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Have you heard of indoor hydroponic gardening? Aero Garden was one of the original counter top systems but there are many brands to choose from now. It’s a compact garden method that integrates water, nutrients, and light without the use of soil.
This is a great way to garden indoors during the winter, which is why we bought one in the first place, plus it’s a good way to start practicing self-sufficiency. Once we moved to Florida, I doubted I’d use it again but kept it just in case.
As we planned our food forest and started trying to grow plants from seeds, we found out how difficult it can be to germinate some seeds. That is when I had an epiphany moment. Why don’t we try the Aero Garden for starting seeds?
We found out that it works really well for germinating seeds! I bet it would even work for rooting cuttings like sweet potato vines or woody herbs. In the past, we’ve tried starting our tea garden plants, like chamomile and echinacea, from seed and had trouble. This technique has worked like a charm. The only limiting factor is that you can only do a few plants at a time. That’s why we use this method mostly for perennial flowers to add to our foodscape.
Now we want to show you how to start your stubborn seeds using your own hydroponic garden system.
Supplies
If you already have a hydroponic system, great! If not, check out this one I found on Amazon for starters, it’s a middle of the road one that will get the job done. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to get this type of system. If I need to replace mine, I will go for this one or something equivalent.
Make sure you have good quality seeds that have been stored properly, away from direct sunlight, excessive heat and moisture saturation. We store our seeds in old prescription bottles (that have been sanitized) in the refrigerator.
You will need grow pods, sometimes called grow sponges, to support the seed as it germinates. These are made from peat moss, a sterile non-soil compound. You can purchase these easily on Amazon here.
Your hydroponic system will come with a kit including grow basket and domes. Hold onto these and reuse them. Make sure to sanitize them after each use to inhibit bacterial or fungal growth. See this simple seed starting hack below.
Watch Video
Add filtered water to the water trough of the hydroponic garden, add a cap full of liquid nutrients and start the machine. Sit back and wait for the magic to begin.
There are varying germination timelines for every seed. Consult your seed packets or do a quick internet search to find out specifics.
After our seedlings grow their true leaves, we carefully remove them from the grow basket and plant in the outdoor garden. Doing this early on ensures the roots haven’t extended beyond the basket which would cause damage upon removal. Lastly, do not remove the tiny plant from its grow sponge. Just plant it sponge and all.
You can do this simple method over and over again and fill your garden with beautiful plants. This method has worked beautifully to germinate my nasturtiums among other flowering pollinator plants.
While some plants are more difficult to germinate, it is worth the effort to add variety to the garden. In the case of our lovely nasturtiums, we know that the nectar has a high amount of sucrose making it especially sweet. Our pollinators love sweet nectar, so that’s a pollinator garden must-have! We also like to fill our tea garden with herbs like chamomile, echinacea, mint, and lavender. Starting them this way, ensures healthy beautiful plants to enjoy all season long.
More plants means a better garden ecosystem, so give it a try and watch your garden expand. Let us know how it went. Happy gardening!
