6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Christy: Kim is correct on the direct sow.. a seed is planted directly into the ground/pot (final resting spot)
Yes you can leave the dome on inside until they germinate as Kim said. As soon as the first one pokes through the soil, you need to take it off. The dome is not a necessity. It merely helps keep the soil moist for germinating purposes.
No silly questions! We all learned someway~
What are you growing from seed?
Kim: I would wait until they Âneed the compost. I add about an inch in the garden mid July to give them a much needed boost.
I think it may be too much for small seedlings right now.
Keriann~
Don't need a dome inside unless you are growing exotic seeds that need higher temp / humidity. You can use the dome outside to keep the seeds warm - but be sure the top vent is open or you prop a corner up so they do not get too hot. don't use it if the temps are 60F or above. I only use a dome inside for my tropical seeds that need 95F and humidity to germinate and grow - never use it for veggies or the seeds that germinate at 80F or below.
I lay a piece of chicken wire over my seedlings. And after they are 1" tall I remove that piece and then put a circular piece about 12" high and 12" in diameter around the sprouting. I don't remove it until the plant fills the space. This protects the plant from squirels, rabbits, and deer.
NO seeds have to be planted inside. NO seeds have to be planted outside. All seeds must be given favorable conditions to germinate.
You don't have to kill anything as stated above, you can transplant instead. I've had no problem transplanting anything you are growing as long as you take as much soil as you can to minimize root disturbance. One plant per pot means you can transplant the entire contents of that pot with minimal root disturbance. Just don't pack the soil in around it, instead water it in.
since you stated you have a bird yard, you need to protect the seeds from the birds until the plants come up. You can do so by placing some bird net or fine chicken wire over the top of the seeds. As stated previously, some seeds take longer to germinate than other seeds. Some seeds need warmer soil before they germinate and if the birds hadn't eaten all of them, they will likely germinate when it warms up a bit.
I agree with the above statement.
Yeah, too much water. You should let the soil dry out 2/3 before watering again. I prefer bottom water which means you set the plants (in the containers) in a shallow pan of water and let them drink (suck it up themselves). When the top of the soil glistens they are done drinking and you can dump the rest of the water out.
Lambs ears also do not like their leaves wet, they tend to rot.
Try to remember that love is not water. It seems like we all water and fertilize our seedlings more when they look sad, but in fact the extra wate is harming them. I would get a fan on them and dry them out for a bit.
Damp off looks like you pinched the stem at the soil line and then they just fall over.....this is a pretty fast progression, 24 hours or less... no real 'heads-up'.
Just for comparison, when my seedlings were your size I watered once a week...but it also depends on temps, container size ect.
Let them dry out and they will perk back up for you!
Keriann~
Thanks everyone!
I will switch to bottom watering and I will try to water less. I just hope I don't let them die of dehydration now! I was watering once a day cuz the soil looked dry on the top but with top watering I might've not been giving them enough in one sitting. Since humidity is up though, that's changed hence the every other day watering. But now I will just spread it out, way out! I'll try to make it once a week if I can resist. *LOL*
How long should I give them before trying to harden off? (Assuming they get healthy again.)
I guess I mixed up misting with the plants I'm rooting? I think I read that they like misting. Then again, I tried that with the coleus I was trying to root and, although it rooted, the whole thing rotted shortly thereafter. More victims! Ahh, another question for another forum section...
I do not waste seeds like that. Some are too expensive to just pinch back 1/3 of what germinates. Besides even if it isn't that expensive it's a waste
When sowing in my greenhouse I start my seeds in shallow containers. You could do the same using lights. My favorite is the 4 x 41/2 x 2 inch plastic containers that mushrooms come in. I put drainage holes in the bottom. When my seedlings get their second leaves--or sometimes before that--I transplant them into individual containers.
When direct sowing I thin and transplant too. In the garden when sowing small seeds like carrots it is easy to get them too thick. I will thin them and cook up the little carrots. When they are small like that and fresh from the garden using a scrubbie removes the skin.
So don't waste seed. It is not necessary
I have had the same thought. And like Taz, I can't bring myself to pinch off or thin out seedlings.
I think the whole idea behind square foot gardening where you plant one seed exactly the spacing you want it is fantastic. If something doesn't come up then put one more seed in that spot.
Check out the square foot gardening forum. Lots of info there.
Thanks, sleepy33 and Al
I stuck plastic forks tines up in basket - squirrels not bothered them so far..but like an idiot, I left the nearby nasturtium basket(without forks) and today one of the nasturtium seedling missing - the cover of seed at the root was all that I cud see! maybe its birds this time!!I have stuck forks in that basket too..
I wanted to know - now there are 2 nasturtium seedlings left in that 14" basket(and its only nasturtium in the basket) would 2 seedlings be less to fill up the basket?
Its Nasturtium whirlybird Mix - the packet says - Ht 12" - ideal for bedding, pots and hanging baskets..
Thanks for any advise..
