Hey everyone! I'm excited to finally dive into vegetable gardening after observing for a while. I've got some supplies on hand and a few more on my shopping list, but I'm not sure if I've got everything covered. I'm planning to start with seedlings and might skip fertilizer for my initial attempt. I'll be gardening in pots on my back porch, and I'm considering growing lettuce, bok choy, broccoli, carrots, kale, and spinach—though not all at once. So far, I've ordered some budget seedling trays with a humidity cover and a grow light, plus a heat mat. I'm also looking to buy Miracle-Gro potting soil and a squeeze bottle for watering the seedlings.
I know I'll need to re-pot the seedlings as they grow, but I'm not sure what size pots to move them into. I'm looking at sets of nursery pots in sizes 4/5/6/7/8 inches and possibly some 3 or 5-gallon grow bags since I already have some basic gardening tools. Any advice or thoughts on my setup would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
I prefer using grow bags since they drain well and are easy to move around to catch all the light I can. Given your back porch situation with uneven light, they might be a smart choice for you. They allow you to adjust the placement so your veggies get the best sunlight possible!
I use repurposed spray bottles to water my seedlings. I usually start them in small six packs and move them to 3" pots for longer-maturing plants like tomatoes. To maximize space and light, I set up adjustable shelves in my laundry room with fluorescent lights above—definitely worth the investment if you're focusing on indoor gardening!
The shelf setup sounds great! I might try something similar as it's a good space saver.
Timing really matters when it comes to growing veggies. Each type has its own requirements, so do some research on when to plant each one. I recommend checking out the University of Georgia's extension office for best practices. There's also a great YouTube channel called Lazy Dog that shares helpful tips, especially if you’re in a similar climate. They’ve got some good insights for timing and techniques!
Awesome, I'll check out that university resource and Lazy Dog's channel. I know I'm a bit late for winter planting, but I still want to give it a shot!
You've got most of the essentials covered! For transplanting, I usually go from seedling trays to 3.5" pots before I harden them off. Just make sure once you transplant into pots, you don't use the heat mat or grow light anymore. And as for the pot sizes, switching to smaller increments (like 4/5/6 inches) can help, but if you're tight on space, jumping straight to a gallon pot or grow bag might be fine too!
Thanks for the advice! For staying in pots, do you think it's better to go for the smaller pots first or just get bigger ones?
That makes sense! I’m leaning towards grow bags too since my porch has some shady spots.