This year as we head into our third kidding season, we are also anxiously awaiting our first lambing with our Icelandic ewes. With the addition of these expectant mothers (and their babies) it has come time to knock out a new project: building a lambing jug!
Lambing jugs are simply small enclosures for the ewe to lamb in, and spend the next few days to have a safe space to bond with their babies. This will allow mom and babies to still be seen by and interact with the rest of the herd, but be physically separated. These jugs can certainly be used for kidding, and I was planning on putting one up for our does. But, with the addition of Reykja and Stimpla it went to the top of the to do list.
Building a lambing jug doesn’t have to be a monumental undertaking. You want simple! They typically are intended to be portable and temporary, allowing for easy set up and tear down. They can be put up anywhere, whether it be in the pasture or the barn. It’s 100% dependent on your set up. For ours, I am utilizing the third stall (5′ x 4′) of our mini barn and essentially creating a run off of it. This will give them the use of the stall, and I can shut them in at night for safety. But, they will also have access to under the overhang to stretch their legs, get fresh air, and socialize. Not only will this serve as our kidding and lambing jug, but it will be where we can separate baby goats at night for morning milking.
Construct Your Fencing
These jugs can truly be made out of anything! Use whatever scrap fencing you may have around – it doesn’t need to cost anything to construct. I have random pieces of woven wire netting, cattle panels, etc, leftover from other fencing projects I keep on hand for these exact circumstances. One thing to keep in mind is the size of the babies you will be containing. Larger goats/sheep for instance are just born bigger, and won’t slip through larger holes in fencing as easily. Smaller goats however, such as Nigerian Dwarfs can be teeny tiny when born, so the smallest square possible is extremely important so they can’t slip out. Because we have a range in sizes from Nigerian Dwarf, to Nubian, to Icelandic, I based my fencing off of the smallest animal and used fencing with 2″ x 2″ squares.
Just like for the fencing, use whatever you can for a gate! That is of course if you need one. Because ours will double as a place to separate kids at night, I want there to be access to the jug from the outside as well as inside the barn. We have a random stock pile of panels that I pulled from. I affixed it to the corner beam with carabiner clips to secure it as well as be the “open side” and the other side fastened to a T post with loose zip ties to create a hinge. Low tech, easy peezy.
What's In the Jug
Inside the “jug” you just need to provide the basic necessities. A barn camera for stalking (oh that’s just me? :D) food, water, and if needed, warmth. We have a hay feeder built into the wall of the third stall where we provide free choice hay, and a bucket of water high enough that it’s out of reach of kids/lambs. They don’t need it! Those first few days they are particularly bumbly and fumbly, and accidental drowning is a real possibility. So, play it safe and keep it high enough it’s out of their reach. Fresh water is essential however for mom, and hydration is so important in milk production.
More water = more milk = happy and healthy babies.
Depending on the climate you live in and the conditions, supplemental heat may be necessary. Especially during those first few days, babies need calories and should not be wasting them shivering to keep warm! Due to the constant fear of the danger of heat lamps, last year we made the switch to Premier 1 Prima Heat Lamps due to their safety features for all of our needs.
We are anxiously awaiting for kidding season to start as well as experiencing our first lambing this year. With this lambing jug set up, we will be able to give moms and their babies the best start possible to bond in a safe and undisturbed place, while allowing us to monitor their health and progress as well. Wishing everyone a healthy and successful lambing/kidding season!
**Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. I only link to products I have used, abused, and believe in. While I do not make commissions on these, they do allow my partners to track business I have generated for them. I wholeheartedly appreciate you using my affiliate links for any of the products I recommend you may purchase! It keeps the educational and informative content coming.
