13 Must-Have Seed Starting Supplies To Shop This Black Friday

Seeding our own plants broadens the garden collection. It gives us access to so many that aren’t readily available as commercial seedlings, like heirlooms and specialty selections. It also gives seedlings a jumpstart on spring by establishing roots early for transplanting into the garden. Sturdy roots mean strong plants for earlier flowering, fruiting, and an extended season. Plus, it’s gratifying, economical, sustainable, and brightens chilly days.

It doesn’t take much to get seed-starting basics in place with reusable, lasting materials, and they make excellent gifts for our gardening friends. As we enter the cool season, consider seed-sowing strategies. Mild climates can sow year-round, while many of us start seeds in the winter months for early spring transplanting. Reusable cell packs, trays, and pots cut down on waste and make it easy to start seeds indoors before transplanting them outside.

Black Friday is a great time to source seed-starting supplies and gifts for winter seeding. Here’s a streamlined list of useful supplies, including seed-starting essentials and their deals.

EasyStart Gardening Kit

• Made in the USA with recycled, BPA-free, food-safe plastic
• Durable and reusable
• Withstands high temperatures, UV light, and moisture for years of growing
• Easy to clean with soap and water for storing post-seeding

This dynamic trio has all you need to start sowing anytime, anyplace. With a seeding cell pack, dome, and tray, this mini-greenhouse setup is easy to use, doesn’t require much space, is portable, and mess-free.

The EasyStart Gardening Kit includes a six-cell seed-starting tray and a clear lid to promote warmth and moisture for germination. The lid protects young shoots from drying drafts. A bottom tray allows for watering from the base of the cell pack to avoid overhead splashing on the sprouts. It also means no drips or leaks for the indoor setup.

You can also bulk up on the kits to increase the number of seedlings to start indoors. The configurations are reusable for years of sowing.

Reusable Cell Packs

• Built to last for years of sowing
• USA-made with recycled, BPA-free, UV-treated plastic
• Available in mix-and-match sizes

Epic’s seed starting trays prioritize root development and ease of transplanting. I love the 16-pocket tray because of the number of seedlings it accommodates, but the four and six-cell packs are extremely versatile. 

These cell packs are rigid but flexible (not flimsy and crackable like many others). The sides of each cell have ribs to prevent root spiraling and a hole at the base for aeration and good drainage. The hole also makes it easy to pop the seedlings out of the tray from beneath to avoid damaging roots and stems. 

Sturdy Cube Pots

• Recycled, BPA-free, UV resistant, made in the USA
• Durable and crack-resistant for years of reuse
• From seed tray to pot to garden, promotes healthy development
• Versatile, stackable, easy to clean

These large, five-inch cube pots are essential for potting up seedlings as they develop in cell trays and for direct-sowing larger vegetables (cucumbers, melons, squash). After a few weeks in the trays, this is the next step for developing hardy roots and upper growth.

These are ideal for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants or growing herbs on the kitchen counter. They accommodate any seedling ready to establish before transplanting. A raised base and feet allow for proper drainage and root pruning, as do side ribs and air vents.

Universal Bottom Tray

• High strength-to-weight ratio
• Versatile beneath plug trays, cell packs, and pots
• Workhorse of the nursery
• USA-made, recycled plastic, UV-protectant, no BPA

These trays are universal as a base for cell packs and cube pots. They capture water runoff and soil particles and keep the units contained for a no-mess situation. They also allow for bottom watering by filling the tray for absorption. 

Mix and match pack sizes and pots atop the tray. For an idea of scale, one tray holds eight five-inch cube pots (with a 200-square-inch surface area). 

Seed Starting Bundle

• Includes cell packs and trays for bulk sowing
• Long-lasting and durable
• Made in the USA from recycled, BPA-free, UV-treated materials

This Black Friday seed-starting bundle captures the necessary cell and bottom tray components to sow in numbers. Bundles make it easy to gift and source the essentials in a convenient pack.

This bundle accommodates 104 seedlings in the cell trays and two universal bottom trays for easy watering and a mess-free foundation.

Unique Seed Mixes

• A blend of top-performing selections with exceptional flavor and growth
• Preserves plant diversity and heritage seeds
• Inspires new garden favorites

Choosing seeds is the most fun part as we get into sowing. From vegetables and herbs to ornamentals and wildflowers, there’s no end to what we can grow. A curated seed pack makes it fun to give and experiment.

The Heirloom Organic Seed Bank Collection is a beautiful gift for the gardener. It includes heritage favorites prized for flavor and growth performance. Seeds will last three to five years, so you can choose which to grow from season to season.

To accompany new seed starting supplies, an early sow selection of top picks kicks off the enjoyment. Kevin’s Weird and Unique Picks offers a wild mix of unusual favorites. For a spicier selection, a curated cocktail seed mix combines the best herbs for tasty beverages (and many other culinary uses).

If there’s one thing gardeners love, it’s the chance to experiment with new and different selections. To create your tailor-made selection, find specialty seed packets here.

