6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
where r u at Brad?
I got some great hits on my Moonflowers, I have 22 seedling resting on my desk as I type, Im just not sure I trust my soil for them.
I have to do some more reading in here, but I think Ill pot them vs. planting them in the ground. I feel like I have more control over their welfare that way. Im a dork that way. :)
Soozeesully, I'm in Central PA and I live in a valley out in the country. It's beautiful here but it can get very cold in the winter and extremely hot in the summer. They're calling for thunderstorms tommorrow and a chance of snow on Sat! Mom and I direct sowed some seeds today. I did morning glories this morning and cup and saucer vines just a few minutes ago. I did moonflowers too but I'm starting them in a plastic baggie with a moist paper towel.
I did an experiment earlier with a single MF seed and it worked. I may do more next week.
Brad AKA Moonwolf
Great job! What kind are they? 'Moonflower' can be used to describe a lot of different flowers such as morning glories to daturas.
FYI for next time, the dome should have come off on April 9th when they germinated.
I would get them under shop lights. Lights should be between 1-3" away from the top of them to keep them stocky and not stretching for the light.
Temps: 50-60 is ideal, but warmer wont kill them, maybe make them a little leggy.
I would transplant them into 16 oz cups or 3-4" pots. This will help build a stronger root system and watering will be easier in a larger container.
I would bottom water once the top 3/4 is dry, do not keep them moist. Constant moisture promotes dampening off and a weak/shallow root system. I would fertilize with a 1/4 solution once a week as well.
.......depending on exactly what moonflower you are talking about, you can't plant them until may 15th or after your last frost date. Plant them in full sun and amend the soil with some organic material.
I hope that helps.
Keriann~
I had a bit of green 'stuff' on my soil line. It was not slimy, looked more like really bright moss. This was showing when teh plants were very young still. I can't say if we have the same green 'stuff' but mine was harmless. I did do what oilpainter suggested with increasing airflow but it did not go away. It dissapeared when my petunias got larger and blocked the light to the top of the soil line.
This had no effect on my petunias, they are now about 8" tall and 24" across.
Keriann~
It's likely algae and shouldn't hurt your seedlings. Do not spray with bleach, the ph of household bleach is somewhere around 11 and would be fatal to plants. Water less, increase air circulation around your trays. You must be close to being able to put your seedlings outdoors to begin to harden them off, just that step alone should resolve the problem.
Very good point! : )
Last year I started a lot of transplants under 4 - 4' bulbs. It became very crowded under there. I am working on a lot more this year and do not have much room or time and was hoping this would give me more area to grow in. I had such good luck I was lead to believe this would only be easier. Natural light should be superior to a bulb, but I am starting to eat my words!
It may have been too hot for your broccoli where you had it, put it at the back. Sunlight coming through the window will be the strongest and hottest near the window and it can raise the temperature by 20 or 30 degrees even if the sides are open. It does little to protect the plants at night, so they are subject to tremendous temperature changes. I know there are people who do this, but it is far from ideal.
Thanks, guys; they must be petunias. I don't remember buying or sowing that many seeds, and the last time I took a look at them, they were doing pretty poorly. So I guess, yay that they pulled through, but if anybody hears of a sale on terra cotta pots, do let me know, cause I am clean outta room for these guys! :)
Keriann- oh, now, you know my australian cattle dog mix just hates tennis balls and is not at all obsessive... How cute, I didn't even notice her little feet down there. She is lying on a welcome mat that is now 'matted' with her hair because I gave her her summertime haircut on the porch; I'm just glad the hair is out there and no longer in my house! Thank goodness for a Dyson.
The wedding flowers are really coming along pretty well. The alyssum has had blooms for just weeks now, and the zinnias are getting nice and big and starting to form buds. The snapdragons have been a bit disappointing; she wanted a variety from the T&M catalogue, and their germination was pretty pitiful. I do have lots of other snaps of my own I can sub in if they don't take off pretty quick. The dwarf sunflowers are still pretty small, but I have faith that they will grow pretty quick. I have been outside for the last two weekends all day long, planting out. It is not right to come in to work on a Monday more tired than you left on Friday!
It's still too early to plant tomatoes and especially peppers in your zone anyway so there isn't any rush. You still have a couple of weeks and assuming decent growing conditions they will kick into high gear in plenty of time. Meanwhile make sure you aren't over-watering. That stunts and stalls growth more than anything.