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So you’re thinking about getting some goats this spring are you? I can’t say I blame you, they truly are just about the cutest things and can bring so much joy (and delicious milk) to your life. When I first got goats a few years ago I admittedly knew nothing about them. Which is why I am writing about what you should know before getting goats. I originally got a doeling and buckling (that we castrated to become a wether) from Craigslist strictly for the purpose of land clearing. We had no barn, they slept in a doghouse, and we used panel fencing they constantly escaped from to rotate around our overgrown property. I had no clue what I was getting myself into.
Ohhhhhh how the tides have turned since then. I now raise a small herd of dairy goats (my original doeling has been rehomed) and they are raised and bred for the purpose of milk production. The dog house is a thing of the past, and they now live in the mini barn that we built for them. They are fed a completely different diet, and have a permanent pasture while being occasionally rotated to clear with poly wire netting. I have learned a lot of things the hard way to say the least, but I finally have a good system in place. There are a lot of things I wish I knew before getting them that may have saved me some headaches, money, and sleepless nights. There are also some things I knew I was signing up for, but you might not! So, if you are new to or are thinking about getting goats, below are some of the top things that I think are very important to know!
1. Fencing, Fencing, FENCING!
The reason why this topic is number one is because it’s the one thing that has caused more grief and headaches than anything else with goats. Simply put, they are master escape artists. If they can find a way out and have the desire to, they will make it happen. I have personally witnessed my goats walk up to a fence eyeball it, back up, walk up, eyeball it, then turn around and get a running start and use a rock as leverage point to propel over. Olympic athletes have nothing on these guys! Was it due to lack of forage? Nope. They were just jumpers and did it because they wanted to, and they could.
We have used every kind of fence imaginable from panels, welded wire, woven wire, to polywire electric netting. Some goats are just jumpers simply put, and if you get one that is, my thoughts are with you. It’s not fun, and basically the only way to stop them is to fork over a lot of money and invest in a rather tall fence they can’t jump over. But then, they may find a way to crawl under. My original doeling that has since been rehomed to a different farm was my notorious problem child. She could propel herself over anything if she put her mind to it. My current goats couldn’t care less or be bothered to attempt an escape, and I haven’t had an escapee in almost two years. It’s just luck of the draw.
I can’t stress enough though, that you should be prepared for the worst and it’s a lot cheaper in the long run to buy the right fencing at first (even if it’s a little pricier) than getting the cheap stuff and have to replace it due to escapes. I am not by any means exaggerating when I say we have spent thousands of dollars to fence in our goats. Depending on what your setup is, you can make your own fencing decision but I’m going to explain what I have for fencing here and why:
- Cattle Panels:
- Feedlot panels (6′ x 16′): These are by the far the most expensive panel I have ever seen or purchased, but in the small paddock directly off the back of the stalls of the barn this stuff is what encloses it. This panel is tall enough to deter anything from jumping over (whether that be out or in) and the squares are so small the entire way up that even the smallest Nigerian Dwarf baby goat can’t squeeze through. When the kids are very young they don’t get to go out into the big pasture quite yet, so they stay in the smaller paddock with mom. This allows them to be truly contained and safe.
- Feedlot hog panels (50″ x 16′): These are cheap at a local TSC in comparison to the aforementioned Fort Knox grade panels. These are used in approximately half of our big pasture and make setting up fencing really easy and are much more aesthetically pleasing than spooled fencing. They also have small enough squares on the bottom half of the panel to keep babies from slipping through.
- Welded wire: While it may have its uses say around a garden, I don’t recommend it for goats. Why? Because goats loooooove to rub on fences. There is a reason why welded wire is the cheapest type of fencing, and long term compared to others it will have to be replaced more frequently.
- Woven wire: Used in approximately half of my large pasture for the goats. It can be a little bit of a pain to get set up because you have to do a lot of pulling and stapling to prevent a saggy fence, but it does hold up very well to rubbing and is cheaper than panels if you’re fencing a large area. My recommendation is to get the tallest one you can to deter jumping, and with the smallest squares. If you end up getting goats with horns, if they can stick their head through they will get stuck and can strangle themselves. Small squares keep this from happening and help prevent baby goats from being able to slip through.
