With the wide variety of germination kits on the market today, it can be quite the challenge trying to pinpoint the ideal product that suits your needs and budget. Whether you’re looking for a mini greenhouse to start the germination of seedlings or a quality kit equipped with its own means of lighting, this article is going to help you find your ideal seed starter kit, so stick around.
Top 5 Best Seed Starter Kit Comparison Chart
Reviews of the Best Seed Starter Kit
The Bootstrap Farmer 72-Cell Seed Starter Kit is one of the largest germination kits available. It features a tray that measures at 21.25 x 11 inches and has a depth of 2.25 inches. Not only is it larger than most products on the market, it’s also one of the most durable kits out there. This kit is designed to withstand the abuse that’s usually associated with commercial growing.
This kit comes with two trays. Each tray has 72 cells, and each cell measures at 1.5 inch square by 2.25 inch deep, meaning you can start growing a lot of seeds at once. The kit features a very rugged dome that’s as tough as the kit itself. The dome features air vents that provide humidity control, allowing you to manipulate the growing environment based on your plants’ needs.
With the domes equipped, the total height of the entire kit is around 5 inches. Moreover, it offers a growing space of around 4.5 inches, so you don’t have to worry about it being too small for the plants that you intend on growing. While this is one of the more expensive kits on this list, we’re certain that such an initial investment will be money well spent in the long run.
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Jiffy is a prominent gardening brand that offers a wide range of gardening trays, and the J450 is one of the brand’s most popular products. The dimensions of the tray are 21 x 11 inches and the package includes a lid that has the same dimensions. Further, this product features 50 peat pots that are to be used as growing mediums. The total height with the lid in place is about 6 inches.
The Jiffy J450 is a straightforward seed starter kit. All you really need to do is place one seed in each pot and just water them. The peat pots are to always be kept inside the tray so that they’re kept in a warm environment, ensuring that the soil doesn’t dry out. And you don’t have to worry about disruption while transplanting seeds since there are absolutely no plastic pots in this kit.
The great thing about this seed starter kit is that it’s super affordable on any budget and it allows you to grow up to 50 different plants. It comes with everything you may need, so you won’t have to buy any extras or deal with any gimmicks. All in all, if you’re looking for a simplistic kit that will get the job done without costing you an arm and a leg, this is your best bet.
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The KORAM 10-Pack Seedling Tray is another highly affordable grow kit that allows you to grow up to 60 plants at once. And we’re not talking about teeny weeny plants, you can actually grow a few large-sized plants in this kit. The trays are comprised of 6 large cells that measure at 1.9 inches, which is large enough to accommodate a wide range of seedlings.
The thing that’s so cool about this product is that for a kit that costs less than 20$, it sure comes with a ton of equipment. This affordable kit comes with 10 trays and 10 domes, granting you a great deal of flexibility as far as the types of plants you can grow. The kit also does a pretty good job of maximizing heat transfer, which helps keep the soil from being dried out.
At the top of each dome, there are vents that allow you to adjust the humidity to your liking. We like how this highly affordable kit seems to rival a lot of the more expensive units when it comes to durability. It’s made of flexible plastic that doesn’t break with ease, so you don’t have to worry about it being a one-off kit. This kit definitely provides a great bang for your buck.
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When it comes to providing moisture and a warm environment for your seeds, the Seed Starting Kit from Window Garden is a highly effective product. This kit features 3 mini-greenhouses that measure at 10 x 4 inches, which makes it a perfect kit for window sills. The package includes 30 fiber soil starters that are made from coconut coir, so you don’t need to buy a separate medium.
The great thing about coconut coir fiber is that it’s a sterile medium, which means that you won’t have to deal with weeds at all. It also does a brilliant job of keeping the moisture. As a result, it’s less likely that the seeds are going to dry out quickly, ensuring that they grow to their maximum potential. Moreover, these starters allow for the growth of strong and healthy roots.
When it comes to the transplanting phase, the coconut coir fiber starters are great because you won’t have to remove the plants, rather, you can simply plant them into the soil right away. This helps reduce the chances of distribution in the roots. Last but not least, the price tag on this kit is one that’ll certainly win you over. Highly recommended!
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The MIXC Seed Starter Kit is available in two different versions. One version boasts 6 big cells and the other features 12 small cells. Pick the option that suits your needs the most. The MIXC kit includes 10 sets of trays with their accompanying domes and bases, so you can grow up to 60 or 120 different plants, depending on which version of the kit you go for.
The MIXC Seed Starter Kit features transparent seed trays that allow you to see the progress of the plants without disturbing them. The trays are to be placed inside the base with the dome placed over them. Speaking of the domes, they feature humidity vents that allow you to adjust the level of humidity inside the kit according to the species of plants that you have planted.
The trays on this seed starter kit can hold their own pretty well as long as you’re not abusing them, but we wouldn’t say that they’re the most durable on this list. They are, however, resistant to heat, which means that you can use this kit in conjunction with heat mats in order to speed up the growing process. The trays can handle temperatures up to 120 degrees.
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Things to Consider Before Buying a Seed Starter Kit
Before ordering a new seed starter kit, there are a number of factors that you have to keep into consideration in order to get the most value for your money. These factors include:
Build Quality
While the majority of germination kits are designed with multiple-use in mind, they all don’t have the same level of durability. There are products on the market that are built with cheap materials that are likely not going to last that long. You’d actually be lucky to get a couple uses out of them before they’re rendered useless. Definitely not worth shelling out some pretty penny for.
You want to make sure that you invest in a product that’s made from superior materials that can last for a long time. Keep in mind that such high-quality units tend to cost significantly more, but this high-cost initial investment is going to save you a whole lot of money in the long run. Not to mention that since you won’t be throwing them out, they’re much better for the environment.
Cell Number
It’s key that you invest in a seed starter kit that has enough cells to accommodate the number of plants you plan on planting. Not only that, you also want to make sure that the size of the cells is appropriate for the size of the plants that you plan on planting. Some plants require more space than others in order to establish strong roots. Keep in mind that larger cells mean fewer plants.
Growing Medium
One of the biggest mistakes that a lot of beginners make at the beginning of their indoor growing journey is that they tend to use soil from their backyard garden as a growing medium for their seeds. This isn’t a good idea because the soil in your garden may contain contaminants such as weed seeds and other types of pests. You need a kit that comes with its own growing medium.
By investing in a kit that features its own growing medium, you won’t need to think about buying a compatible growing medium separately, and therefore, you can begin growing plants right out of the gate. Look for kits that feature sterile growing mediums, as they tend to be the most ideal mediums for the growth of seedlings, and avoid the soil in your outdoor garden.
Dome Size
The dome is a highly important component in a seed starter kit because it acts as a small-scale greenhouse. Most domes are made of plastic, and you want to make sure that it's made of hard plastic so that it doesn’t break easily. It’s important to invest in a product that has a dome that’s large enough to accommodate the species of plants that you plan on growing.
Another thing you want to keep into consideration is for your seed starter kit to have a dome that allows for perfect ventilation and humidity control. Luckily, most of the products available feature domes that have adjustable openings, which allow you to adjust the environment based on your pants’ needs. Many beginners tend to overlook this factor then wonder why their project fails.
Final Words
There you have it, five of the best seed starter kits available today. Hopefully, the information we provided today has helped you find a product that suits your requirements and budget. Kindly let us know which one of the above-mentioned seed starter kits you think is the best.
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