Sowing seeds in trays

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Growing plants from seed is a joy to experience. Follow our step-by-step guide to sowing small seeds in trays, including ways to make it easier.

Benefits for You

Gardening offers gentle physical activity that can improve your strength and coordination.

Watching seeds sprout taps into your nurturing instincts, filling you with hope and excitement for what’s to come.

Seeing those first delicate green shoots push through the soil feels like a little miracle each time it happens!

Suggested Plants

A wide range of plants can be successfully started by sowing seeds in trays. Here are some great options to begin with. Be sure to check the information on each seed packet to see if the plant is suitable for starting in a seed tray.

Vegetables and Herbs:

Tomatoes, peppers, chilies, basil, parsley

Flowers:

Geraniums, cornflowers, poppies, marigolds

Plants with long roots, such as sweet peas, are better started in root trainer pots or recycled containers like toilet roll tubes to accommodate their growth.

What You Need

Essential Items:

Packets of seeds

Small seed trays with drainage holes—modular trays with separate compartments are especially convenient

Multi-purpose compost or seed-starting compost

Watering can with a fine rose

Plant labels and a pen (lollipop sticks work well too)

Optional Items:

Perlite or horticultural sand to mix with compost for better drainage

Root trainers—these longer, specialist seed trays can be opened to check root development

Potting or tidy tray—a deep tray that helps contain compost and keeps your workspace neat (a washing-up bowl or kitchen tray can also work)

Ruler—for leveling compost and measuring seed spacing accurately