- Electric Polywire Netting: If you are going to rotate your goats even somewhat regularly, this is the way to go. It’s easy to set up, take down, and move. Even escape artist goats can respect it when properly trained. We use it to rotate our pigs, chickens, sheep, and goats. There is a reason it’s in the background of almost any photo of my animals in spring thru fall, I can’t say enough good things about it.
2. Horns versus No Horns
Horns versus no horns is a highly debated and touchy subject much like dam raises versus bottle fed. But, like anything else I truly believe it is a matter of personal preference and of course your decision to make. The first two goats I got were horned and after that I swore I would never have goats with horns again.
A goat’s horns are like little battering rams and they can do some serious damage. Not only have I had to practically break their necks trying to get them unstuck from the fence they had themselves caught in (this was before we had to buy better fencing with smaller squares they couldn’t get stuck in), but they have accidentally hurt each other as well as my livestock guardian dog. In a domesticated setting such as ours, they just aren’t necessary and can do more harm than good. While a goat without horns can still harm another goat, the chances are much less than one with horns.
Some people on the other hand love their goats with horns because it’s the natural way, or if they show them and the breed standard calls for horns then they have to leave them on. Regardless of what you choose, it’s something you want to seriously consider when getting your first goats.
3. Breed & Sex Choice - Is Dairy on My Radar?
The purpose of the goats on your property will steer you in the directions of what breed you will want to get. If they’re for meat then Boer goats or a cross are the obvious choice. If they’re for pets or land clearing then the choices are endless and it is a matter of what breed interests you. Keep in mind the size of the goat, and consider how much room you are able to allot them, what kind of housing you can provide, and how many you can comfortably raise on that space.
We got our original goats for land clearing so I didn’t really care what breed they were or if they were does or wethers. They were nigerian dwarf crosses, which made them very easy to move around and manage. But, it wasn’t long after we got them that I wanted to start focusing on dairy. The fact that I had a wether and a doe with unknown dairy lineage didn’t leave me in the best position.
So, my advice is if you have any inkling that dairy may be on your radar at some point, keep that in mind when selecting your breed and the sex of your goats. If I could do it all over again I would have never gotten a wether. They can’t be used to breed or be bred, so with a focus on dairy they’re kind of of useless (sorry Alan!). I also would have been more choosy about the breed I got as well as their lineage focusing on dairy, rather than whatever Craigslist had to offer at that time. Getting into the world of dairy opens a whole new can of worms as you start to consider milk production as well as butterfat content. But, that’s a topic that deserves a post all in itself!
4. Urinary Calculi
It’s tough to be a wether. You get all of the same urges to breed as the bucks, but you lack the equipment to back it up. When a buck is castrated and becomes a wether, not only does he lose his manhood, but testosterone production and urethra development stop. A narrow urethra makes them extremely susceptible to developing urinary calculi. UC is a very serious medical condition where kidney stones are formed that the goat cannot pass. It’s an issue that if left untreated or caught too late, will result in death. It can rapidly escalate, and sometimes it’s impossible to catch in time. So prevention is key! I have only experienced it once, and it was a very hard (and expensive) learning experience for me.
All goats whether they be does, bucks, or wethers require a 2:1 Calcium to Phosphorus ratio as part of their basic nutrition. When the phosphorus ratio gets out of balance, this is what causes these stones to develop that lead to blockage. Yes, UC is possible in does and bucks, but it is rare when compared to the number of cases it’s seen in wethers.
So, if you’re getting wethers you will want to take this into consideration what you are feeding them and providing loose minerals. Everyone has a different opinion on if wethers should or should not eat grain. But, I have always heard it is a common cause for UC. This is what caused it in my situation, and ever since then I switched to strictly feeding alfafa to wethers and bucks at my vets recommendation in addition to hay and forage. Never grain, and I haven’t had an issue since.
