12 Best Plants to Grow from Seedlings in Trays

Starting your garden using the easy yet satisfying method of growing plants from seedlings in trays is This approach lets you grow young plants indoors so they have a head start before being moved outside. Starting from seedlings provides a range of advantages, whether your goal is to raise flowers, herbs, or vegetables, including control of the growth environment and lesser danger of pests.

This book will go over twelve of the greatest plants to raise from seedlings in trays. Both novice and seasoned gardeners will find these easy-care, highly yielding plants ideal. By the conclusion of this piece, you’ll be ready to turn your garden into a riot of color with robust, healthy plants.

1. Tomatoes

Given their extended growth season and demand for moderate temperatures, tomatoes are among the most often grown plants from seedlings in trays. Beginning tomatoes inside gives them a big head start before being moved into the garden. Put a premium seed-starting mix in shallow trays with adequate drainage. Plant the seeds about a quarter inch deep, then maintain wet but not damp soil. Tomatoes need warmth—ideally between 70 and 80°F—and will help from a heat pad in a colder house.

To guarantee they get at least 14–16 hours of light per day, set the tray beneath a grow lamp or in a bright window. Once the seedlings produce two sets of true leaves, they can be trimmed and finally moved straight outside or into bigger pots following the last frost. Starting from trays promotes robust, vigorous plants ready for plenty of fruit.

2. Peppers

Starting as seedlings in trays helps peppers—bell, chili, and sweet varieties—thrive because of their long growth season and susceptibility to cold. Start by spreading the seeds in little trays loaded with sterile, well-draining seed-starting mix. About ¼ inch deep, plant the seeds gently under coverings of dirt. Pepper seeds may take 7 to 14 days to sprout and grow best in warm weather, ideally between 75 and 85°F.

To stay warm, think about setting the trays on a heating mat and covering them with a plastic dome to preserve humidity. Remove the dome and place the trays under grow lights or a strong window for 14–16 hours every day once the seedlings sprout. Usually three to four weeks following germination, transplant the seedlings when their first true leaves emerge. Starting peppers in trays guarantees strong root development and increases your chances of a plentiful, early harvest when taken outside.

3. Broccoli

Starting from seedlings in trays can help broccoli, a cool-season crop, flourish very brilliantly. Six to eight weeks before the last frost, start by planting seeds inside. Use a seed-starting tray loaded with a nutrient-dense, finely textured mix. Plant ¼ to ½ inch deep seeds, then gently cover with dirt. Store the tray in a cool, well-lit space—ideally between 60 and 70°F. Usually taking five to ten days, broccoli germinates rapidly.

Either through a sunny windowsill or fluorescent grow lights for at least 12 to 14 hours a day, give continuous hydration and light for good seedling growth. The seedlings can be hardened off and moved into the garden after their second set of true leaves is about 4 inches tall. Broccoli started in trays lowers transplant shock and encourages better root growth. Particularly in areas with erratic spring temperatures and limited growth windows, this approach produces stronger plants and improved head form.

4. Lettuce

Starting in seedling trays can help lettuce, a fast-growing leafy green, flourish. It may be grown inside 4–6 weeks before the last frost and likes cold temperatures. Select a shallow tray with drainage holes and load it with wet, lightweight seed-starting mix. Since lettuce seeds require light to sprout, sow thinly spaced seeds on the surface and gently press them into the ground without covering them. Keep the tray in a sunny spot with temps between 60 and 70°F.

Seeds should sprout in seven to ten days. Make sure the ground stays always wet but not waterlogged. Once seedlings produce two sets of true leaves, trim them to avoid crowding and let the strongest plants flourish. When seedlings are two to three inches tall, harden them off and place them into pots in the garden. Using seedling trays provides gardeners a jumpstart on the growing season and helps to manage spacing, therefore generating earlier and better lettuce harvests.

5. Eggplants

Warm-weather veggies, eggplants, work best when begun from seedlings in trays. Eight to ten weeks before the last frost, plant seeds indoors as they have a lengthy growth season. Plant ¼ inch deep seeds in a seedling tray filled with fine, well-draining seed-starting mix. Keep the tray warm; eggplant seeds grow best between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. One can assist in preserving this temperature using a heated mat. Germination runs 7 to 14 days.

Once seedlings show, use grow lights or a sunny window to give them 14–16 hours of strong light every day. Maintaining uniform moistness of the soil will help to prevent waterlogging. The seedlings are ready for hardening off when they grow two sets of genuine leaves and are around 4 inches in height. Once all threat of frost has gone, move them to bigger pots or garden beds. Starting eggplants in trays guarantees an early, more fruitful growth season and results in better transplants.

6. Cabbage

Because of its resilience and inclination for cold temperatures, cabbage is a perfect option for seedling tray growing. Beginning inside six to eight weeks before the final spring frost, start seeds. Plant seeds ¼ inch deep on trays loaded with a wet, well-draining seed-starting mix. Usually within 5–10 days, cabbage seeds develop fast at temperatures between 65–75°F. For 12 to 16 hours of daily light, place trays under grow lights or next to a strong window.

