23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
Can you show us some pics.
Here is a link that might be useful: growing seedlings indoors
Sounds like it might be a soil problem. Your problem sounds like it's not just that your seedlings aren't growing, but that there is something actually hurting them. It's hard to overilluminate indoors, and if you under-illuminate, things will just grow more slowly. What are you using for a planting mix?
I'll echo floral_uk's question. What exactly are you trying to grow that you're having trouble with? You say you can get seeds to start, but not grow. Which seeds?
The cupping and edge yellowing followed by necrosis is very similar to boron deficiency, but I am extremely hesitant to advise any boron adjustment unless you know the base value of your boron content to begin with.
It is both very easy and very detrimental to plants to over-apply boron and it should only be done with a soil test.
What temperatures are you trying to grow them at? It's true that greens are a cool season crop. I googled to find the precise temperature, and Clemson U. says that lettuce prefers to grow at temperatures from 55 to 65 degrees F. I would think that 60F would be a reasonable compromise between the plants' growing preferences and the desire for quick growth.
The lighting depends on the type of lighting used. I prefer fluorescent tube shoplights on everything--brassicas, greens, nightshade seedlings, etc. They're inexpensive, readily available, and have a good lumen to watt ratio. It's also pretty much impossible to burn your plants. I hang them on chains from S-hooks and adjust them every day or so to make sure they're practically touching the leaves. Someday they'll make LEDs in the right red for plant growth, and then I'll switch over to those.
Some varieties of plants absolutely need light to germinate. I read that the light-seeded lettuces do, and you would have to undertake a complete researching of every type of green that you intend to grow to make sure that that variety doesn't need light. So I for one wouldn't go with no lights at all. Besides, unless you are very disciplined about checking them, there exists a good possibility that you will miss noticing that a few have germinated, and they'll be spindly weak little things searching in vain for a light source by the time that you hit the switch. Maybe you could compromise by leaving on just one bank of lights? It would make it easier to spot germination anyhow.
I wouldn't place the lights too close while trying to germinate. You'll be trying to have a good balance between warm but not too warm, and moist, but not damp to get the fastest possible germination. Everything germinates faster at warmer temperatures, ( 70 or 77 degrees, say), however the germination RATE of the cool-loving crops can drop precipitously at these temperatures.
For example, according to one source, spinach has a 96% germination rate at 41F, but takes 22.5 days to germinate at those temps. Raise the temperature to 77 degrees and you'll get germination in 5.1 days, but only 28% germination.
Parsley is simply slow-growing, and it is biennial, so I certainly wouldn't try growing it as an annual and harvesting the whole plant. Instead, I would have a permanent patch of them going and just harvest off the patch, allowing the individual plants to regrow continually. You don't have your climate zone information showing, but depending on your climate I would try to keep the parsley going outside. I have a permanent patch that seeds itself every year, and am working on establishing a patch in my greenhouse under double protection for winter use. They're one of the toughest of the cold-tolerant plants.
Hi everyone, I have a product that can be sprayed on a lawn and will kill all onion weed (and no harm to the grass) in one, maximum two applications (if infestation is very extensive).
I am in the process of commercialization - to be a specialized service where a contractor would come and spray for you or to sell for people to home spray.
As such I was going to ask the forum what they thought about pricing for this service/product and if there would be a demand for this.
Thank you for your help.
Regards, David
To get large roots, you need a large area ... which means that square foot gardening and yams will not work very well.
Containers have to be large enough to allow unrestricted root growth.
It might be a better use of your limited space to grow leafy crops and herbs. Buy yams from people who have the room to grow them.
Sorry, I thought I had already replied to a couple of these.
Anyway, I grow for my own use only.
I don't really have a deer problem. They have only gone after my beans, and I solved that with bird netting.
