Food insecurity remains a significant concern worldwide. Territorial disputes, conflicting ideologies, and the hunger for power between nations could topple a country’s food supply in a snap of a finger, raising prices at exorbitant rates. Our ancestors were once self-sustaining, sowing seeds and tending the soil to grow crops without relying on anyone. Could cultivating one’s garden put a period on food scarcity?
The solution lies in your garden shovel towards food sustainability. Tilling your own yard all starts with a humble seed. To begin our quest to end food insecurity, read this blog and learn everything about easy seeds to grow in a cup.
Can You Start Seeds in a Cup?
The good thing about starting seeds in a cup is that there are no rules! You can sow almost any seed in a cup. Growing your seeds on a manageable scale is ideal for sensitive seedlings that thrive less in an open ground.
Growing seeds in a cup is an easy and fun activity to make. Take any empty plastic or paper cups and perforate some holes at the bottom. Select a fast-draining or universal soil and fill the containers. Sow the seeds and cover the cups with plastic to achieve constant humidity and warm temperatures, which many seeds generally favor.
Benefits of Growing Seeds in Cups
There are innumerable benefits of starting seeds in a mug. If you're unconvinced yet, some benefits might change your mind:
- Eco-friendly. Mother earth will thank you for reusing plastic cups. After serving beers on a Friday night, germinating seeds in a cup is an excellent way to put your waste to good use.
- Cost and space-efficient. Not every house is blessed with a spacious balcony where you can put a standard seed box. Having some plastic cups to start seeds saves space and money.
- Guaranteed germination. There is no excuse why your plant died because of neglect if you are sprouting seeds in a cup. It guarantees greater success rates as roots can be closely checked through the transparent plastic.
- Reducing transplanting stress. This is perhaps the most practical benefit of growing seeds in a cup. Rootballs remain intact if you want to transplant them in your garden, guaranteeing fast recovery and less transplanting shock. If your greenie is affected by recent repotting, make sure you see a plant doctor!
- Prolonging gardening season. Seeds can be pre-germinated indoors before the arrival of spring. You can widen your cropping season when you plant the seeds in advance.
What Are the Easiest Seeds to Grow in a Cup?
Whether you are looking for herbs, vegetables, fruits, or flowering plants that are easy to grow, we've got you covered!
- Basil. Basil is a perfect herb to plant in a cup, especially on a kitchen windowsill. It only needs a small container and doesn't require repotting if the mug is large enough. Start growing indoors and gradually expose it to the sunlight when it sprouts.
- Mint. This herb is also a great choice to grow in cups. Plant it in fast-draining soil and cover it with a thin layer. Keep it moist and place it in a bright spot until it germinates.
- Rosemary. Starting rosemaries from seed is an excellent option for adding to your kitchen herbs collection. Put the seeds in plastic cups filled with substrate, and sprinkle some soil on the top. It will germinate within one week if kept in a warm and cozy spot.
- Oregano. Oregano is also one of the easy plants to grow from seed. This herb also does well in small containers and can grow without problem if it sits in a sunny window.
- Carrots. To start carrots from seeds, soak them for about an hour before planting them in the soil. Plant 2-3 seeds in container cups and cover them with light soil. Thin them later when all the seeds sprout.
- Pole beans. Pole beans are easy and fun to plant with kids. Sow it deeply, about ⅓ deep in the cup, and keep it wet. It will dramatically sprout with its showy cotyledons and leaves in about a week.
- Pea. Peas are vegetables that are perhaps the easiest seeds to grow because of their size. In order to germinate, it needs to be slightly buried, about 3-5 cm deep.
- Beets. One cold-tolerant vegetable, beets, will have no problem if the seedling cups are grown or forgotten outside. However, it will grow faster if kept in warm temperatures, next to a heater. Shallowly sow the seedlings in pots, keeping the soil moist until sprouting.
- Broccoli. Planting broccoli is best done indoors to guarantee a high sprouting rate. Plant about 1-2 seeds per cup and thin the other if both seeds grow. It is best done in fall to extend your cropping season until early winter.
- Cauliflower. Start sowing your cauliflower seeds indoors in early spring. In about 7 days, it will germinate. Wait until it grows 4-6 leaves – this will signify that the plant is ready for transplanting outdoors.