You can't make up for 2 weeks in 2 days. Patience. ;)
Dave
Timers; if timers aren't an option, 24/7 I guess but your waterer will really have to stay on top of it. I wouldn't let zinnias go dark that long. Mine even pouted being in the shade when I hardened them off, so I just kicked em out in the sun. I don't think you need to stake, they'll come toward the light quick enough.
Yes, the dome left ajar. BTW, one thing I use with all my seed starts is bird gravel. I cover them with the gravel rather than soil. It seems to help. Also, I start with damp (not sodden) seed starter. I like the one from Gardener's Supply - it seems to work for me and I don't mess with success. But honestly, I don't do anything special with them. I try to resist rewatering the pots unless they really look dry - so maybe that's how I avoid any rotting?
We plant seeds by digging a trench and filling it with water and letting it soak into the ground. Then we fit in a bit and water again a bit just to wet the filled in soil. Then we plant leaving a slight trench. That moisture will be drawn to the surface by the sun and keep your seeds moist. The trench lets you put the water just where you want it after the seeds sprout, on the plants and not the whole garden.
I am using SunGro 830 mix and SSE seeds for the first time. I was told to soak the mix in peat pots for a day before planting, which I did. I planted the seeds as per instructions on the packets and placed on hog heating pads set at 93 degrees in a 3 season room in our home. Peat pots are 3" square set in 18 cell seedling trays and placed in 1020 seedling flats with no holes. I then put Propagation Domes on them. Flats are in front of 2 sets of patio doors, so are getting plenty of natural light. Cucumbers are 2" in 3 days and watermelon just poped thru the ground last night.
I think it is the humidity under the dome with the heat, excellent seeds from SSE and a good starting mix, plus good advice from my local greenhouse. I was told not to add anything to the mix, everything was already in it and was good to go until transplanted.
Hi, I'm from the wintersowing forum; I was reading some of the posts here, because I too, sow seeds indoors on HL/GM. After moaning on the WS forum, that I had absolutely no luck with sowing inside, I did a re-think, and actually I've had some pretty amazing successes from inside sowing. I was keying in on all the failures, and there were many, but just as many sucess stories. And wouldn't you know it, this year, both inside sowing and winter sowing were really successful, and I have LOTS of little seedlings! I think there will always be an equal number of succceses and failures, no matter how many years you've been at it. I hope you stay with it; for me, it's one of the best winter pasttimes!
The 4 foot fluorescent lights are what I use, changed every year, and be careful with the watering. And, this I learned this year, keep the soil warm, and the air temp cool. That's really going to help me, as there are some seeds that can't be WSed.
The Winter sowing forum is really great, as are all the others I've gone to on this site. Very informative, and VERY helpful! Good luck with the seedlings!!
They do on woody stem plants - those whose leaflets sprout directly from the stem itself. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, trees, etc.
But they don't from those plants whose leaflets sprout directly from the core, root ball. They don't normally have stems anyway until quite late in life - like lettuce when it bolts - and many flowers normally grown in low clusters.
Cabbage, broccoli (most varieties), and cauliflower are example of plants that fall in the "stemmed but not a woody stem" category. They can be transplanted deeper than lettuces and such but not as deeply as woody stem plants.
Hope this helps.
Dave
Living in an area with such a short season I have no choice but to seed Zinnias inside if I want a decent showing. I have been doing it for years with lots of success.
I use a germination mat (may not be necessary for you) and grow them in lots of light in cooler temperatures (basement) - it prevents them from bolting on me and results in a stockier transplant that is able to handle our chilly Alberta springs.
I don't have too many frost free days, so I start them early and throw them in the greenhouse. In fact, it's been snowing all day...
Thanks ya'all!
I just started 3 different kinds yesterday on my heat mat/germination station. They are cutting varieties: white, purple and lime green.
And I have plenty of lights on stand by, ready for their heads to poke through.
I am excited, my cutting garden is 6 times bigger than last year.... all filled with roses, dahlias, zinnias, and a few other misc experiment plants like 'dreadlocks' and some true blue glads.
Shoud be quite a garden!
Keriann~
I assume you meant to post this on the Saving Seed forum, right, since it has its own forum? It is linked at the top of this forum's front page in the set of Related Forums links.
Dave