5 Ways to Make Seed Starting Simple, Easy, and Quick for Busy Flower Farms (SFFF45)
For many flower farmers, seed starting can be one of the most peaceful and grounding parts of the growing season. But let’s be honest—it can also be time-consuming and overwhelming, especially when you're juggling markets, CSA prep, and everything else farm life demands. Whether you’re a seasoned grower or just dipping your toes into flower farming, simplifying your seed starting process can be a total game-changer.
1. Start with a Simple Seed Starting Schedule
One of the biggest mistakes new flower farmers make is overcomplicating their crop plan. It might feel like you need to grow all the flowers, but scaling back and focusing on a handful of core crops can actually improve consistency and reduce burnout. Jenny’s approach? Stick to a manageable number of varieties and limit successions to only what you truly need. Remember: fancy fails, simple scales.
2. Know Your Flower Crop Plan Inside and Out
Before you sow a single seed, make sure you’ve gathered all the key details. That means knowing your varieties, the number of trays needed, your transplant weeks, and even which beds each crop will go into. Having this information upfront means fewer last-minute decisions when the season is in full swing—and fewer trays sitting around with nowhere to go. Plan now, thank yourself later. All of this information is printed out and available in our crop plan.
3. Streamline Your Tools and Techniques
Let’s talk tools. While soil blocking has its fans, it’s not always the most efficient method—especially for high-output flower farms. Jenny prefers cell trays for their ease of use, portability, and durability. They’re faster to fill, easier to carry, and less fragile than soil blocks. For those looking to split the difference, winstrip trays offer air pruning benefits while maintaining efficiency. Choose the tools that make your workflow faster, not fancier.
4. Batch Your Seed Starting Tasks
If you’re still filling, seeding, labeling, and watering one tray at a time, it’s time to batch. Breaking seed starting into phases—like filling all your trays first, then seeding everything at once—saves time and mental energy. Plus, batching helps keep you focused and minimizes interruptions. This technique becomes especially valuable when you’re in the thick of the season with a million other tasks on your plate.
5. Refine Your Processes and Write Them Down
One of the most overlooked time-saving strategies is documenting your processes. Writing a simple standard operating procedure (SOP) for seed starting ensures consistency across seasons and team members. It also means you don’t have to remember every little detail, like germination temperatures or watering schedules, year after year. Systems might feel rigid at first, but they create the flexibility you need to thrive during the busiest months.
Seed Starting Is an Art and a Science
At the end of the day, seed starting isn’t just about following a checklist. There’s an art to it—adjusting for sunlight, humidity, and watering needs as the weather shifts. But when you’ve built efficient systems, you free up space for that intuitive, hands-on care your seedlings need to thrive. Whether you’re just starting your flower farming journey or looking to improve your systems, these five tips will help you save time, stay consistent, and reduce stress.
We expand on these tips and more in episode 45 of the Six Figure Flower Farming Podcast!