It really all depends on the plant type as oilpainter said.
For example petunias: I would wait till they have 6-8 true leaves, verbena I wait till they are 3-4 inches..... and then harden them off. Be sure to read the FAQs on this forum about hardening off, it would be terrible to lose all your seedlings that far along.
Keriann~
I would divide the plants you want multiples of. Get the soil really really really wet and try to pull them apart by the root ball, if that is a no-go, you can just cut them apart. They will be in shock and not very happy, but in a few weeks no one would know the difference.
I have done it a few times in a pinch and my plants look fine after a bit of a rest period.
Keriann~
Depends a lot on what the plant is. Some plants survive having their roots upset; some are less forgiving.
One question - if you divide them, do you have a place to plant all the plants? If you have *dozens* of pots, you could end up with hundreds of plants. Might be more realistic (depending on the size of your garden and your willingness to do the work) to thin them to the most likely survivors and plant those.
What a coincidence! It's going to be a hectic weekend; my birthday is the 30th, and that's also my parents wedding anniversary. This year is their 40th, and they are having a big party, for which I am making 9 dozen cupcakes. Can you say stress?? :)
I was thinking the same thing, too, that it can't be good for all of the containers to be so wet for this long, but I didn't want to put them under the overhang and limit their sun even more. I'll bring in what I can fit under my basement light setup tonight; it's supposed to be sunny tomorrow (knock wood PLEASE don't jinx it) so I can stick them back outside in the morning.
I would gladly send you some of this rain, I have never seen it rain this much for this many days in a row. We had a terrible winter, too, with several snowstorms that left feet of snow behind- not typical at ALL.
Sleepy:
Make your cupcakes now and freeze them uniced. Then the day before the wedding or even the day of the Anniversary, bring them up and ice them frozen. They are much easier to ice when they are frozen. I'd use the canned icing too. I find it just as good as home made and a heck of a lot less bother--especially the cream cheese one.
May is a big month in my family too. My husband's birthday is the 21st, our Anniversary the 29th and my son's birthday the 31st. Add in Mother's and Father's days and it is a pretty packed month.
The seed count tends to depend on whether it's a special variety and also whether it's something that doesn't set a lot of seed. I haven't bought anything from Burpee in quite some time. I ordered Crambe cordifolia seeds about 2 years ago from Thompson & Morgan. They sent 6 seeds. All six seeds germinated, and I now have 6 huge plants (one of them bloomed for the first time this year, it was spectacular!).
When I grew a lot of veggies as a kid, we tended to put 3 seeds in each mound for squash, so 6 seeds does sound a bit skimpy! Of course, 3 plants of zucchini will serve the needs of a fairly large city.
--Ron
This is an old thread, but I have my two cents to add. I bought Burpee Candy Cane zinnia seeds back in March, planted them early, and patiently waited for them to bud. Candy Canes are red and white - these came up all yellow. I am NOT happy. I also bought a pack of purple prince and every flower is a slightly different color purple. I guess that's okay, but they don't look like the photo on the seed packet. :(
Has anyone else had problems this year with the flowers seeds not being what you bought?
Check out this link.
It may help a little.
Keriann~
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/strucs/msg060302466879.html
Yes Your balcony can be used to start the hardening off for a week.Perhaps put them near the railing so they may get a little sun--not touching if you have a clear plastic or glass in the railing. They will however have to be introduced to the sun gradually at your friends place for another week. Even in the shade like your balcony they will get some uv rays and that is what your plants have to get used to.
Never cover plants with plastic unless it is not touching the plants. If you cover with plastic to protect from frost and it is touching the plant it will freeze harder. If it touches the plant in the sun it will burn faster. I don't suppose you have to worry about frost though in your zone.
Hardening off is preparing your plants to be set out. The plants don't have to be kept warm at night when there is no frost. When they are planted out they won't be always the same temperature. They will be cooler at night and maybe hot, but at least warm in the daytime
One quick question, hope somebody knows the answer?
Are black cherry cherry tomato's real heirlooms? or are they
a hybrid? I read they were invented by a gentlemen named Sapp, in Florida.
I want to save the seeds if in fact they will be true
to this years plant.
Thank you
Tom
First, you would have much the same slight possibility of growing olive trees for fruit in your climate as I would in mine...they would be more likely to produce a harvestable crop if container grown and moved to an unheated greenhouse over winter, given some protection from Spring frosts. Olive needs a long, hot growing season to ripen fruit, no late spring frosts to kill the blossoms and adequate winter chill to insure fruit set.
None of the cultivated edible varieties can be propagated by seed. Seed propagated trees revert to the original small-fruited wild variety. From seed, you might have a tree of ornamental value but with fruit you would not eat.
Sow in moist seed sowing mix and cover with a 3mm layer of sowing mix or vermiculite. Keep at a temperature of around 18-21C (65-70F). After sowing, do not exclude light as this helps germination. Keep the surface of the sowing mix moist but not soggy; Germination will take anywhere from 1-10 months.