5. Housing
When we got our first goats, they lived in a large dog house. No fancy barn, not even a shed. Just a regular large dog house. And you know what? It worked! It limped us along our first full year keeping them. They had plenty of room to be comfortable, yet it was small enough that it made it easy for us to pick up and move when we rotated them. We have come a long way and have since built our mini barn to accomodate our expanding herd and needs for additional hay storage, as well as a place to milk.
But, if your herd is not for dairy and you don’t need all of that additional space, you don’t have to go all out for housing. There are so many different options that are perfectly suited for raising goats even in the winter as long as they have sufficient bedding and you keep it clean! Repurposed sheds, quonset huts, carports, pallet buildings, the possibilities are endless. You can go as expensive or as cheap as you want, and still provide suitable housing for your herd.
6. Routine Care
Regardless of the reason you keep your goats, there is some basic routine care that is required above making sure they have food and water. Giving an annual CD&T booster is the universal recommended vaccine to prevent tetanus and enterotoxemia. Both of these are deadly for goats, and the vaccine is cheap insurance against them that you can easily administer yourself.
Trimming hooves is another necessary part of keeping goats. While some may have to do it more frequently than others if their goats are raised on pasture versus a rockier terrain, it is something that has to be done. Neglected hooves become overgrown and can lead to hoof rot and separation of the wall and sole. This can result in lameness. Maintaining hooves is simple and something that should be done on a regular basis to prevent health issues.
7. Herd Dynamics
Everyone knows you can’t just have one goat. If you’ve never heard that then you just learned something new! Goats are incredibly social animals, and for this I would never suggest getting just one as they need a friend.
As your herd continues to grow, you will notice a natural pecking order begin to form with the herd queen on top. Yes, goats too have a pecking order, it’s not just for chickens! Herd queens come in many forms. Some are the strong silent type that rule gently, while others like my former herd queen Karen rule with an abusive iron fist. This social hierarchy is part of natural herd dynamics, so some head butting and pushing around is to be expected. It is a matriarchy, so the higher ranking goats pick on the lower ranking ones. But, sometimes it can get out of hand depending on the personality of your herd queen. Because of her growing aggressiveness towards my other does, I ended up re-homing Karen to a new farm. Audrey, another one of my does seamlessly stepped in to assume the role and she does so with grace .
8. Fresh Water
Fresh water is essential with keeping any livestock. If you want one of the best and easiest ways to keep your herd as healthy as possible, start with fresh water! Even in the winter, this is essential and I give my goats fresh water every day twice a day.
While this may seem like common knowledge to some (and it is) I have seen and heard of some really skanky water being left out for goats. This is just asking for problems, and remember “dilution is the solution to pollution”. So, in cases of UC in wethers like I mentioned above, lots of fresh water is key to helping the stones flush from their system!
9. Keep it Clean
Much like fresh water, I feel like this is also common sense. Keep your goats bedding dry and clean! This is cheap insurance to keep health issues at bay and not to mention just being a good steward to your animals. Goats don’t like to be wet or damp, so keeping their bedding clean and dry keeps them comfortable while reducing respiratory issues among other things.
Goats are not like pigs in the sense that they won’t go to the bathroom where they eat or sleep. A goat has no sense of hygiene when it comes to this, and they will quite literally poop and lay down in it. So, it’s our responsibility to keep it clean. Think of them as the kids that make a mess and never clean up after themselves. You are signing up for a lifetime (well, their lifetime) of cleaning out bedding. Know this going into getting your first goats
10. Parasites
There are a lot of parasites out there that can affect your herd, some are more concerning than others. There are various worming protocols that you can follow, but there are some things that you can do for preventative measures:
Pasture rotation is one of the best ways to naturally keep down parasite loads. Rotation allows the parasite cycle to break without a host for the parasite to complete its life cycle. If pasture rotation is not an option, the best possible advice I can give is to never feed your goat on the ground directly. I’m talking about hay or grain, always put it in a dish or a feeder. Now you’re probably thinking but they eat grass? Yes, but they are typically fed by or in the barn, where there is high traffic meaning poop. By not eating food directly on the ground in these high traffic areas you’re reducing the risk of them consuming eggs of a parasite they carried in on their hooves or they’re already shedding. Food dishes are cheap and we built our hay feeders out of scrap material. This is not a way to 100% prevent them from getting worms, it’s going to happen to you at some point. But, feeding off the ground is just another layer of protection to reduce their exposure. It doesn’t have to be overly fancy, just keep it off the ground.
