6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
I also have this problem. Green aphids on my indoor pepper and eggplant seedlings. Somewhere on this site I read an idea to wrap a small piece of masking tape around something and lift the aphids off. I use a q-tip and just throw it out. This has been working pretty well, though I have to do it every day or two.
I've heard some people say it takes as long as two weeks. I have simple stuff - tomatoes, peppers, chard, onions, and morning glories. Will a week do for these? I'm so worried that I will screw up this part and all my work will go to waste.
Kim
no, not at all 3 or 4 days....maybe 5.
You will see them stand tall and hold up against the wind and not shy away from sun.
I place them in the shade and out of the wind all day my firstday. Then they get filtered sunlight in the morning (and a bit of wind) on the second day and back in the shade from 9am till dusk. Then they get dawn till noon sun the third day and depending on how they do during the am sun and mid day sun they are ready for their first full day in the elements by their 4th or 5th day.
My hollyhocks really looked shabby from the wind on their second day because I left them out too long, but in two days they were study and looking for the sunlight again.
Keriann~
Yes you are probably overwatering. Miracle grow potting soil is mostly peat and peat holds the water. I don't like peat pots either. They would have to be peeled off the plant before you plant because they do not decompose like they are supposed to do. They also retain too much water
Once a plant has germinated they don't have to be kept moist like they were when they were germinating. In fact keeping them wet is a sure way to invite trouble. Wait until they dry out a bit and then bottom water. Wait until they dry out at LEAST half way and then bottom water. When you water depends on the size of the plant and the size of the pot. A pot needing water will be light. You'll see how much heavier it is after you water.
To bottom water--set the pots in a shallow dish that has water in it. Wait until the soil darkens a bit on top. Then remove the pots and let the excess water drip out. Now your plants are thououghly watered and can wait a good while before you do it again.
Letting a plant dry encourages the roots to go deep in search of moisture, so you have a better root system and a healthier plant. Over watered plants are weak and have a poor root system, not to mention inviting diseases like damp off and root rot to set in.
In your zone and in an uninsulated container, I would imagine the seeds froze. The embryo cells would then have ruptured when it thawed killing the seed. I honestly doubt you'll get any germination. But yes, if you want to continue the experiment, keep the soil moist but not wet.
Once the soil temp in the container is consistently up to 40 you should see germination with 10-14 days. If not then it's time to move on. ;)
Dave
Nice! These are really similar to morning glories, right? They look a lot alike, aside from the color. I just had a few morning glories sprout, and was amazed how fast they grew. In just three days, they were the same height as the tomato plants that had been growing for two weeks. I can't wait to see the flowers!
Kim
Hi Kim,
Yep! They are very similar to morning glories except for the flower size and they are fragrant! They smell wonderful! What color are your morning glories? I planted mine outside the same day I started the moonflowers inside. The MGs I'm growing are Burpee's Best Mix (purples. pinks and white) and Heavenly Blue (also Burpee).
Brad AKA Moonwolf
Keriann- Your dad was a smart man; he could have bought a new lawnmower every year and still come out way ahead! Horses are great, but showing is expensive.
Nutsaboutflowers- uh huh, suuuuure you were. Just lights. Mmmhmmm. Just kidding. :) My husband keeps telling me I'm going to get a visit from the cops to see what I'm growing with all my lights. Oh, and my hydroponics store smells weird too- they sell these really strong odor-absorber air freshener things. Gee whiz, I wonder why a gardening store would have such a big display of air fresheners?? I was thinking when I was there that if I was a cop, I'd sit outside that place all day and see who their big customers were... :)
Thank you also for your replies, sleepy33 and oilpainter!
To sleepy33 --
Interestingly enough, I started my "unique" method of watering after being dissatisfied by regular bottom-watering, as you described. My problem is that my seedlings are growing in my crawl space (which is finished, if you can believe that)! But it's still probably a breeding ground for mold. So when I bottom-watered the cells until the top of the soil started becoming moist, they wouldn't dry out fast enough in time to prevent mold growth. Mold sprouts in that darn crawl space in a matter of, like, 12 hours. It's ridiculous! Even a fan doesn't seem to help.
So I started using the spray bottle, because I knew it would saturate the bottom layer of soil quickly (and hopefully seep upward gently after the watering) and never reach the topmost layer of soil. So far it's worked pretty well -- I haven't seen too much mold in a while. But I realize I'm also no expert!
Do you think that if I maintain my current watering system, but simply start watering less (until a substantial chunk of soil is dry), that I might be successful in preventing root rot or any other maladies? I'm just so afraid to go back to the "normal" method of bottom-watering, because it only led to mounds of mold in my seedling trays. :(
And oilpainter --
Yes, I made sure to water first before fertilizing. Luckily I knew that much! lol.
Thanks again to all three of you for your advice. If you have any other thoughts, please share! And I'll definitely keep you updated. :)
It depends on so many factors.
The reason we harden off is because the seedlings cannot take the intense sunlight after being inside their whole life or the wind because they have been sheltered inside.
Your plants will tell you when they are ready for the elements.
Do they stand up straight or bounce right back from wind? And do they look happy in full sun (if they are full-sun plants)
If yes, they are ready for their final homes.
This may take 1 day of 10 days depending on who, what, where and why.
You will know your plants the best.
Keriann~
I am tomatoes only in dry hot Colorado. I use a large dripper, 12 inches apart on each plant. Last year went great every other day, but I did get some rings to indicate that I needed to water every day in hot weather, 90 to 100 degrees. My soil is very, very sandy and I have to live with it. I use the large drippers to reduce clogging with unfiltered city water, and manualy operate them. Like 15 minutes gives 1 gal water to each plant.
