The Ultimate Seed Starting Guide: Everything You Need to Know For Starting Seeds Indoors: Best of Growing Joy Replay

2026-01-29

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If you’re new to gardening, seed starting indoors can feel scary and overwhelming. I know it did for me. For a long time, I stuck to buying seedlings because starting seeds felt like too much. The equipment, the space, the timing, the fear of doing it wrong. All of it can feel intimidating, especially for new plant parents.In today’s episode, we’re bringing back a favorite from the Growing Joy archives all about starting seeds indoors for beginners, featuring the ultimate seed-starting expert, Joe Lamp’l of joegardener.com. Joe is a longt...

In today’s episode, we’re bringing back a favorite from the Growing Joy archives all about starting seeds indoors for beginners, featuring the ultimate seed-starting expert, Joe Lamp’l of joegardener.com. Joe is a longtime garden mentor and friend of mine, and in this conversation, he completely demystifies seed starting basics. We break down the why behind the how, making seed starting feel approachable, doable, and genuinely fun.

Some of the most flavorful tomatoes I’ve ever grown came from seed. When you grow vegetables from seed, you’re not limited to what’s available at the garden center. You get access to incredible varieties you’ll never find as seedlings, and that’s one of the most rewarding parts of gardening.

In this episode, we learn:

[00:00:10] Maria shares her favorite experiences and benefits of seed starting
[00:02:11] Where to get the best seeds for your spring and summer gardens this year
[00:06:20] Joe demystifies seed starting and why you shouldn’t be nervous about starting your own garden!
[00:07:24] What Joe does for a living and where you can check out for more of his gardening tips
[00:09:39] Why Joe emphasizes understanding the why’s of gardening and plant parenthood
[00:10:17] Maria shares her own experience with growing seeds and why she didn’t give it a ‘real shot’ prior
[00:11:12] Joe talks about the rewarding feeling of starting from a seed versus seedling
[00:12:43] The sense of ownership that seed starting instills in us
[00:13:31] How growing your own garden expands your food choices
[00:14:26] What Maria learned about seed starting versus seedlings when she grew her own tomatoes
[00:16:47] Joe answers the question we’re all thinking about: how much do we need for a successful seed starting setup?
[00:16:56] Breaking down the materials, the costs, the alternatives, and the conditions you need for seed starting
[00:22:14] What kind of soil is ideal for seed starting?
[00:24:10] Joe’s recommendations for seed tray sizes, compartment depth, and seed tray materials
[00:28:06] When is the best time to start on your seeds? What is the most important date you need to know when growing your own seeds?
[00:30:20] Where Maria is sourcing her seeds from for this gardening season
[00:33:55] Do seeds have an expiration date? Joe emphasizes the importance of buying seeds from a good and established company
[00:35:40] Do we need to be looking out for non-GMO seeds?
[00:36:19] Is it possible to grow the seed of a fruit that you just ate? Joe discusses the difference between hybrid and open pollinated non-hybrid
[00:38:17] Now that you’ve got your seed starting setup, how do you put your seeds in the soil?
[00:39:01] What is the ideal light situation for seed starting?
[00:39:38] The step-by-step process of seed starting, what you should expect when you’ve planted your seeds, and the most intensive part of the process according to Joe
[00:43:10] The process of thinning and why Maria finds it SO frustrating
[00:45:38] Is there a right and only way to germinate your seeds? For Maria’s mom, a damp towel in a Ziploc bag is the way to go
[00:46:30] How to check if your seeds are still good
[00:47:50] How does cold stratification work and why do some plants need it? Joe explains the what’s, the why’s, and the how’s of this process
[00:49:46] What you can learn from Joe’s Master Seed Starting class
[00:50:38] The importance of building an engaged and active community of seed starters
[00:54:57] An exciting offer from Joe and Maria on how to be a better seed starter!
[00:57:41] What Maria is excited about with her seed starting this season!