To prevent root rot, keep the soil always wet but not saturated. Thin them to avoid crowding and promote strong development when seedlings form their first real leaves. Cabbage seedlings are ready for hardening off and moving into the garden when they are 4–6 inches tall and include at least three sets of leaves. Particularly in areas with short growing seasons, starting cabbage in trays helps gardeners better regulate spacing, enhances plant health, and results in early harvests.

7. Cucumbers

Gardeners love cucumbers, particularly if they are begun from seeds in trays. Beginning indoors three to four weeks before the final frost date, grow cucumbers from seed. Plant the cucumber seeds around one inch deep when light, well-draining potting mix fills the trays. Maintaining a temperature between 70 and 85°F can help cucumbers germinate well. Usually, seedlings emerge between seven and fourteen days. Set the trays under grow lights or in a bright spot for 12 to 16 hours daily.

Make sure the ground remains damp but not waterlogged. Harden the seedlings off before transplanting them into the garden until they have two sets of true leaves and are robust enough to handle. This approach allows cucumbers a head start, therefore enabling an earlier harvest and better plants. Starting from trays, gardeners may choose the best seedlings and steer clear of crowding, therefore enhancing fruit output and disease resistance.

8. Cauliflower

Another cool-season crop that thrives from being grown in seedling trays is cauliflower. Six to eight weeks before the final frost, start by germinating seeds inside. Arrange shallow trays filled with a well-draining, fine-textured seed-starting mix. About ¼ inch deep, plant the seeds and gently cover them with dirt. Since cauliflower seeds enjoy lower temperatures, try to find a germination temperature between 60 and 70°F.

Keep the trays in a spot with enough light, as cauliflower needs daily at least 12 to 16 hours of light to flourish. Though water the seedlings often, be sure they never sit in water. Thin the seedlings as they develop to avoid crowding and promote robust development. The seedlings are ready to be hardened off and moved into the garden after they are 4–6 inches tall and have produced multiple sets of leaves. Starting cauliflower in trays provides gardeners an early, plentiful head start and helps increase transplant success.

9. Kale

Growing from seedlings in trays will help kale, a resilient and healthy leafy green, flourish. Six to eight weeks before the final frost date, start by germinating kale seeds inside. Plant the seeds around ¼ inch deep after well-draining seed-starting mix fills seedling trays. As kale likes temperatures between 55 and 65°F for germination, keep the trays in a light, cool environment. The seeds should germinate in seven to fourteen days. Though they should never be saturated, kale seedlings need continuous hydration.

Thin the seedlings to guarantee the correct distance after they have two sets of genuine leaves. They may be hardened off and moved into the garden when they are 4–6 inches tall with healthy root systems. Beginning kale from trays guarantees early development and offers better seedlings for transplanting. This approach also helps to regulate space and lower nutrient competition, therefore improving the harvest success.

10. Spinach

Fast-growing, lush green spinach gains from beginning indoors in seedling trays. Start with indoor sowing of spinach seeds four to six weeks before the final forecast frost. Plant seeds approximately ½ inch deep after filling trays with a well-draining seed-starting mix. For germination, spinach seeds need colder temperatures; optimal ranges fall between 50 and 70°F. Though not wet, keep the soil moist; spinach is sensitive to overwatering.

Make sure the seedlings get 12–16 hours of strong light every day once they germinate in 7–10 days. Thin the seedlings to provide every plant ample room to flourish when their second set of genuine leaves grows. Harden them off before placing the strong enough seedlings into the garden. Starting spinach in trays guarantees an early start on your harvest and helps to prevent pests and infections, therefore producing a more abundant crop.

11. Zucchini

Another warm-weather crop that thrives if begun from seedlings in trays is zucchini. Start by planting inside three to four weeks before the last frost, spreading seeds. Plant the seeds one inch deep using a lightweight, well-draining seed-starting mix. Zucchini needs a warm atmosphere for germination; the optimal temperature range is between 70 and 85°F. Usually, seeds sprout in seven to ten days. Once seedlings show up, make sure they have enough light—from a sunny windowsill or beneath grow lights for 12 to 16 hours a day.

Maintaining an equal moisture level, keep the trays from sitting in water. The seedlings can be moved into bigger pots or straight into the garden when they acquire a few sets of genuine leaves and are robust enough. Starting zucchini in trays lets you properly space them, which lessens nutritional and water competition and produces stronger, healthier plants and more yields once transplanted.

12. Melons

Melons—including watermelons and cantaloupes—need a lengthy growth season and warm temperatures; hence, they are perfect candidates from seedlings in trays. Inside three to four weeks before the final frost date, sow melon seeds. Plant the seeds about one inch deep using a well-draining seed-starting mix in trays. For best germination, melons grow between 75 and 85°F; the seeds should sprout in 7–10 days.

Set the trays under grow lights or in a sunny spot for at least 14–16 hours every day to guarantee the seedlings get enough light. Maintaining wet soil, avoid waterlogging it. Harden the seedlings off and then move them into the garden when they are big enough and the threat of frost has passed. Starting melons in trays allows gardeners to use the extended growing season, therefore guaranteeing earlier and more consistent harvests of mouthwatering melons suited for warm areas.

FAQs

Bottom Line

One easy and efficient way to guarantee your garden thrives is by growing seedling plants in trays. Your plants will have the best start if you provide the correct care; everything from vegetables to flowers may be grown in a regulated atmosphere. From these twelve plants, create a lovely, useful garden this season.