6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
As I read your post my interpretation is you want to sow your seeds when the soil is not warm enough for good germination, in order to extend your short growing season. I think I would try warming the soil. One tried and true method farmers have used for centuries is to apply composted steer manure (a byproduct of dairies or feeding pens). This is applied to the soil surface and scratched in just before seeding. Another method would be to lay a 2mil clear plastic over the soil surface to collect the radiated heat. Depending on your climate this may take a little trial and error to keep from over heating the soil. Al
Celery.. No cover light required for germination at 70F taking 10-17 days.....Rutabaga/turnip light cover temp 70F taking 7-14 days to germinate.....Carrot light cover soil temp 64-72F taking 10-21 days....Lettuce light cover soil temp 65-70F taking 6-10 days to germinate.
Many inserts for growing seedlings are 1 inch deep but others for starting trees are 6 inches deep & may be used for starting root crops.Starting in a cold frame is common & instead of using FRESH manure on the surface I use it & cover with 1-2 incches of sand & it generates a lot of heat. A light bulb will also help.
Also look on the package it gives time to maturity ....pick those varities with with the shortest time to maurity. I hope this helps
Patreesh
You are in zone 5 and you planted seeds outside you are lucky they germinated. I am in zone 7a and hesitant to take my plants outside. I am waiting to June first. The soil temperature has to be 65 in order to have healthy plants. Yes you could have stressed plants in cold but stressed plants do not produce. I keep using the thermometer to measure the soil temperature it is not 65 yet not even close.
Right, I wasn't trying to give an endorsement of the product, only suggest where available.
Depending on the age of the child/student, I would caution using oak for a classroom project at all unless the attention span of the children could match the germination requirements - which are approx 4 to as long as 12 months and following a period of moist cold conditions (depending on which oak). It could be boring to a less sophisticated class :)
From my own experience I can say that the freshness of the seed has something to do with it. I have never had old (that is over one year) seed sprout--except for one batch that was on its second year, but it was hermetically sealed. Fresh is best with this plant.
Also, I use the paper towel method. I wrap in damp paper towel, put in a plastic bag and put it someplace warm. I open it up for air each day or so. Then after some days, a gross, stringy, gooey, guk is on th outside of the seeds. I pull that off, wipe the seeds well, give them a fresh paper towel, and put them back in the bag.
As soon as I see a sprout (sometimes as soon as a week), I plant it root tip down, and allow part (not quite half because it is already sprouted) of the seed coat to stick out of the soil straight up and down. The seed comes right up.
Once up, sometimes the little cotyledons have difficulty getting out. Be careful not to mess with them too much because you can damage or kill them. However, I have been known to assist a seed or two. The tip of the seed that was sticking out is quite dry, and hard for the seed to push off. If you dab it with moisture regularly (with a Q-Tip) it may be fine. if not, you may have to split the seed off: use caution! Wait to see if the plant can do it for itself first. Right now, I have 9 plants going; several have their second set of true leaves!
I hope this was helpful. Again, this is only from my own experience & mistakes.
Good Luck,
Robin
Thanks for the responses. Indeed, the seeds I'm asking about are Ipomoea alba.
I decided to plant all of the seeds, floaters and non-floaters. Using a nail clipper, I also scarified the seeds that still had a hard outer shell after soaking. Since my first post I read at a different forum that this idea that seeds float in water when they've lost their viability is more folklore than a science. We'll see.
I had the same problem with white mold growing in the dirt in my peat pots. I watered my seeds and took the plastic cover off. The mold went away without any treatment and my vegetables and herbs are growing well now. I am wondering if they will still be safe to eat?
There shouldn't have been any need to double transplant. Your plants from the 6 packs should have gone directly into your hanging baskets. If you remove a good portion of the root ball, it will result in a pretty unhappy plant! Water and nutrients are taken up by the roots, and they support the plant. Remove a good portion, and the plant suffers (equate it to removing one of your lungs). You should easily be able to fit 3 4" pots into a standard 10" hanging basket without removing root mass.
hmm.... I don't have any advice, but I started mine about a month ago, indoor by the windsill, without heating mat, and all seeds germinated in about 7 days!
They grow so fast so they became quite leggy. Since it is still early in the season, I am going to just start over directly outdoor.
I have not tried it but am sure it would work. The manure is providing the heat to speed up germination of the seeds. If the seeds are sown when the soil is already warm, which is what is suggested for squash seeds, you need not go to all that trouble. Al
I actually pinched off the runners last year and rooted them. They WAY out performed the �mother� plant.
I would pinch the center and then pinch off the runners just after a leaf node.
Keriann~
Thanks - I was thinking about rooting some of the runners. I am concerned that its a little late in the season to start them, but maybe I can just think of it as a late crop.