6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Just pull the mulch back in places and direct seed, cover with soil and wait for germination. Once the young seedlings are established you can put the mulch back into place. In your climate keep in mind that mulch will keep the soil too cool for germination until well into the summer.
Dave
One thing to watch for: the air indoors is drier than the Sahara desert because of the HVAC system. If seedlings have grown for long in high humidity, their stomata are open, and some genes may be turned on in the seedling adapting the plant to expected high humidity. Hitting extremely dry air can be harmful to the leaves even if the roots are moist.
As you can tell by the other responses, we've all overplanted seeds. It seems like the smaller the seed; the more viable they are and form a carpet of plants when they all sprout. I volunteer as a propagator at a local arboretum and have found that a couple of common eating forks is best for jiggling and teasing the plants apart.
I might also suggest you join a garden club or other similar group where you can trade or exchange plants.
What I do with a large quantity of small seeds is use a plug tray with 200 cells. I first fill the plugs with my seed-starting mix (Miracle-Gro with 50% perlite) and then dump it out into a pile. I add around 200-400 small seeds to the soil, mix in the seeds homogeneously, and then put it all back into the cells. I keep the mix moist and have excellent germination. Usually I have one or two seedlings in each plug. I grow them on till time to transplant outside or into a larger-volume cellpack. If I have two or more seedlings in a cell, I either tease them apart or sacrifice all but the strongest one. Even if the seeds need light to sprout, at least some will end up at the surface of the plugs; ditto if they need darkness since some seeds will inevitably be covered. I collect my own wildseed around Houston and SE Texas so have lots to play with.
Without seeing them in person, I would say too much water and they are in need of potassium.
They look really wet from the pictures. You said you used peat in your 'soil', peat retaines a lot of moisture and is slow it drain.
I would repot a few in regular sterile soil and get them dried out and see it if helps.
Keriann~
Got to agree with the above. That was my first reaction too since it is across the board - it is the classic look of way too much water/too wet soil.
My only other thoughts as "possibles" is halide light burn or wind burn. But if in the greenhouse and unless your fans are set way too high speed ;) I'd doubt wind burn is the problem.
Dave
Good to go, the root will figure it out. As long as it is covered you are in the clear.
Sometimes we all get caught up in a 'perfect' situation. Mother nature has been germinating all of these seeds without our help since the begining of time. Plants are pretty tough, they mostly wither due to our doing or under-doing.
Your guy should do fine.. a bit lanky but it will catch-up once the weather warms and you get get it outside.
If you don't see the seed break surface in 2-3 days, brush the light layer of soil away so it can peak out. It may have to be misted if after a few days of breaking soil it emerges with a 'helmet' head with the bean shell not falling off.. or I always just pick it off VERY carefully as not to damage the stem. You can tell after a few days to a week if the seed leaves are struggling to break the shell off.
Congrats again!
Keriann~
Hi Kim,
I like vegetables, but I am more of a carnivore (Rib-Eye) Yummm
I saw a need in our community for Fresh Vegetables all year round for the Homeless or Needy and I have a 1/8 acre and figured I should do what I can to lend a helping hand,so I grow year round as many things as I can, There is nothing like walking into the foodbank (especially when it is barren) and handing over a hundred pounds of fresh vegetables... those are some real servant hearted people there... Anyway...It is a total blessing ...I couldn't be happier to be a part of someone getting food in their stomach ;-)
I wish I had not sown scrophularia nodosa (figwort) indoors. The germination suggestions indicated it could take several weeks at 40F to germinate, or might respond to warm/cold/cool cycles totalling several weeks. I decided to give sown seeds a warm moist period and then place outdoors for some weeks of overnight frost, but they germinated in about 8 days from sowing while still indoors....are now taking up space not designated for them under lights until I can harden them off. Came up like cress, every seed must have germinated.
With common shop lights my experience was that I found them best as close as possible without touching.
On some I even devised a pulley hoist to lift the lights when I wanted to work with the pants or when the plants got tall enough to touch the fluorescent tubes.
I will set them outside. How long can I leave them in the direct sun?
Please don't! As sleepy said outdoors is fine but that doesn't mean direct sun. ;)
Direct sun will kill seedlings unless they have been hardened off first and that is a several-days-long process (you'll want to research 'how to harden off plants'). Outside in shade or dappled light for 1-2 hours, gradually increasing the time is fine. Protect them from wind as it too can kill them.
Also keep in mind that leggy plants isn't a spectrum problem - spectrum controls blooming and fruiting, not plant growth/height. It is an insufficient light problem so either more light or closer to the plants.
Dave
Gardenweb has a moderately trafficked Ornamental Grasses forum that gets some regular visits from a few who share some quite good advice.
My experience was that most ornamental grasses require a bit of patience. I've some three year old plants from seed that are just beginning to get interesting.
Heat needs to be constant. Lights are debated. Some use 12 hours, some 16, some argue for 24 hours. Experiment and see which works best for you.
All I can attest to is what I do: stuff in the greenhouse gets Mother Earth's time - approximately 12 on and 12 off when she is in a sunny mood and 16 hours of fluorescent when she isn't. Things in the house get 24 hours on. Works for me.
Dave
I bought mine from Baker Creek (like $3 for 25 seeds, I believe) and am about to start them this coming weekend. Hopefully, i'll have at least 50% germination, if not better. I'll let y'all know, on this thread, what my results are though.
I just sat down to check out gardenweb before starting some seeds including stevia. This is my first try also. I've read that germination is only 30%, so I'm hopeful I'll get something, but not totally confident. Still excited to try. I bought my seeds from Seed Savers Exchange, $2.50 for 25 seeds.
I haven't tried Delphiniums myself, but according to "The New Seed-Starters Handbook," it says to keep the planted seeds dark.
Here's an interesting trial someone did, growing some in darkness and some with light - it looks like either would work.
Yeah, I have that and have also read that. I was just surprised that some of the seed packets recommended light and others dark. I wondered if there was any reason I should adopt one method over the other. I guess not. And, thanks, that trial was interesting.