All Modern Sprout kits come from humble beginnings. Starting your grow kits from seed is an incredibly rewarding process that relies on a gentle hand.
Hydroponic kits in particular can be choosey when compared with other, more traditional, planting methods for seed starting. Modern Sprout is often the gateway to the hydroponic growing experience for our gorgeous designs and thorough instructions. Growing pros can struggle to break their habits and adjust to the new method of seed care. Experts with a more generalized gardening background can often run into more trouble with smaller seed varieties which generally prove slower to grow in any environment.
Hardly shy, small seeds can often feel delayed in their growth, but fear not! They just have more work to do before they noticeably sprout.
In Modern Sprout kits, you may notice that some seed types are packed in a greater number than others. Comparably smaller seed types can have a lower germination thanks to their relatively small room for error. Their tiny surface area makes for less forgiveness in errors like over and underwatering. In short, the seeds need to be in the perfect spot at all times rather than having some leeway between conditions.
Even if tiny seeds get the right amount of moisture, there’s still the question of sunshine. A key ingredient to spur growth, sunlight and its substitutes (like our grow lights), are critical to energize seeds to grow. Without sunlight and the energy within that light, no seed can hope to accumulate enough energy to break out of its casing and take root.
Given that seed types like thyme, lavender, and mint are some of the smallest, it’s no secret they are often the trickiest to start.
Our best tips:
Give them time to acclimate
Many small seed types are slow to show growth as they have so much growing to do in the first place. Allowing adequate time for your seeds to take root is paramount before starting over, or worse, throwing everything away in your grow kit.
NEVER top-down water
Top-down watering is the usual way to water many plants, and the only way to water most gardens that lack expensive irrigation setups. For our hydroponic kits, you simply remove the stainless steel net pot or coco pot and pour the water directly into the reservoir, further preventing pests like mites and gnats.
Days on days in the sun
Tiny seeds are in need of massive amount of energy which can only be absorbed via a nourishing light source. Whether this light is naturally available or supplemented with a grow light like this one, it’s important to keep the young seedling on a schedule of full sunlight for the fastest results and heartiest yields. Full sunlight is equivalent to somewhere between 6 and 8 hours per day.
With the right hands and a good eye, any seed can flourish. Who’s ready to dig in?
Happy Cultivating,
The Modern Sprout Team
