How do you sow seeds in pots, trays or buckets?

You want to start your seedlings, but the temperatures are too cool for your seeds to develop properly? Don't panic! You can use suitable containers to get ahead of the season and get your crops off to a good start.

Why sow seeds in a container

Seeding in a container offers several advantages:

• Anticipating the season: You can start growing your seedlings while the garden soil is still too cold. That way, as soon as conditions are favourable, your seedlings will be ready to be transplanted into the ground.

• Limit competition from weeds: By sowing in pots, you reduce the risk of invasion by weeds and limit the amount of maintenance work once your plants are established in the vegetable garden.

• Select the best plants: You'll be able to choose the most vigorous ones to transplant, ensuring a more successful and productive crop.

• Easier monitoring and care of seedlings : Sowing in cups allows better monitoring of germination, humidity levels and root aeration.

Pots, trays, cups... take your pick!

There's a wide range of pots to choose from for your seedlings: cups, pots, trays... They can be made from a variety of materials: terracotta for pots, plastic for cups or even paper for trays. The simplest thing is to know which you prefer to work with.

• Terracotta cups: Sturdy, reusable and environmentally friendly, they offer good moisture regulation and excellent root aeration.

• Peat cups: Biodegradable, they allow you to transplant directly into the ground without disturbing the root system. Ideal for fragile plants such as cucumbers or melons.

• Plastic trays: Practical and reusable, these are very common but not recyclable. They allow you to germinate several seeds before transplanting.

• Recovered containers: Egg cartons, yoghurt pots, cut-up bottles, etc. Recycling is an ecological and economical alternative!

How to get your seedlings off to a good start

To get your sowing off to a good start, there are several things to consider.

First of all, the choice of substrate is essential. A light, well-draining special seedling soil enriched with nutrients is ideal. You can also improve its texture by adding a little sand, which will make it easier for the roots to aerate and drain.

Watering should be regular but moderate. It is advisable to use a fine-headed sprayer or watering can to avoid moving the seeds. The substrate should always remain moist without becoming soggy, as excess water will encourage the development of mould or fungal diseases.

Seeds should be sown at the right depth: generally, they should be covered with a thin layer of potting soil, equivalent to twice their size. It is important not to pack the soil down too much to allow good air circulation and easy emergence of the seedlings.

Light also plays a key role in successful sowing. If you're sowing indoors, place your containers near a well-exposed window or use a horticultural lamp to compensate for a lack of sunlight. A temperature of between 18 and 22°C is ideal to encourage germination.

Finally, before transplanting your young plants into the garden, it's important to gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions. To do this, take them outside for a few hours a day for a week before final planting. This process, known as "hardening off", will enable them to better withstand climatic variations and transplant shocks.

What crops can be grown successfully as indoor seedlings?

Here are a few examples of vegetables and flowers that are ideal for sowing in pots:

• Vegetables: Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, courgettes, lettuces, cabbage

• Aromatics: Basil, parsley, chives

• Flowers: Cosmos, nasturtiums, marigolds