit to provide basic supplies and information needed to get your seedlings started.

 

 

Visit our Marshine website at plantingtrays.com for crop-specific sowing and transplanting information plus recommendations for optimizing seedling germination and growth with seedling heat mats and supplemental lighting.

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Loosely fill the Plug Tray to the brim with soil and gently press down the mix using a Plug Tray of the same type until the mix level is ¼" below the lip of the tray.

 

 

2. Make a small depression in the center of each cell and place 1–3 seeds in each cell. Once seeding is complete, sprinkle soil over the seeds to cover them.

 

 

4. Carefully water until water runs out of the bottom of the Plug Tray, then place a Leak-proof Tray under the Plug Tray.

 

 

5. Label your seedlings with the crop name and seeding date.

 

 

6. Place a Clear Acrylic Dome on top to maintain consistent humidity.

 

 

7. Move the covered trays to a warm, sunny, south-facing window to germinate; or place under a seedling grow light. Ideal soil temperature is 75°F (24°C) until germination, then reduced to 60°F (16°C). Optimal ambient temperatures are variety-specific, but 65–75°F (18–24°C) is a favorable range. Temperatures above 75°F can increase disease pressure and inhibit germination.

 

 

8. Check your seedlings daily to ensure the soil is moist, watering as necessary.

 

 

 

9. As your seedlings emerge, make sure they receive adequate light to prevent them from becoming leggy. If grown on a windowsill rotate trays regularly as they grow toward the sunlight.

 

 

10. To decrease the likelihood of disease, ensure good air movement by removing the dome after seeds have germinated and do not over-water.

 

 

11. One week before transplanting, seedlings need to be hardened off. Reduce water, decrease temperatures, and expose seedlings to increasing periods of outdoor conditions (sunlight, temperature, and light wind).

A cold frame provides a protective environment for hardening off plants, a process that helps transition the plants from the indoor environment to the outdoors.

 

 

12. Seedlings can be transplanted when they have matured enough to withstand outdoor conditions.

 

 

13. Just before transplanting, water the seedlings thoroughly to minimize transplant shock and allow for easier removal from the tray. Take care when pulling seedlings from the tray to avoid damaging their stems and leaves.

 

 

14. With a trowel or dibble, make holes in the prepared bed to fit the plugs and place the seedlings inside. Gently press soil around each plant so the base of its stem is level with the soil surface.

 

 

15. Water in thoroughly. Adding a water-soluble fertilizer such as can help minimize transplant shock and promote growth.

https://www.plantingtrays.com/products/hydroponic-grow-trays.html