Is there a birthday or another celebration coming up and you are looking for an original gift for your loved ones? Then a growing set could be the right choice - perhaps because the recipient enjoys gardening or is looking for a new hobby. In this article we will tell you what is in such a growing set and what you should pay attention to when buying it.
Grow kits include pots, seeds, soil and often more
Our recommendations
our recommendation
Plant Theater Funky Veg Seed Kit - 5 Heritage Vegetable Seed Grow Kit - Includes Carrot, Zucchini, Brussels Sprouts, Chard and Tomato Seeds
To the product| Included Seeds | 5 unusual vegetables |
|---|---|
| seed pots | 5 growing pots (16.68€) made of peat, diameter 6 centimetres |
| potting soil | 5 pressed peat tablets for swelling |
| More content | 5 plant markers |
| manual | enclosed (multilingual) |
Have you ever eaten purple carrots or red Brussels sprouts? No? Then this growing set with five unusual types of vegetables would be the right choice for you. You will receive seeds for purple carrots of the 'Purple Haze' variety, for yellow courgettes of the 'Oriela' variety, for the old tomato variety 'Tigerella' with the characteristic striped fruits, for the red Brussels sprouts 'Red Delicious' and for the rainbow chard ' Bright Lights'. Sowing is easy: Place one of the swelling tablets provided in each of the growing pots, water them thoroughly and wait until the pressed soil has loosened. Then all you have to do is sow and care for the plants according to the instructions provided. These are normal-sized vegetable plants that will later have to be planted out or transferred to larger planters.
our recommendation
Seed growing kit with wooden box and 8 varieties of plant seeds: children's growing kit plants with vegetable seeds, strawberry seeds and herb seeds - mini greenhouse and mini garden starter kit from OwnGrown
24.95 EUR To the product| Included Seeds | 8 different types of vegetables |
|---|---|
| seed pots | no |
| potting soil | pressed coconut swelling earth |
| More content | 1 stable wooden box |
| manual | is enclosed (in German) |
This cultivation set with eight popular useful plants for the garden bed or for pot culture is aimed in particular at children from the age of five, but also at adults. You will receive seeds for strawberries, lettuce, balcony tomatoes, radishes, mini carrots, rocket, mangetout and lemon basil. The compilation may vary. The seed is produced without genetic engineering and comes from Germany. The set also includes a sturdy wooden box, which you can assemble yourself using the tools that are also included. This is where the swelling earth made of coconut fibers comes in, which first has to be poured vigorously. The seeds can then be sown and cared for according to the instructions. These are also normal-sized vegetables, which should later be transplanted into larger planters for better growth.
our recommendation
Satte Saat Crazy tomato growing kit - growing kit for growing rare tomatoes such as Tigerella and ox heart, including pots, coconut soil, wooden sticks, seeds and instructions - a great gift idea
15.95 EUR To the product| Included Seeds | contains 4 rare tomato varieties |
|---|---|
| seed pots | 4 Jiffy pots, peat-free |
| potting soil | 4 coconut source tablets |
| More content | 4 wooden plant sticks |
| manual | is enclosed (in German) |
Did you know that there are around 23,000 different tomato varieties? Tomatoes are not only round and red, but can take on many different colors and shapes - and taste very different too. This growing set brings variety to your tomato enjoyment, with which you can grow four rare organically produced tomato seeds yourself. Included is the old stick tomato 'Tigerella' with the characteristic striped fruits, the large and aromatic oxheart tomato 'Cuor Di Bue', the sweet vine tomato 'Arancia' and the yellow cherry tomato 'Ciliegia Gialla'. Coconut swelling tablets and original Jiffy growing pots are also supplied - along with easy-to-understand instructions.
Purchase Criteria
seed
The most important thing about a grow kit is of course the seeds it contains. It can be anything, depending on personal preference: vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, etc., herbs like basil, parsley, chives, etc., flowers, or even trees. Rare types of vegetables and exotic plant species are particularly popular, and growing kits for bonsai are particularly popular. However, it must be said that these are always normal-sized plants - the bonsai maple will therefore grow into a normal maple tree unless you train it in a bonsai-typical way.
seed pots
Most growing kits also include growing pots, into which you fill the soil and finally put the seeds. These pots are usually made of easily compostable material such as peat, cellulose or coconut fibers, are completely penetrated by the plant fibers and can therefore later be planted in the bed or in the large plant pot. Transplanting will be necessary fairly soon after sowing to give the plants adequate room to grow and root development.
seed soil
For sowing, a special, particularly loose and rather nutrient-poor seed or propagation soil is advantageous, as this promotes root growth. A growing kit often contains so-called swelling tablets, which are pressed seed soil - often made from coconut fibers. Simply place them in a breeding pot (one tablet per pot) and water them vigorously with warm water. The press soil then swells within a few minutes and becomes fluffy. However, it should not smell musty, please dispose of such a substrate and never use it for sowing.
manual
You have never grown vegetable or other seeds yourself and feel a little overwhelmed by terms such as "breeding pot" and "source tablet"? As a rule, the selected growing kit comes with an easy-to-understand explanation of when and how to spread the seeds and properly care for the resulting plants. If not: On gartenjournal.net you will find lots of instructions, tutorials and tips for successful plant breeding. By the way, if the instructions are in English, you can simply have them translated using a free online translator. This only takes a few seconds. DeepL Translate is very suitable for this purpose.
youtubefrequently asked Questions
When is the best time for sowing?
Naturally, plant seeds are best sown in spring. However, spring in the horticultural sense is a very broad term. Some plants have to be pre-grown in late winter (usually from February / March), others can be put directly into the bed between April and June. Some seeds, especially exotic ones, can even be sown all year round.
Can I leave the plants permanently in the provided growing pots?
Since the seeds supplied are usually normal-sized plants, the growing pots quickly become too small. Therefore, after a few weeks - usually when they already have a few leaves and have grown a few centimeters high - you need to transfer your plants to a larger planter with more nutritious soil. Which substrate you use depends on the preferences of the respective plants.
How do I properly care for the large plants?
When it comes to care, you also need to find out which plant species have which preferences and implement them for healthy growth. In any case - and across species - this includes factors such as light and an adequate supply of water and nutrients. However, some plants need more and others a little less of these things, which is why you should find out more about this at gartenjournal.net.
Can I keep the plants I have grown in the apartment?
This question can be answered with a clear "Yes". Some plants - such as exotic plants such as cacti - can actually be cultivated permanently in the apartment. Others, however, which include the classic types of vegetables, absolutely have to go out into the fresh air. Tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries and the like feel much more at home on the balcony or in the garden bed than on the windowsill and also thrive much better here.
The seed did not sprout, what did I do wrong?
The fact that the seed does not sprout can happen from time to time and has many reasons. Sometimes it is due to the wrong care: seeds and young plants need a lot of light, warmth and water, but must not stand in water. Keep the substrate evenly moist, but not wet, and don't let it dry out! In addition, however, the seed can also be too old or not germinable for other reasons.
equipment
indoor greenhouse
our recommendation
WELLGRO growing bowl - indoor greenhouse with ventilated cover and plant signs - 1, 2 or 4 pieces - 38 x 24 x 19 cm, number of pieces: 1 piece
15.00 EUR To the productSeedlings and young plants thrive best in a so-called indoor greenhouse, which consists of a seed tray, a saucer and a translucent cover. Such a mini greenhouse fits on any windowsill and ensures that the plants are sufficiently warm and the humidity is high enough. To prevent mold, it should be aired every day.