11. Learn Your Goats "Normal"
Goats are pretty amazing animals. They are somehow incredibly sensitive, yet very strong and resilient at the same time. I mean, what other animal can give birth to five babies on her own without issue but scream and cry like she’s being murdered if she’s caught in the rain?
Joking aside, goats can become very sick with little notice and die quickly if left untreated. So, know your goats normal. Know what her average temperature is, maybe it always runs a little high or low than “normal”? Know if she is typically standoffish and is more laid back, or if she’s always front of the line. I could talk about each one of my goats personalities and behaviors in intimate detail like they’re characters on a tv show, and I know if something is amiss. Why? Because I pay attention. I observe them, I pay attention to how they interact with each other, with me, how they behave when milking. That way, when something seems off, this gives me an indication to check them out because something may be wrong. With goats, early detection and prevention is key.
12. Keep a Stocked Medical Kit and have a Relationship with Your Vet
Because goats can go downhill quickly with no notice, it is essential to keep a well stocked medicine cabinet. Keeping commonly needed supplies and medications on hand will give you the needed quick response that can mean the difference between life and death. While I have a kit that keeps me well stocked in a lot of basic veterinary supplies, I have other medications that I keep on hand that I got from my vet in case of an emergency.
While my vet is good and knowledgeable, they aren’t exactly close by. If I were in an emergency situation and I needed a certain medication that could at least help until she can get here, I try to keep that on hand. You can’t get everything from Tractor Supply or Jeffers, and in addition to a vets knowledge and ability to diagnose, you need them for many life saving prescription medications. Forming a close working relationship with a trusted vet is critical when raising livestock.
Are you an experienced goat keeper and have some words of wisdom you would like to add? Drop it in the comments below for those just starting out!
**Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. I only link to products I have used, abused, and believe in. While I do not make commissions on these, they do allow my partners to track business I have generated for them. I wholeheartedly appreciate you using my affiliate links for any of the products I recommend you may purchase! It keeps the educational and informative content coming.
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Spring is right around the corner and with that comes kidding season! Just like with any other animal that’s preparing to give birth, I like to have a well stocked birthing kit on hand that can cover my bases for the most common problems that potentially arise. I do not want to be in the midst of a situation and not have something on hand that could help the doe or the baby if I can help it.
Now I am far from an expert, and I am not a veterinarian. This list is merely what I have accumulated, and other people’s kits may include or exclude some of these items. So I highly recommend that you do have a vet you can contact in case of an emergency, and even consult them about what you should include in your kit in preparation for kidding!
What's In My Kit
Things to Dry Those Babies Off!
- Blow Dryer
- Towels
- Puppy pads/paper feed bags
- Sweaters
- Heat Lamp
Regardless of the climate you live in, it is essential to get those babies dry and warm once they’re born. Puppy potty pads or paper feed bags work great to catch the babies on once they are born as a way to contain all of the birthing goo and keep bedding clean and dry. They should then be towel dried (puppy pads also work!) and then blow dried to get completely dry and work as a quick warm up.
If it’s really cold, goat sweaters come in handy to help them stay warm and if you really need it heat lamps. I have always been scared of heat lamps due to their fire hazard, but last year I made the switch to Premier 1 Prima heat lamps due to their many safety features. They give me peace of mind knowing my goat kids, lambs, and piglets are safe and warm.
