For some of us the beginning of a new year signifies three things: hopes to fulfill a list of resolutions, a [dreaded] continuation of winter and a nervous (yet, also a little exciting) anticipation of what comes next. For those of us with greener thumbs, however, the beginning of a new year means we’re one step closer to that last frost.
Alright, so you've determined your last frost date, you’ve got your seeds picked and you’re anxiously awaiting spring so you can start growing those babies…but why not start them sooner?
Yes, you can start seeds indoors in a number of ways, but we're here to make the process as easy for you as possible thanks to Jiffy’s wonderful line of seed starting kits & accessories: we’re talking Peat Pellets, Peat Pots, Mini Greenhouses and more.
Today’s focus, however, specifically covers our Jiffy Seed Starting Peat Pellets. What they are and where they’re sourced from as well as how they’re used! To begin, our Jiffy peat pellets are quite literally what their name implies. They are small, rounded, compressed masses of dried peat moss.
Yes. They’re made of peat but what kind of peat are Jiffy peat pellets made from? Jiffy products are made from reasonably sourced Sphagnum peat, which is harvested from peat bogs throughout Canada. Sphagnum peat is THE recognized medium for reliable, efficient and high-yield plant breeding worldwide. Why? Three major reasons:
Our Jiffy peat pellets typically come in three sizes: 36mm, 42mm and 50mm. Larger pellets are ideal for developing seeds with more vast root systems (tomatoes, peppers, etc.) while smaller pellets are great for starting plants such as herbs and flowers. Still, selecting the size of your pellets is most often based on your preference — there is seldom a right or wrong pellet size when starting your seeds indoors!
Ok. So. Our Jiffy peat pellets are produced using small masses of dried Canadian Sphagnum peat which come in three different disc-shaped sizes. Got it! But how are Jiffy peat pellets actually used? Well, each package will come with a more specific set of instructions for using your pellets, but in general all you have to do is add warm water.
Adding warm water to each pellet will cause the peat disc to expand into a pod shape; pellets are fully expanded once they are roughly 1-1.5” tall and appear dark brown in color [see Image above]. After the pellets are fully expanded: gently pull back their netting (each peat disc is held in place by a small piece of netting which you keep in place when adding water), gently fluff & level the surface peat with your hand/finger, and then sow 2-3 seeds of your choosing in the center of the expanded disc.
And there you have it! Jiffy seed starting peat pellets are a great gardening accessory because of their composition, size and ease of use — here to make your indoor gardening goals a little bit easier to achieve.
FUN FACT: Jiffy replants already harvested lands with over 100 million trees a year!
Jiffy Peat Strips are biodegradable cell trays produced using Canadian sphagnum peat moss and wood pulp. Peat strip trays are most often used in gardening to start seeds indoors. They are popular in the gardening community
because they are easy to use and sustainably sourced. We offer a variety of Jiffy seed starting peat strip products on FerryMorse.com like bundles of peat strips and peat strip greenhouses.
Jiffy Peat Strip Tray bundles come in either 8 or 10 cell strips while Jiffy Peat Strip Seed Starting Greenhouses will come with celled trays made of Jiffy’s Canadian peat moss, a watertight tray and a clear humidity dome. If you’re a new or a novice gardener, then we suggest beginning with one of our Jiffy Peat Strip Greenhouses. You can use your tray and dome multiple times; simply replenish the peat strips when you need to.
Peat strips do not come with soil. Therefore, you need to be sure that you have the proper medium for sowing your seeds in your peat strips. We suggest using Jiffy’s Seed Starting Soil. Specially formulated to promote seed germination, Jiffy Seed Starting Soil is produced using peat moss, vermiculite and lime.
Starting your seeds indoors using peat strip trays is preferable because you can start up to 10 plants per tray (depending on the tray you choose) and the best part about using peat strip trays: once the seedlings emerge and they are ready for transplanting, gardeners can easily tear the tray cells apart and transplant the seedling (peat cell and all) directly into a new pot or the ground because of their biodegradable composition!
There you have it! Everything you need to start your seeds indoors using Jiffy peat strips and seed starting soil!
Utilize our indoor heat mat and grow light with T5 bulb to get your seeds off to the right start this gardening season. The seed germinating heat mat is designed to hold a steady temperature that will subtly heat the soil surrounding your seeds from the bottom-up. Once your seeds have germinated with help from the heat mat, it's time to move your new sprouts underneath a grow light to ensure their continued, vigorous growth.