I don't want to create a permanent fence for various reasons. To keep out the rabbits I use 30-inch chicken wire that I don't bury at all. Then I lay a 12-inch roll up next to it to keep them from digging under it. Every couple of weeks I pull up the 12-incher and weed eat both sides of the fence.
woohooman - i had mites on my snap peas not snow peas. does that seem crazy? and also sweet peas. ? if that seems extremely atypical i wonder if it's because they were stressed plants - perhaps due to short days.
and thanks for suggestions about amendments and transplants. do you think direct sowing kale, spinach, etc is a bad idea? or are you saying i should wait til january to let the soil rest or just that you have better luck with seedlings? i did direct sow last year and they were slow to get going but successful.
dave - i will look into reflectors then. thanks for the tip!
Jane: All I've ever grown is snow, so I wouldn't know about the others. But yes, a stressed plant is much more likely to get hit than a healthy one.
Also, regarding transplants... for spinach(because you want to plant tons of plants to get good harvests, direct seeding is smarter. BUT... I've done it and had slugs just wipe out row after row in one night. So, I prefer to start them in a bunch of pony packs and give them a fighting chance once I transplant. Either way, lay down some slug bait every couple weeks or so.
For the brassicas, it's so much easier to do transplants. First, most home gardeners aren't going to need a ton of plants. Second, they're ready in just a few weeks so if we happen to get a Santa Ana come by, I can hold off for a week or so. Third, controlling temps is so much easier than having to worry about them outside. Fourth, a 6 or 9 pack only cost a few bucks, even cheaper at walmart after they get rid of all the holiday stuff(much cheaper if self done at home). However, with KALE or collards, I have no idea how I'd use all that they would produce. 2-3 plants is sufficient for my small family. Fifth, now, when sunlight is low and weak, I can give my transplants a good 16 hours of light a day with a shoplight.
The only things I'd put in that soil right NOW is the compost and meals. In a month or so, they'll be acclimated. The bone meal will take quite awhile to break down, but better now than later.
Kevin
I watched the part 2 and saw you had great stuff growing ! All those baby peppers were perfect, and the tomatoes were growing real nicely !
And also, very clean hands and nails for a gardener ;-)
Nice banana peel going into the compost bin !
I'm pretty sure that your next season will be even better, with or without mice, considering all the good organic matter you're adding !
Thanks Francoise! I was pleased with my production considering I did no soil improvement, or even tilling before I planted it. The peppers did excellent, and other than the splitting, so did the tomatoes. I'm looking forward to an even better 2015, unless the leaves mess it up. My compost bin gets one banana peel a day :). I'll have to work on getting the hands dirty :).
Try "sampleseeds dot com.
Most of their seede cost $1.00 to $1.50 per pack. And shipping for average l order is about $3.50. I have not yet ordered from them but probably will order some tomatot seeds from them. They also have fairly good selection of peppers and many garden veggies.
NO: I don't own any interest in the company. hehe
I also visited Burpee's site. I find their prices beyond my budget.. They throw in a "Free Shipping" gimmick" as a bait. Hahaha. I aint no fish.
Seysonn
I order about a third of my seeds online, always in situations where I want or need specific varieties that are worth the cost. Another one third comes from my saved seeds, and the rest I buy at retail racks in spring -- including box and Dollar stores. By far the best prices.
Garden Watchdog is great.
I hope it works for you, zeedman. The one we used was a loaner, and we staked it with a piece of rebar but they are worth their price. I decided against live traps because I would not check it every day and it is more human to just kill them quick than to let them starve to death.
My choices are Ace peppers, Hansel eggplant, and Pentagreen Okra. If it looks like it will be a hotter summer I will pick up some extra peppers and eggplant, maybe a black beauty, at a local nursery and grow them in pots.
I'm sure after all this planning it will be a hotter and longer than normal summer. :)
I don't believe wall-walla will survive zone 5. Z7 is supposed to be the maximum coldness. Walla-walla WA is z8, right?
pnbrown- walla walla survived in a low tunnel in my back yard- the winter of 2102/2013 in zone 5. I am experimenting further this year-hoping to replant onion seedlings started late last summer in low tunnels.