6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
That is really too cold for seedlings. Isn't 30F below freezing? Growing on a windowsill is really not sufficient light to start seeds. They will get leggy and week searching for the light. Is there no way you can hang a simple plug in flourescent light fixture. Look through the forums some people have ingenious ways of doing this.
Yes tomatoes are about the only ones I know of who benifit from being planted deeper. Many others will die if treated that way.
If you want to put them outside you will have to use a cold frame, but that requires constant watching that it doesn't get too hot or too cold and your plants will need to be watered often.
I'd say for another year check out the winter gardening forum.
When you say you have MG, what do you have? MG soil, fertilizer...?
You should only use sterile potting or seed starting soil to start your seeds in. Top soil should be avoided all together, it is too dense and can be filled with diseases and fungi spores.
I would suggest getting a bag of potting or seed starting mix that is sealed/sterile. They can range from 5-30 bucks depending on size and brand. This will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.
What happened to your first try? Did they just not germinate or germinate and then die?
Keriann~
PS I would direct sow your Zinnas.
PSS Describe your set-up.. Do you have lights? Heat mat? Containers? Water?
As for a container to grow your seeds almost anything wood paper or plastic that will hold your growing medium will do. It must have holes in the bottom for drainage.Egg cartons are all right but you will have to transplant them later because they don't hold enough soil for the roots as the plant grows. Sealed jars and paper towels won't do to grow them. You can sprout them on paper towels but once sprouted they need to go in soil.
You are right about soil from outside. It holds a bunch of nasties that you don't want when you are starting seed.
Peat mass gets hard when it dries out. It is in soilless seed starting mixes but other things keep it loose.
Top soil is not a good seed starting mix.
If some have died it is probably because you had them too wet. You need the soil moist but not too wet
Hi,
guess i will add in a couple of comments.
people need to chill out about domes/plastic/coverings being on too long....it WON'T cause horrible, immediate, deadly consequences. I repeat WON'T. I am speaking from years and thousands of seedlings of experience. I keep getting that this is so taboo from the posts that I read, that I just have to smile.
Yes, the coverings will need to be removed, but in hours, days??? I will purposely leave saran wrap on to keep that humidity high for the majority of seeds to come up or to protect small plants from dessication....or when I am out of town for the weekend. It can be done!!!! I am talking about peppers all the way to rock garden plants....in fact my saxifrages have had on their saran wrap for close to 2-3 weeks...no worse for wear. I don't have any issues with damp off or my plants dying. Use a good soilless mix, don't overwater when sowing and you won't have issues....period.
And as for the light...my lights sit over the heating bed....waiting for that first seedling to emerge. That means the minute they break the soil surface they are getting the illumination they need. If the seeds happen to need darkness...cover the container.
So...keep those lights on no matter if germinated or not. And your set-up looks fine...compared to mine about 10 years ago, a light bulb in a box to keep in warmth...ha, I still have to laugh:)
m
thanks for the info from everyone. im going to leave on the covers until at least half break the soil (i dont know many proper gardening terms so dont chew me out) the blue light is from the bulb itself. casts blue light. its a GE plant bulb 50w. the 13 pods broke through yesterday after putting the light on them so it seems to work great.
as far as light exposure i just turn off when i go to sleep, on when i wake up. seems to work fine so far.
im just having fun right now and enjoying seeing growth.
Dicot has given one method. I have found you can usually avoid fungus growth by venting the pots regularly. Take the plastic off every day or two, turn over the plastic and put it back on. I have never tried putting holes in the plastic as a venting method. Al
Thanks everyone! I've been reading the other helpful advice and FAQ posts too. I wish I hadn't wasted money on those stupid Jiffy pots! I also just used potting soil mixed with worm castings for a starter base, not a soil-less mix. I guess you just learn, don't you!
no, jiffy's have their uses. They are really useful for taking softwood or semi-ripe cuttings. I put my 38mm ones in a 40 module seed tray - they fit snugly and do not dry out so much. As long as you peel off the outer net when you plant, you should do OK. Also, if using peat is against your principles, you can get peat-free ones. They are too expensive for anything other than special seeds that are large enough or scarce enough to justify using a jiffy.
Lettuce works best when direct seeded anyway so I sure would go ahead and direct seed some now in your zone. Even snow poses no threat to it. But heat does. By the time you get your transplants hardened off and out in 2 weeks it won't be long before they run into weather that is too warm and bolt.
Dave
Perfect timing--I'm going to try my first asparagus this year! Question: can you set the seedling out when the plant is very young, much smaller than 5-6 inches? Also, once the seeds have germinated in water and you place them in the pellets can you immediatly place them outside under the protective plastic pellet tray top so you don't have hardening-off issues? I've never hardened off. I'm doing WS this year and I'd like to copy that style with asparagus, if possible, and have them spend time outdoors before putting in the ground.
Have you considered blue-eyed grass. It is a wildflower of the lily family. It just seems to show up in flower beds--at least it did in mine. It has very pretty little blue flowers. I don't know about anyone else but I like it and have left it alone. If you ever want to get rid of it it is very easy to pull out.
It's not blue-eyed grass, I grow it also and it has kinda flat stiff 'leaves'....I also have chives which have kinda rounded 'leaves'....but this is just a very fine grass..I did think maybe 'just grass'...but it really looks like a 'bunch' of whatever just re-seeded there. I also notice some individual 'sprigs' in the back of my garden. I will try to get a pic this weekend and post it.
Thanks everyone.
Thank you so much! I will find a grow light today
If you read the FAQ I linked for you on lights or some of the other posts here on light, you'll discover that "grow lights" are not what you need. Grow lights are a special kind of bulb used for blooming and fruiting plants, not seedlings, and much more expensive.
Dave
You are in zone 9 so can you start hardening them off and getting them outside asap? Do it gradually as these etiolated plants will not take kindly to sudden changes. It should certainly be warm enough for the chard and mustard. I'm not familiar with your squash and tomato planting times.
I grew them last year and was also unimpressed - not as interesting a color and moderate production. I don't eat raw tomatoes so I can't comment on the taste (the rest of the family does). I have a few seedlings in the basement, but haven't decided if I'm going to try them again.
Andrew
Your soil is too wet. That is why the leaves are turning yellow and the blossoms are dropping. Miracle grow tends to do that because it is mostly peat moss, or maybe the pot is not draining well, or maybe you just made it too wet when you transplanted.
Check and see if the holes are plugged. If you've just transplanted it, It has not settled in yet so you could upend it and transplant it again in dryer soil
My guess would be the wind. this happened to a few of my tomato seedlings when I put them outside. The wind was whipping the poor leaves so much, it dried them right out.
Thank you all for your info.
The fertilizer was a liquid diluted to 50%. I noticed the droopiness in the late afternoon/early evening the day after the heat & crazy winds.
They are still looking OK (standing up at least, and not getting worse from what I can tell).... but I assume the crispified leaves will not get any better.
I'll just baby them and hope for the best!