Immediately After Birth and Dry Off
- Nutri-Drench
- Iodine
- Glass to dip cord in (tall shot class works well)
- Floss/fishing line
- Colostrum/colostrum replacer
Once the kid(s) have been completely dried off, I put a pump of Nutri-Drench in everyone’s mouth including mom. This gives them a nutrient and vitamin boost as well as molasses for energy. I give this immediately after drying off, even before nursing to give them a much needed quick boost of energy.
The umbilical cord also needs to be dipped in iodine all the way up to the belly. This sterilizes the cord and prevents any kind of infection from entering. It will eventually dry up and fall off on its own. I keep dental floss and/or fishing line on hand as well in case the umbilical cord didn’t break on its own during birth. If it doesn’t, tie it off with floss or fishing line to stop blood flow and carefully cut the cord with your thumb nail.
Making sure the babies start nursing from mom as soon as possible after kidding is essential. The colostrum the mother is producing simply put is liquid gold and without it the kid will likely not survive. Sometimes however, you have latching issues or production issues and it just can’t happen. So, keeping frozen colostrum on hand in the freezer (this is ideal!!!) or kid colostrum replacement is a must. If you have the frozen colostrum and need to use it, do not microwave to thaw. Let it gently thaw in warm water so you don’t “cook” it.
Expect the Unexpected
There are various things I keep in on hand for general health care as well as in case of an emergency with the babies or doe during kidding. I have used every single item below in one scenario or another, and they are all essential when keeping goats. All of these items can be sourced from your local farm store and online farm supply stores such as Jeffers. These items include:
- Molasses
- Thermometer
- Gloves
- Lube
- CMPK drench/paste
- Dosing gun/syringe
- Vitamin B Complex ( I use injectable)
- Penn-G
- LA-300
- Ivermectin Sheep Pour on & Injectable
- Various Sryinges (18 gauge & 20 gauge)
- Sanitary Wipes
- Electrolytes
- Pritchard Nipples
- Bottle (old pop bottle)
- Diagram of birthing positions
Prescription Medications to Keep on Hand
- Banamine
- Dexamethasone
These are all the items that I currently keep in my goat/kid kit, and I have had to use in one situation or another whether it be for my goats or pigs. Depending on your situation, you may need items not included on this list or may never need items that I have included. Over time you will accumulate supplies as needed, but this is a great place to start.
Do you keep any items in your kidding kit for the babies or mom that I didn’t include? Let’s hear them below and why!
** Some of the links on this post are affiliate links. I only link to products I have used, abused, and believe in. While I do not make commissions on these, they do allow my partners to track business I have generated for them. I wholeheartedly appreciate you using my affiliate links for any of the products I recommend you may purchase! It keeps the educational and informative content coming.
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I get asked all the time, how do I contain my pigs with electric alone? Don’t they escape all the time? The key is making sure they’re trained very well as piglets while having a good fence set up and a strong ground. And no, they don’t escape! Part of me also believes that part of it is just the individual personality of the pig as well. Just like some goats are fence jumpers regardless of how lush their pasture is, some pigs are just escape artists. I have dealt with goats being fence jumpers before, but never had a pig that was bound and determined to escape thankfully! Would you believe me if I told you Big Marie is contained by a single strand of polywire snout high? It’s true…
Check out the article I wrote for Countryside Magazine that explains the tools you need to raise pigs successfully on electric alone. I go over what I use specifically for insulators, posts, wire, etc and how to use them. Also, check out my post on using pigs to turn woods into pasture where I touch on using electric fence as well in a rotational grazing model.
This year we tried out the Premier One Hog Netting (affiliate link) as an alternative fencing to rotate the pigs. It was quick to set up, easy to move, and was great for training the small pigs on hotwire (stay tuned for a blog post on that!).