Seed Starting Heat Mat

• Durable PVC resists water and dirt
• Low wattage for energy conservation
• Simple setup beneath seeding cell packs, pots, and trays

A heat mat increases seed germination and growth by making soils 10 to 20℉ warmer. Gardeners can start seeds earlier in the cool season for robust seedlings when it comes time to transplant them into beds.

Warm soils benefit heat-loving plants like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and melons, as well as many herbs, perennials, and annuals like zinnias and sunflowers. Seed mats are valuable for those who want to start seeds indoors and get a headstart on vigorous plants.

Grow Lights

• Ultrabright, full-spectrum LEDs tailored to seedlings
• Energy efficient, long-lasting (25,000 hours+)
• Use year-round for indoor growing
• Available in small or larger with tray

These indoor grow lights keep a low profile, perfect for countertop growing without taking up much space. The efficient lights conveniently sit above a single bottom tray. The grow light kit comes with a ready-to-use universal bottom tray, while the small grow light is self-contained and ready to match your system.

The lights feature adjustable heights and intensity settings to adapt to vegetative growth stages. A handy timer lets you control the length of run time. In addition to seedlings, houseplants can benefit from a boost of light in the winter months.

Recycled Paper Pots

• Recycled, food-grade paperboard
• Breaks down in the bed or compost pile
• Available in different sizes and quantities

Recycled paper pots are a fun way to develop seedlings as they outgrow their cell trays. Some plants don’t do well with root disturbance at transplanting, and these natural options allow for direct planting in the garden or easy break-away of the outer material with minimal interaction.

Use these as one-time-use containers to develop roots and upper growth before moving them to a larger pot or in-ground situation. Write the date and variety right on the container. These also make a sweet way to share seedlings or a great gift paired with a seed packet.

Starter Organic Plant Food

• Organic enrichment for all young plants
• Contains beneficial mycorrhizae and microbes for soil and root health
• No fillers

Fertilizer may seem like a strange Black Friday purchase, but it is an essential component of a successful seed-starting setup. Bio-tone is reputable for its organic products, and its starter food promotes a healthy foundation for root and foliar development. The organic granular is a low-grade, balanced N-P-K ratio of 4-3-3 to support transplanted roots and promote leaf growth and flowering.

Mycorrhizae and beneficial microbes help improve surrounding soils for maximum moisture and nutrient absorption. Apply this starter at transplanting as seedlings move into the garden bed or large container.

Garden Stakes and Markers

• Biodegradable with sustainably sourced wood
• Identify variety and date planted

• Permanent, fade-resistant, water-resistant, UV-resistant ink
• Nontoxic
• Pack of 5
• Writes on multiple surfaces

Labeling stakes organize seedlings when growing multiple species and varieties. Use them from tray to garden. Not only do they make for easy identification when harvesting, but they also help keep track of what to grow again. 

Save the labels from your favorite producers to know what to plant next season. Or, the sustainably sourced wooden stakes can go right in the compost bin when the season ends. At 12 inches tall, they won’t get covered up or drift in the bed.

For writing on plant tags, quick-drying markers won’t fade or wash as the season wears on. These work on various surfaces, from stakes to pots to soil bags (including metal, porcelain, glass, plastic, and wood).

Easy Raised Bed

• Easy to install, no tools needed
• Lightweight packaging and small, space-saving configuration
• Food-safe materials for healthy soils and crops
• Western red cedar craftsmanship

For a larger Black Friday gift purchase, consider an epic garden bed for transplanting crops once seed-starting is complete. This is jumping ahead to when those healthy sprouts are ready to grow outside. The fun and easy three-minute bed is a space-saver and versatile in different growing conditions. Raised beds are easy to use and allow us to grow an array of vegetables, herbs, and ornamentals while controlling site placement, soil quality, and moisture needs. 

Raised beds also create more manageable weed control. They’re accessible garden options for kids and adults, making harvesting and tending plants easier. They adapt easily to different crops and seasonal changes, so growing new arrangements is streamlined.

Raised beds offer solutions to challenging situations in areas with poor soils, drainage issues, small spaces, or no soil at all. Mainly, they give us a fun, functional growing opportunity. Whether metal or cedar, raised beds bring lasting materials to the function and arrangement of the space.

Fabric Grow Bags

• BPA-free
• Liner retains moisture while allowing air flow for roots
• Irrigation-retaining strip for drip setup
• UV-resistant

Another option for when your seedlings are ready to be potted up, fabric grow bags are a versatile way to garden. The bags are portable and available in different sizes, making gardening possible in spaces with poor drainage, weed issues, or challenging soils. 

Simply fill a bag with the potting soil of your choice and install your transplants. From small bags for lettuce to large ones to house young trees or shrubs, fabric bags make suitable container options.

Lined fabric bags retain moisture and insulation to promote healthy roots. They don’t dry out as quickly as unlined or thin bags, lessening watering frequency. Grow bags are also easy to store when not in use.