6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed

I'm only at 450 feet. Last frost average in my area is May 10. I am going to try and put out lettuce earlier this year.

Last frost average in my area is May 10.

How weird. The last frost date for most of zone 8 is March 15th. Mine is April 15th and that is at 1000' elevation.

Granted those are just averages but I wonder why yours is so late? You might want to investigate that more with your local county ag extension office. Many state extension websites offer specific locale LFDs.

Dave

Fox Farm Ocean Forest Potting Soil is generally regarded as a growing medium, not a seed starting medium. It contains earthworm castings and bat guano, among others things, that can easily go anaerobic if kept too wet. To prevent it in the future cut back on your watering substantially and increase the air circulation in the growing area with a small fan or such.

Dave

Thanks

Thanks for the information and advice. Next year, I won't fall for that "organic" label either. :)

This post was edited by RollingFogFarm on Thu, Mar 7, 13 at 16:33

Actually, you can get quite sick from potting media, garden soil, compost, etc. Lung and /or skin infections are not all that rare with nursery workers and others who have their hands in stuff like that all day. I had a young employee who developed a very serious problem not too long after working with our bark based nursery mix.

It was a long time ago and I no longer recall what the pathogen was...there are several to beware of that have nothing to do with manure or allergic reactions. The allergy issue, however, is very common!

See a doctor.

I am now convinced that 95% of my problems last year were due to over watering.. In fact, it's probably a miracle that I got anything to grow at all...

Awesome!

there's a whole forum dedicated to 'growing under lights'

Well, I should have read these posts earlier! We built a group of planters for our deck, and ordered lots of live plants from Park, and the web site promised shipment of April 16 or so. Today, in following up, they claim that "the zone you are in dictates we ship on May 27th". When I brought the rep back to the info on their own website that contridicts that, she said "Well, we really ran out, and had to place more orders from our vendor". I can deal with delays, but I will not buy from a Company that "tells stories". Orders were cancelled.

I have used Park Seed for a few years and have been satisfied. This year my order has been delayed several times without any contact from them letting me know of any problems. This is poor customer service. At least if they would have informed me, I could make a decision as to whether to cancel the order or not and try to order from someone else. This may be the last year I order from them.

That's how I understood it too Flora. Look how deep that soil is in the cups too.

Dave

i gave a thorough watering once a week. I misted throughout the other days to keep the surface from becoming parched. Must have been doing it all wrong cuz I finally dug up the POB and the seeds were like pus! What do you recommend I do for my next batch? I'm brand new at this- in Costa Rica I could throw anything in the ground and it would be up in a week! I've only got 7 seeds left, I hope they aren't all duds :( or that I don't royally screw them up again!

With the annual types (breadseed, somniferum) I direct sow as above, but sometimes scattering the seeds early winter, late winter, and Spring for a longer succession of bloom (mild Z8)

Oriental poppy - Papaver orientale, Sow approx 68F, germinates in about two weeks, do not cover the small seed.

For annual poppies, rough up the soil and scatter seeds around on the soil outdoors in March. With adequate moisture, they will germinate easily outdoors.

Oh, yes, they have some bizarre beliefs. Today, in fact, I heard my mother in law rant about fertilizing. After which she switched to another belief of hers: if a dog has a good pedigree, it is therefore stupid, because the only way it could have stayed full blooded is through inbreeding. That's her usual conversation topic when she sees my German Shepherd who has three generations before it AKC registered & DNA tested as proof. To have another idea of how strange their ways are, three years ago they bought a $80,000 double wide trailer & refuse to live in it. It has never has power or water hooked up to it. It has been sitting on their property this whole time. Totally empty. The reason? They claim their 30 yr old trailer they are in now is better built than the new one. The floors are caving in on it.

Just think, one day you may inherit a great "never-used" double wide. :-)

Kill fungus gnats by killing the eggs and larvae in the soil not the gnats themselves. Those flies you see only hatch out of the soil to mate and lay eggs in the soil and die. Killing them won't get rid of them because there will always be more hatching out. The larvae hatch from eggs in the soil and live in the soil eating plant roots and debris in the soil.

Getting them is nothing you did. The eggs were probably in the soil when you bought it.

Anyway they are very easy to get rid of. Mix about 1/2 teaspoon of dish soap or insecticidal soap in a quart of water and water the soil of the plants with it. The soap won't harm the plants but it will kill the eggs and larvae. As these are seedlings I'd wait until they are a bit dry so you don't over water. You can put some in a spray bottle if you want to spray and kill the flies if you get them to sit still long enough

Fungus gnats are nothing but a nusance. They won't harm food plants except for the larvae feeding on the roots

Using a fan to increase air circulation near the plants will help deter fungus gnats. The gnats don't like the air movement. Also the fan will help dry out the top of the containers.

I second the zebrina- these little guys are easy to grow, and one of the few plants that managed to thrive in my early seed-growing noob days.

Thanks, guys. Last day of frost jhere is about April 1, so I have just been stratifying those needing 30 days of stratifying.