- Collard greens. Collard greens will also have no problem with cold temperatures. Sow it in your little cups after the last frost. Placing the cups indoors to boost their germination rate.
- Onion. Onions are also great plants to start in cups. Sow about 2-3 seeds in each cup and thin them later if all of them grow. It might need to be planted in your garden or in bigger pots to achieve good yields.
- Spinach. Another salad veggie that is fun and easy to grow is spinach. Sow the seeds in loamy soil every two weeks to continuously harvest throughout the season.
- Lettuce. Lettuce can be grown entirely in cups as long as it receives the maximum light and the proper nutrients. Sow about 1-2 seeds per cup filled with fast-draining and organic-rich soil.
- Celery. Celery has tiny seeds, making it a perfect choice to start in cups rather than directly in a vegetable garden. Soak the seeds overnight before sowing in individual cups to accelerate germination.
- Cucumber. If you're thinking of a vining plant, cucumber is the best choice to be grown in cups. Plant 1 seed in each cup. Water the soil regularly to speed up germination. Transplant outdoors or in a bigger pot if the vine reaches 10 cm.
- Pumpkin. Pumpkin is also an excellent plant to start in cups. Because of its large seeds, this is a wonderful project for kids to begin with. Plant them individually in each cup and cover them with plastic to boost sprouting.
- Pepper. Put 2-3 peppers seeds in each cup. Lightly cover it with soil and keep it moist during sprouting. Transplant it to bigger pots or garden beds when it develops 4-6 leaves.
- Tomatoes. Start sowing tomatoes in cups in early spring. Sow 1 seed per cup as tomatoes usually have high germination rates. Keep it in a warm place indoors and plant it as soon as 4-6 leaves emerge.
- Eggplant. Eggplants are the perfect choice to start in cups because of their tiny seeds. Plant 2-3 seeds per cup filled with fast-draining and wet soil. Plant it outdoors once it puts up 3-5 leaves.
- Watermelon. This vine is perfect for starting indoors, especially after eating fresh watermelon. Sow 2-3 seeds in each small planter in spring or summer. Please maintain the soil wet until it emerges.
- Strawberry. If you're thinking about growing fruits in a container, strawberries are a perfect choice. Start growing its delicate seeds in cups or pre-germinated in a damp paper towel. Once it sprouted, transplant it to bigger pots containing organic-rich soil.
- Sunflower. Sunflowers are our most recommended flowering plant to start indoors. Sow one seed per cup in spring or late summer and moisten the soil until it germinates. It is best grown with sunny balconies if grown in pots.
- Marigold. Marigolds have tiny seeds that are very easy to grow. Bury the seeds about 3 cm and moderately water the soil until it emerges. Transplant it in a giant container when it reaches about 5-10 cm in length.
- Poppies. This flowering plant is very rewarding to grow once it pops out vibrant flowers. Although it can be raised directly in the garden, it does well in plastic cups. Ensure that the soil moisture is constantly wet during its germination.
Even though it's easy to grow all these pretty greenies, they still can encounter problems, so make sure you identify them in advance and react quickly. Better safe than sorry!
FAQ
What Seeds Grow the Quickest?
The quickest seeds to grow include cabbage family, like broccoli and cauliflower, and herbs such as basil, mint, and rosemary, which take about 2-3 days at the right temperature.
How Many Seeds Should You Plant in a Cup?
Plant about 1-2 seedlings per cup if the germination rate is more than 80%. Otherwise, plant about 2-3 equidistantly if it's lower. Learn how to germinate seeds quickly by knowing the best sprouting conditions.
What Is the Easiest Seed to Grow Indoors?
Perhaps the easiest seed to germinate indoors includes the non-light requiring plants like herbs such as basil, oregano, and mint.
What Seed Is Easy to Grow For Kids?
Legumes like peas, pole beans, fava beans, and common beans are some of the easiest seeds to grow for kids because of their maneuverable size. Their showy cotyledons can be pretty rewarding to witness for your young ones.
What Are the Seeds That Grow in a Week?
Eggplant, tomato, pepper, onions, and beans are the seeds that grow within a week if kept in heating pads indoors.
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