6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Just a thought / I have "Never" tried it but
Strips of news paper & I was going to say honey to stay organic but corn starch sounds better
I'm also thinking that Non-Toxic Water Soluble White Glue would probably work just fine
I've thought about doing it
But figured it wasn't worth the time to sit there & glue seeds to a piece of paper one by one
LOL
Good Luck
& Would love to hear how it works if you give it a try
It's not wet that kills the seedlings in "damping off" syndrome - all seedlings need moisture - but the microfungi that thrive in damp, stagnant conditions. Sterilize the compost before planting. A neat way to do this is bake it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes if you only need a small quantity. Secondly ensure that there is adequate ventilation. If necessary put a fan next to the tray, though you can also get good results sowing out of doors during the summer. Better luck next time!
Aside from the good advice listed here, you may want to also consider electrifying the soil for anything that is having a difficult time surviving. It can help your plant get past any rough spots that you're having.
Soil electrification helps plants repair themselves from various forms of disease or stress, boosts nutrient uptake, and helps activate soil bacteria. Furthermore, particularly for your situation, it helps with the germination rate of seeds.
Well, basil and parsley will require more time to mature than your broccoli, spinach, and lettuce. I'd go ahead and put them out now. I'm not sure about parsley but I know that basil likes the warm weather and plenty of sun.
Broccoli, spinach, and lettuce are cool weather crops. If your weather is still very warm, you might want to wait until it cools off a little before putting those out. Those crops will probably reach full maturity in 30 days or so. If your first killing frost is around the middle of October you could even put them out as late as early September.
Hope this helps,
Art
It is 'possible' that it is natural decline but does not appear so when compared to natural cotyledon decline in the many plants I'm familiar with (never grown this one).
It is also 'possible' that it is leaf scorch from the lights as it has that appearance but usually shows on true leaves, not just cotyledons.
But the most probable IMO is pest damage. Aphids will do this but so will spider mites and fungus gnats.
As to a fungus disease - assuming you are not keeping the soil too wet or the humidity way too high, the odds are quite slim. Especially given it is inside and the true leaves would also show symptoms. Soil fungus develops inside but leaf fungus is rare.
Can't see the true leaves in the pics but if it were my plant and IF the true leaves do not have these symptoms I would removed the cotyledons and dispose of them carefully. They are no longer needed by the plant anyway. Then monitor for pests very carefully and treat accordingly.
Hope this helps.
Dave
Hey Dave, it's been a while. I just wanted to let you know, you were right about the pests. I think I had gnats, but I did away with them, and now my plant is taller than my leg and doing wonderfully. Thank you very much for taking the time to help me out, man.
Depends on the berry. Many of the store-bought berries are hybrids, so there is no telling what the berry characteristics will be on your seed-sprouted plant. If you have purchased heirloom varieties like some small growers or farmers markets might offer, or native berries like blackberries when available, those would then come true.
Yes it would its called no dig gardening.
No Pain, No Swearing, No Sweat, No-Dig Garden Beds!
http://www.permaculturevisions.com/no-dig.html
http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/try-no-dig-gardening-for-your-backyard-vegetables.html
Thank-you so much for your links! They answered many of my questions BUT I am still left with this question....suppose I've covered my patch w/cardboard, mulch (wood chips), grass clippings and veggie peels/coffee grounds etc. this fall. Could I then sprinkle something like Ascelepias sp. on top of the mulch mix immediately w/out waiting for any decomposition, leave it over the winter and have successful germination OR would it be premature? I thought it might work because at the very least I am slowing down grass and weeds in spring and giving my Asclepias seedlings an edge :?
Nearly all soilless potting mediums use peat as the primary ingredient; seed germinating mixes are just finer textured. That's not about to change anytime soon. But it is not that difficult to prevent fungus gnat infestations. It's great to get a several week jump start on our veggies and flowers, but not if those gnats become a nuisance.
I'm going to suggest that you fill your flats with a good potting mix....one that you might use for your houseplants....perhaps with perlite added for even better porosity. Then add a good dusting of your seed starting mix on top.
Water your flats thoroughly with a gentle spray so that you don't compress all of the air out of the mix. Sow your seeds on top of the moist and drained flats, then dust a layer of the starting mix on top. Use a plant mister to completely saturate the seeds and that final layer. After draining again, cover the flat so that you won't have to water again while the seeds are germinating.
Once the seeds have germinated, begin to expose the flats to real air and sunlight. If the top layer becomes crusty, keep the surface gently stirred. Use a pencil or a bamboo skewer for the job.
A crust will prevent the flat from drying uniformly and can create a great environment for the fungus gnats.
Seedlings should NOT stay in that fine-textured starter mix for any longer than it takes for them to reach a transplanting size. That is just a matter of days. If you are growing plants in that stuff....stop. Adapt to that dusting technique and your seedlings will be much better off.
The secrets to preventing these pests aren't secret at all. Use a good, porous soilless medium with only a tiny layer of the starter stuff; provide good air circulation and lots of light; do not over water. I never sterilize my potting or propagating mediums.
Mosquito dunk-water works great....use it only when you would ordinarily water, not more.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that lots of people have problems with Miracle grow. The peat must be too finely milled
to create a porous, fast draining medium.
Just wanted to say thanks for sharing your knowledge. I never saw anymore gnats--I did cut back on the watering for a bit. So I guess I jumped to conclusions to quickly. Anyhow, I made note of all this info and will know what to do if I do get them next time. And I'm looking for a different soil--thanks again and have a wonderful day:-)
Have the berries dried? Soaking and washing the seed 3 x a day for two weeks should remove most of the pulp and the germination inhibitors there. If you are able to peel some of it back, do that. Easiest would be to crush when fresh, remove the seeds then.
White Echinacea can be grown from seeds. See my blog for information on growing from seeds. Be sure to choose high quality seeds. The chance that the plant survives will be higher ;-)
Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening Palace Blog
In a word, No :) It's not quite that easy, if you scarify or do something to allow moisture to breach the seed coat (sometimes simple like an overnight soak), it's still not a rule that all seeds will respond by germinating.
Nature is complex, and the mechanisms that trigger germination more complicated than that seed coat. Seeds don't germinate naturally in the wrong place at the wrong time, conditions must be right for the survival of the plant.
That can be a dry periods before moisture is introduced, a prolonged chill that would mimic a damp winter, fire for some prairie plants seeds, how it is dispersed from the plant (does it float or blow away, is it eaten by birds and rodents) - many different things. Sometimes considering the origin of the seed, the type of plant that produced it and the environment of its natural 'homeland' gives the clues as to what is needed for germination. In other words, best is to look up each seed, proceed from there with the suggestions that have worked most often for others.
While I don't know the right proportions of Gibberellic acid to use, I do know that you may be able to coerce your cactus seeds to germinate with the effects of GA using electricity applied to the soil in which it grows.
That's shocking!
It sounds very unusual and interesting, and I'll have to look into it.
Thank you!
I just found that most users will add one gram of GA per one liter of water, but some just halve the gram. So, I think just treating half of the batch of seeds in a gram per a gallon for a day or two might be safe enough.