Do you raise pigs on electric fence? If so, how has the experience been for you?
tomatoes. My family has kept the same two strains of heirloom tomatoes going for about forty years now. It all started with my great grandmother who bought some plants from an Italian man that brought them over from a trip he took to Italy. So, year after year, the best tomato is reserved, the guts scraped out, and seeds are saved for next year’s crop. And here we are almost a half century later.
So what makes tomatoes heirloom, or any vegetable for that matter? “Heirloom” seems to be a buzzword a lot of people throw around like GMO and hybrid, although I’m not sure most people really know what it means, or how it’s different than any other vegetable you buy at the supermarket.
Heirloom refers to old fashioned varieties, genetically unaltered, where the seeds are reserved each year, and planted the next. Hybrid vegetables nowadays are selected for traits to maximize the yield per plant, have tougher skins to hold up against long hauls from farm to supermarket, and to be picked green, so they will ripen during transport and on the store shelves. In theory, this all sounds fine and good, how else is that tomato from Mexico going to make it all the way to Maine if it doesn’t have a little tougher skin and can’t be picked before it’s ripe?
The problem(s) with these hybrids are higher yield plants equate to less nutritional veggies. Vegetables now versus forty, fifty, sixty years ago are far less nutritious. Because emphasis has been placed on maximizing quantity, the nutritional quality suffers. Nutrition aside, the skin on these tomatoes is so thick and tough to withstand long distance shipping, that it makes for a tougher flesh as well. If you’ve never had a non-hybrid, vine ripened, tender flesh and skinned tomato that bruises if you look at it too hard, then you truly don’t know what you’re missing!
The best part is starting your own heirloom tomatoes is not only easy and relatively hands off, but it’s cheap too! Here’s how to do it.
Get Your Seeds
Admittedly, this is the area that I have never had to personally experience due to the fact that I use seeds that were reserved from last years crop! But, never fear. If this is your first year of growing heirlooms, they are quite easy to get your hands on through any online seed catalog. Not to mention the options are endless for you to choose from! I actually have considered expanding my tomato horizons and growing a few colorful varieties.
Get Organized
There are only a few things that are a necessity to grow your heirloom seedlings:
- Seeds
- Planter with individual cells that includes a clear plastic lid (or saran wrap works as well)
- Seed starting soil
- A way to keep the soil warm ( seedling heat pad or if you’re fortunate enough to have a house that’s actually warm)
- Ample sunlight (via natural sunlight or artificial growing lights)
Step 1: Prepare Your Planter
First, you want to choose a planter that has a clear plastic lid that fits over the top. I stupidly didn’t photograph it, but it’s there underneath the black plastic. When it comes to size of the individual squares, it all depends on what you have available and if you are wanting to transplant later or not. Due to my lack of preparation and last minute shopping, the nursery I went to only had a 36 cell planter with 1.5″ x 1.5″ squares. Typically, I would plant them in larger 3″ x 3″ squares so I don’t have to transplant them as they grow, but I guess it’s my own fault for lack of preparedness. This size will work just fine though for starting your seeds. In fact, I’ve actually heard that it’s best to start in smaller size containers because it’s easier to keep the soil warmer? Looks like I lucked out!
Second, get your potting soil and throw some in a bucket that you can easily mix in. Slowly add hot water to the soil, stopping to thoroughly mix before adding anymore. You don’t want soaking wet soil, but you do want it to be well moistened. When you squeeze it in your hands it should hold form and not be dripping wet. There are some conflicting theories on regular ole’ potting soil versus a seed specific starting soil. Basically, the difference is potting soil will have larger clumps, some sticks maybe, and seed starting soil is very fine. If you can find the seed starting soil then great, but, yet again I wasn’t prepared and got just regular potting soil. Pick out the big chunks and you’ll be fine, just please don’t use dirt you dug out of your yard.
Third, add your well moistened soil to the cells of your planter gently pressing down to fill. Don’t jam it in there and overpack it, but you want to apply some pressure to fill it. Level off the tops of each cell.
Step 2: Plant the Seeds!
