Jiffy Seed Starter Kit - How To Grow Your Own Plants For Spring!

I became tired of spending a ton of money in the Spring on flowers to plant in my hanging pots for my backyard.  I found this seed starter kit, the organic soil mix, and the 6 seed packets for $17.00 at Walmart.  Below is a step by step instructional walk-through on how I sowed my own seedlings.  The flower packets I purchased were Pansy and Viola, and each packet contained about 20 seeds.  The tray is reusable!

Classroom Use:
-One tray should be enough for an entire classroom, or you could buy multiple trays and have students work in groups.  Walk students through the process below.  Have the students create a book and illustrate the steps completed.  Be sure to begin with background knowledge about seeds and germination!

Lesson Plan Links:
Seed Observation Journal
Plant Life Observation Journal
Plant Investigation Journal 

1.  I filled each area with the soil mixture to the top.   The instructions stated to water the soil thoroughly until it penetrated the walls of the pots.  When I poured water on top of each one, the soil expanded for a short time and bubbled over into the next pot.  Next time, I won't add so much soil to start with.  I ended up having about 1/2 inch of water standing on the bottom of the tray, under the pots.

2. Next I pushed my index finger into each pot, creating a small divot about 1/4" deep.  (I would recommend doing this once you see that all of the water has saturated the soil mixture so you do not create a muddy-type mess on your finger). 

3.  When I opened the seed packets, I realized the seeds were inside of another envelope, which was a relief.  I didn't want to dump my seeds all over the floor because they were so small and difficult to hold.  I poured the seeds into the palm of my hand and placed 2-4 seeds into each divot.  This picture shows the amount of seeds from 2 packets.  My seed starter kit had 50 pots, and the 6 seed packets I bought were enough.

4.  Once all of the seeds were put in each pot, I covered the entire tray with more soil to hide the seeds.  The starter kit comes with a clear plastic dome lid.  I put the dome lid on the tray, and taped the seed packets on top so I knew which side had which flowers.  I placed the tray on a shelf in my pantry, because the seeds need a warm location away from direct sunlight.  As my seeds begin to sprout, I will continue to post my results!  I need to wait approximately 7 days for the Pansy seeds to sprout.