Each year I try more things but this seems to work the best for me. what worked before was PVC pipe with tiny holes at each plant, what I called a "dribbler" system. Soil is too sandy to use ditch watering.
Oh yea, one year I tried sprinklers on tomatoes..never again. Every disease in the book.
Have fun KennyP
Taz, I'm sure the soil here could do with amending; many spots, it's pure Kansas clay. But it's a rental, and I'm not putting that much effort/$ into it. It is mulched. Also, I'm speaking of plants I've put out relatively recently, so they aren't, strictly speaking, 'mature' plants. I imagine they'll be able to hold out a bit longer as their roots develop further. I agree with you, when I had my drip irrigation system set up, that was the way to go.
kerriann:
I buy my pro mix from my local greenhouse nursery--one that grows it's own plants, but sells other garden related things too. I just got a bag yesterday. You might try one in your area. I know they do sell it in smaller bags but the cost is out of this world compared to what I pay. I'll bet if you do some calling around you would find it. I've also seen it for sale on line.
I use MG potting soil/Perlite/Sand for just about everything. I mix in different ratios depending on the individual plant. For peppers my ratio is 4/2/1. They might do just as good in a 4/1/2 ratio but I fear that 2 parts sand might hinder the drainage some.
I'd try fertilizing half of them, see what that does. I always just go ahead and soak the roots with my diluted fertilizer mix; my understanding is, as long as you have the right ratio of water to fertilizer, the amount of fertilizer+water that you add doesn't matter. For example, I fertilize with fish emulsion. I measure the tablespoon or whatever of emulsion in the gallon jug of water, mix, and then I pour it in a seedling flat and bottom water as I normally would. Once the cups are good and heavy/full of water, I take them out. I usually rotate several flats of seedlings through that one batch of fertilizer+water until it's all been soaked up (in the course of a couple of hours, I don't let it sit around or anything, stinky!!). Hope that helps, someone else chime in if I'm incorrect in my thinking.
Sleepy is right on the money.
I use 1/4 of what is stated (on the fert. conatiner) what I first start fertilizing. so if they say one tbsp per gallon I would use 1/4 once a week. I do not pre-water and then add fert. It is one process once a week and if they need water between that, I use plain water. I also use a 1/8 mix all of they time (everytime I water) with great results. The fert. is already in my watering lines in the greenhouse so it is easier to remember weak everytime than once a week stronger.
Most of my seedlings are mature now so they get full strength once a week
Keriann~
You can not save seeds to make bolt tolerant varieties, unless you do like the plant breeders do. They pick 2 that are naturally that way. Hand pollinate one plant with the other. Make sure that plant is not pollinated with any other. Then grow the seed. Out of the hundreds of seeds sown maybe a very few will have that tendancy from the parent plants. They are pollinated again in the same controlled way and after many pollinations and growing they may get a plant or 2 that has the characteristics they are after. This is called hybridization.
Heritage plants are old varieties of plants and are the most likely to reproduce exactly as the parent plant from saved seeds, but there is no guarantee with them either.
Now if a hybrid plant is grown and pollinated naturally. Some plants may be the same but most will be some form of both parent plants. Yes they will flower and react like other plants, but you never know just what the finished plant will be or look like.
Your best bet if you want slow bolt varieties is to buy the seeds that are bred for just this quality and the best way to know is to buy from a reputable seed companies catalogue. Catalogues are not just for buying seeds but will also give you info on their varieties of seeds.
Sorry that I did not get this up sooner. My two little ones caught a nasty virus and were under the weather so no gardening for me.
Here is a link to photos of my bed and coldframe setup.
My trellising is conduit frame with netting it is 8ft however this year I will need to make it taller than the 8ft because last year the tomato and bean plants over grew the trellising and I had to add wood extenders with rope effective but not very attractive.
I am starting the seeds we spoke about inside this week and have set up grow light for when they sprout. I read about using a laundry basket in the hardening process have you tried this? I would bring the plants out for awhile protected by the basket for a week during the day then plant them and leave the basket over them for a week then take the basket off? or start them inside and then let them spend a week in the coldframe then plant and use the basket for a week?
Here is a link that might be useful: cold frame and bed photos
Ok I am back with more questions.
I located a book which tells me about all the different seed starting times... ie: In a heated greenhouse, unheated/coldframe and direct sow... it also tells when to plant seeds started in each area to set out and transplant.
However what it doesn't tell me is, How to transition into the coldframe from inside. I started peppers, tomato, eggplant, zukes, yellow squash, cucumbers and the flowers inside and everything is growing like crazy almost everything is starting to get its second set of leaves. The plants that are the biggest I would like to start moving to the coldframe. Do I need to harden them off away from the sun first before putting them in? Because the sun would be to strong through the plastic?
Yesterday I tried to set out a flat in indirect sun that had the cucumbers and zukes and sweat pea flowers on it for a few hours. The cucumbers instantly did not like it. That is what prompted me to locate the book. The book stated that the cucumbers wont want to be outside until a stable 60 degree temp is reached.
I thought maybe I would put the zukes and sweat peas out in the coldframe under a clothes basket. Do I leave the frame closed and vented? Or open it up like I have been doing for the flowers that I started in pots? If I do the clothes basket thing can I just set them out and leave them out overnight as well and just begin to take the basket off more each day?
I need some guidance on how to get all these guys out to the frame before they take over my basement.
The book states:
Tomato coldframe middle of May
Peppers " early June
Eggplant " early May
Squash " end of May early June
Zuke " end of May
Cucumbers " end of May early June
Direct sow the Beans in May