Now that your individual cells are prepared, it’s time to start planting! Simply add 2-3 seeds per cell carefully spaced apart. After your seedlings start to grow, you will thin out the weaker ones leaving one tomato per cell to transplant. So, don’t worry about them having to be absolutely perfect as far as a set distance apart. As you can see from my picture, I put two seeds per, and put them diagonally one each towards a corner.
Step 3: Cover your Seeds
So, your seeds are all placed in their cells, it’s time to cover them with some soil. If you’re new to gardening let me forewarn you: this is actually a very critical part. If you cover the seeds with too thick of a layer of soil, then the seedling will not be able to break out when it germinates. The common rule of thumb is to plant the seeds 3-5 times the diameter of the seed…huh?! I don’t know about you, but I am not measuring the depth of each seed with a micrometer! I prefer the eyeball it method instead.
Simply grab yourself a handful of soil (and this is where the benefit of seed starting soil comes in as it is light and doesn’t have any clumps or sticks- if you managed to find some, good for you!) and pick out the larger sticks if you used regular ole’ potting soil like I did. Now rub it between your hands like you’re starting a fire the old fashioned way with a stick and some flint rocks- this will break up the soil into a finer consistency. Don’t be willy nilly and start moving quickly down the planter, pay close attention to how much soil is covering the cells you’re focusing on before moving on. You’re looking for a thin covering, this is the science of the eyeballing it method. Continue to do this making your way down the planter. Once finished, go back through with your fingers and lightly tamp the soil down. Again, you don’t want to pack it! But, apply some pressure and tamp it down.
Because you already pre-watered your potting soil, at this point you only need a very lightwater. To prevent erosion, use a watering can that has a head with several small holes. Give it a quick pass or two, so the top layer of soil is wetted (<- not a word but it should be), but not to erode the soil from the seeds. Cover with clear plastic top to maintain a humid atmosphere.
Step 4: Set Up Your Environment for Germination
Now that the planting is over, the most important and crucial part comes to ensure sprouting and strong seedlings. Germination is a fairly simple concept, and has only a few requirements for success:
- Pressure: Seeds need pressure from the soil to help trigger the germination process. Remember how I told you to lightly press down on the soil before and after planting the seeds? It was for a reason!
- Water: Yes, everyone knows this. But there is a fine line between providing sufficient water, and drowning your seeds in water. It doesn’t take a lot (remember how little soil there actually is in there) and the plastic cover will keep the soil wetter (there’s that word again) longer by creating a humid environment. You can get trays to put under your planter that allow you to add water to, and the soil absorbs water from underneath. If you find one like this, this is your best option to prevent overwatering but isn’t necessary. You may even consider using a spray bottle. Just make sure to always use warm water, and be very careful not to overwater, as not only may your seeds not germinate, but you could run into a mold issue as well.
- Warmth: I can’t stress this one enough. The temperature of the soil is so important. I don’t keep track of exact temperature, but I do know that my sunroom I leave my planter in tends to cool off at night. And since soil temperature should be between 75°F-85°F, I lay my planter directly on a heating pad, turn it on in the evening and leave it on all night until the room has warmed up the next morning. If you’re fortunate enough to have a warm house and this isn’t an issue, I’m envious for more reasons than just starting seeds.
- Sunlight: For strictly germination purposes of tomatoes, direct sunlight is not necessary. As long as the planter is in a well lit room, soil is warm, and sufficiently moist, the seeds will sprout. However, once they do emerge from the soil, sunlight becomes crucial for strong seedlings.
For someone who has never started their own seeds before, this may seem a little overwhelming, but I assure you it is not that difficult. It is very gratifying growing your own unaltered food, knowing it’s the way it should be! Warning: it is addicting, and tomatoes may just be the start!
Depending on the type of tomato, and the age of the seeds, you should expect to see seedlings emerge within 7-10 days. Once your seedlings have popped through the soil learn how to take care of them post germination.