6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
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~
Funny thread. My biggest oops was last year's first time seed starting under lights. Everything was in the basement. I was pretty sure my set-up was good. But, why oh why, were my seedlings not taking off. Well, I finally discovered the outlets (except two) in our basement are all connected to the main light switch. So, when I checked on them, lights on. Back upstairs, lights off. The only thing that saved them was my boys' new xbox game that they kept sneaking downstairs to play!
Thanks for the help. Im growing a little of everything to start my garden outside in may. I have about 7 trays. And no power outside unles we use a extenion cord. And again using 7 trays i think i would need to plug in would need to plug in 7 cords. Thx
The seed starting mix that I had doesn't say anything about fertilizer. it just says 100% organic.
And I am still currently waiting on some 4 o'clocks, zinnia, and Dahlia. I have had some zinnia and 4 o'clocks sprout already, but I have yet to see any dahlia seedlings...
You can try transplanting it into fresh potting mix and plant it with the affected part of the stem below the soil level in the new mix. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Then reduce the watering. The peroxide spray 1:10 can't hurt, might help.
Dave
Another reason to hold back would be if your last average frost date is still in the future. Just because the weather's warm now, does not mean the warmth is here to stay. We had temps in the 80's at the beginning of the week. Yesterday the high was 45 and the hilltowns had night temps in the twenties. Planting out early would have been disaster, unless the gardener had a way to protect the plants from a hard freeze. You're in a warmer zone, so you may be good to go.
Those guidelines for what to start when are intended to help the gardener have a healthy plant of an appropriate size at the safe plant-out date, usually the last average frost date.
A common mis-perception. ;) Not only can the use of bottom heat post-germination cause leggyness but it also retards root development. In fact it can even "cook" (kill) young roots. So you would be sacrificing root development - which is the most important form of growth at this stage - for top growth.
With seedlings, slow top growth is what you are after. That's why professional growers in greenhouses work very hard to maintain air temps of 65 degrees max.
Dave
I have no answer as we're in different climates, but am interested in any others answers. Is it appropriate for me to ask similar question here, or start new thread? Im in low desert and already in high 80's. Got yellow bells from seed in plastic cups now 2 inches tall. Is it time to plant in the ground? thanks.
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.
Thanks for the good advice! I planted this morning, and we'll see how they do!