A Ferry-Morse Heat Mat is the secret to speedy and successful seed germination! Seeds need a warm environment to germinate. Nature provides this in the Spring when the ground warms. With our heat mat, you get a jump start on your growing season by starting indoors when the outside temperatures are still too cold to garden. Having healthy, strong plants ready to transplant as soon as the danger of frost has passed will add weeks to your growing season and extend your harvest and yield.
Our heat mat gently warms the soil surrounding your seeds from the bottom-up! The warmth of your soil signals the seed that it’s time to grow. The heat is subtle but constant, averaging 80°. Be sure to keep your greenhouse dome over the tray throughout the germination process to make sure the soil does not dry out. The growing medium needs to stay moist, but not soggy, throughout the germination process. Leave your heat mat plugged in until you see the majority of seeds have sprouted. Once the seeds have sprouted, unplug and remove your heat mat.
Most seeds don’t need light to germinate, but they do need sunlight to grow! Grow lights provide both the intensity and spectrum of light that seedlings need. If your seedlings don't receive the light they need, they will become "leggy" (tall and thin) as they stretch toward light. As a result the stems won't have the strength they need.
After the first sign of germination, when you see green sprouts burst through the soil, it's time to move your plants off your heat mat and under a grow light. For best results, leave your grow light on for 12-16 hours a day. Seedlings do need to rest as well, so don't leave the light on 24 hours/day. The grow light will allow your plants to believe they are living their best lives in the sun! Our High Output T5 full daylight spectrum obtains faster growth and consistency.
Start seeds indoors to give longer-to-mature plants more growing time before the outdoor planting season begins. For vegetables this includes tomatoes, pepper, cucumbers, eggplant, and squash. Flower varieties that prefer to start indoors include morning glories, pansies, zinnias, cosmos, and petunias.
*Gardening blog piece updated February 2021
Is it that time of the gardening season again already?! As winter carries on and we begin to slowly approach the final frost dates for each growing zone throughout the United States, we are here to cover yet another *amazing* group of gardening accessories by Jiffy: Indoor Seed Starting Greenhouse Kits! These kits consist of miniature indoor greenhouses (22” x 11” x 3” at their largest) that you can use with your Jiffy Seed Starting Peat Pellets. You can also recycle the bottom tray and humidity dome to use these greenhouses with dirt and soil in the future, if you so choose. Determining how you use these items is a matter of preference which you can tailor to your liking and/or need!
Most Jiffy Professional Greenhouses will include peat pellets, one re-usable watertight plastic tray, one re-usable and/or recyclable plastic Gro-Dome and bonus items such as plant markers and SuperThrive. Other Jiffy Greenhouses will come with celled peat trays (peat pellets not included) and a humidity dome. Be sure to read the product details in order to confirm what is included with your Jiffy Professional Greenhouse.
Every Jiffy Greenhouse will include instructions specific to the product you are using. These instructions are easy to follow and should act as a guideline when sowing your seeds inside the greenhouse. Typically, however, you will be instructed to:
Yes, it actually is as easy as that when you’re using Jiffy’s Greenhouse!
You might be thinking “Ok, now I know what kind of greenhouse options I have and how to use and assemble them…but what good are they to me?” Well, let us give you a quick rundown of what makes Jiffy’s Professional Greenhouses so great for indoor seed starting.
For starters, they come with a reusable watertight tray. Keep your tray for seasons to come because it can be used multiple times AND it’s made from 100% recycled materials. Also, there’s that mention of watertight. That’s no exaggeration…greenhouse trays hold water so you don’t have to revisit watering your seeds as often as you’d think.
Next, we have the greenhouse Gro-Dome which is plastic that can be reused or recycled! The Gro-Dome is a humidity dome locking in essential moisture and, once again, eliminating the need for frequent watering. The humid environment the greenhouse creates will aid in the germination of your seeds with little to no effort on your end.
When first seeds have sprouted inside of your Jiffy Greenhouse you can simply prop the dome open. When all of your seeds have sprouted, you remove the Gro-Dome piece completely and place the tray in a sunny location until transplanting time!
TL;DR Jiffy Greenhouses are miniature hothouses that mimic an environment which encourages seed germination with little to no effort on your end. Once the seeds have sprouted you can easily transplant them anywhere from your greenhouse!
*Article updated on January 29, 2021