You don’t have to be a professional gardener to have a nice set up! In this post, you'll learn how to get seeds started indoors with your own indoor seed cabinet!
I love reusing and repurposing things as much as possible. I'm not the most "green" person you'll ever meet, but I like to think I can make a difference even with the small things.
My husband and I purchased a house in 2021, and my first priority was getting a garden up and running. We moved in around April, so I didn't have the time to start from seed that year. I have always had the intention of starting my garden mostly from seed, saving seeds from the previous years' garden that we liked, and getting a great collection started.
If you’re like me, you don’t have a lot of extra room to have a full greenhouse in your home or yard. My extra space is in my cold, dark basement laundry or storage rooms. So what do you do? Make a mini greenhouse! I had seen the cabinet idea for indoor plants and succulents around the Pinterest DIY crowd, so I decided to take the idea and make it work for seedlings. I scoured Facebook Marketplace for the perfect cabinet and turned it into a great little greenhouse/seed starting cabinet. It worked great and I know it'll last a long time. I want to share some of my tips and tricks for getting your own seed cabinet set up, some general things to think about, and starting seeds on your own.
Before You Start Your Seed Cabinet, What Are You Willing to Commit?
“Everything comes down to priorities. How much work are you willing to put in? How much time are you willing to commit to seedlings? How much do you want to spend on your produce?”
All seeds and plants have different needs. Lots of plants are what we call direct sow. That means they do best being planted straight into the ground after the danger of frost has passed. However, there are a handful of plants that take a bit more time and need to be started early and indoors, which is where a seed cabinet comes into play. Once you've figured out how much time and effort you're willing to commit and what seeds you want to grow, you can start thinking about what kind of seed cabinet you'll need.
Find the Right Cabinet
So you're ready to commit to starting your own seed cabinet and starting your plants from seed. There are lots of things to consider when finding a cabinet to use.
Width and Height
How much space do you have at home for a cabinet?
Because I was controlling the temperature and moisture inside my seed cabinet, I knew that I could keep my seed cabinet in the basement which was really my only free space. I didn't want something big and bulky, but also didn't want something too small that wouldn't function.
I knew I wanted my cabinet to fit the standard seed starting trays. As I was looking for cabinets, I made sure to check the measurements of the shelving so that the trays would fit with a little bit of wiggle room on the side for fans (small fans are important in the early stages of seedlings to help them grow strong).
Since my cabinet was going in my basement, I had to ensure it could fit width-wise down my stairs and that it wasn't too tall for the basement ceilings.
How many plants are you going to grow?
Different plants have different spacing needs due to root growth. While my garden has a large variety of plants, most are direct sow plants so I don't need to start a lot of them indoors. However, I like to start a lot of the same thing in case some don't do as well and so I can give away my extras to those who may need them. I didn't want something too small where I was limited on what I could grow.
What kind of plants are you going to grow and what are their height/light needs?
I made sure that my shelving was adjustable. That way I could change the height based on what I decided to grow that year, and when certain taller plants, like tomatoes, got a certain height they could have more space just by quickly adjusting a shelf.
Material
The two top priorities I thought about when looking at material was how will it react to moisture and heat. Different materials are going to hold moisture and heat differently.
Moisture- Certain metals can rust in high moisture places or when moisture sits for too long, like water spills. You may also be using water that is enhanced with liquid fertilizer, so it's important to think how those compounds will affect the materials. On the other side, some woods can warp, mold or rot if not sealed properly.
Heat- Bottom heat from heating pads are incredibly important for most seeds when first planted. I was worried a metal cabinet would get too hot and cause issues like melting or somehow start a file. On the flip side, I also needed to think about cords and lights and the safety of using wood. Using modern, safe, lighting and cords helps eliminate most of the worries around fires.
Quality
Is this something you are okay with replacing every few years, or do you want this to last a long time?
Have a plan before you buy something. Not all cabinets can be turned into a seed cabinet. Know what you're looking for before you put in the money to buy it.
Thinking of all the things mentioned above, if you're not willing put in the refinishing work, try and find a newer cabinet that is in better shape.
If refinishing something sounds like too much work, maybe a simple, small portable greenhouse purchase from the hardware store would work better.
I'm a big believer in making things last, so we put in the extra work to make this cabinet last.
Refinish It
Part of making a good plant cabinet is how you take care of it. A regular cabinet can't just be used for plants. You'll want to make sure it's sealed properly so moisture doesn't damage it. You'll want to make sure you fix lights and fans properly so you don't have fire hazards and so that things are sturdy. If you do it right, this should be a cabinet that can last you for many years to come.
Pictures: Top L to R- Original Board, Sanded Board, Boards Being Sealed
Bottom L to R- Open Cabinet with Refinished Boards and Lights, First Seeds, Seedlings Adjusted with Growth
My cabinet is a beautiful oak, but it had a gnarly coating on it (see first picture above). I decided to sand the shelves down and reseal them with polyurethane to help the wood be more waterproof as spills during watering time would be inevitable. I spaced out my shelves so that they could be moved further away from the light as they grew. I decided on the Barrina Grow Lights, 96W(4 x 24W, 600W Equivalent), 2ft T8, Super Bright, Full Spectrum Sunlight Plant Light, LED Grow Light Strips, 4-Pack from Amazon and was not disappointed. The width was perfect and my plants responded well to them. I stuck them on with the provided stickies, and they didn't hold well, so I plan on doing the other method of drilling them onto the shelves. I'm not getting paid or anything, but here is the link if you're in the market for a good plant light yourself.
To keep the inside clutter free, I drilled a few holes into the back of the cabinet that the cords could safely go through. The lights aren't on a timer, but they have a switch and I usually unplug them as an added safety.
Get Planting
You've found your cabinet and you're ready to get planting. The main plants that do well being started early include tomatoes, peppers, broccoli/cauliflower, and eggplant among others.
I didn't want to overwhelm myself for the first year, so I decided to just try out a few varieties of peppers and tomatoes as well as a few flower varieties. I'm happy to say that with a lot of care, most all of my plants made it outside and into the garden.
Pictures: Repotting the Seedlings and Hardening the Plants as Transplanting to the Garden Grew Closer
I can't wait to start the whole process again soon. I'm using a few more shelves this year and trying some new varieties of plants. I have a better idea this year of when to upgrade pots, when to move the lights, and how much water everything needs.
Do you have an indoor seed set up? Comment below your seed starting plans and any tips and tricks you may have to offer!
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