Superior Sprouting: Seed Germination Essentials, Tips, and Tricks

Seeds want to grow, so give them the right preparation, conditions, and care, and you’ll be on your way to a bountiful garden

Get a jump on the growing season by starting your seeds indoors. Juver/Shutterstock

Growing plants from seeds is budget-friendly, allows you to select from more varieties than just those available at the local garden center, and lets you get a jump on the growing season.

By following a few simple rules, you’ll significantly improve your germination rate—starting with quality, fresh seeds. While many people save leftover seeds from a prior year and some properly stored seeds have been known to sprout at 3 to 5 years old and more, you’ll get the best germination rates and the healthiest plants from new stock.

Insider’s Guide

Seed packets are more than just the pretty photo on the front; they’re a comprehensive guide to the future fruits, vegetables, or flowers contained inside. They offer essential information on hardiness zones (make sure you know yours), to let you know if it will or won’t grow in your area, as well as when to plant, the planting depth, seed spacing, and sun/shade requirements.