6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
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 agree, my lobelia were much happier when I started keeping them more on the wet side. They were struggling when they were small and really looked terrible after their first transplant, but then I started to really saturate their soil about every other day or so, and they took off.
I'm not laughing that you started beets, I think it is funny that you ate the extras. :o) The reason there are so many is that beet seeds actually have four seeds kernals in each seed. If you plant two seeds you can get as many as eight plants. Good luck with your plants. It is very satisfying. Linda
lol @ sleepy33. i need to join a 12-step program as well.
what originally started as a mini hydroponic project in my basement for four pepper plants has expanded to the backyard this year. i wouldnt be surprised if i started taking over my neighbours backyards as well in a few years. lol
My garlic chives! =) Last night after I got home from work & unloaded 500 lb of Pro Mix from my truck, I had a tad bit of energy left. So, I decided to do something with one of my dormant outdoor alliums that I need to do with all 10 or so of my outdoor plants, take all the pine needles off the tops & de-weed them. Well, as I was doing so, I saw a handful of garlic chives starrting to grow their way through the pine needles! Exciting as its the first sign of life from any of my outdoor plants so far this year. =) There are probably 15 or so of them anywhere from 1-4 inches tall.
- Steve
Is it normal? No. You have what are called "leggy seedlings" and the stems won't get thicker, won't be able to support any new leaves and will fall over and/or break if left on their own.
One thing that has not been mentioned is how long you left them under the plastic cover (if you used one) AFTER they broke the oil surface? If you let them do more than just break the surface of the soil under cover and before putting them under the light, then that is what caused your problem. As others have said, the heat and distance from the light is only magnifying the problem.
But they can be saved and to do so you must transplant them into deeper containers/cups, burying all of the stem right up to just barely below the seed leaves. Normally that transplanting is left until they have developed true leaves but those won't be able to hold up the weight of true leaves so they need to be done now. Roots will develop all along the buried stem and the new growth will be much stronger.
Once they are transplanted set them under the lights as close as possible. The leaves can actually be touching a bulbs with no problems but 1/2 inch between the leaf and the bulb itself is ideal. That will keep them from stretching again.
For more info on what causes this problem and how to prevent/correct it you can search 'leggy seedlings' here or on Google for details.
Good luck.
Dave
PS: you don't indicate your zone or location in your post so depending on where you live you may have time to start over for better results.
The above directions will help dry out the mix.
But, if you see any mold form on the top of the seed cells, all is not lost.
Use a 10:1 dilution of chamomile tea (10 parts water, 1 part chamomile tea) to lightly spray the top of the cells. ***Don't do this UNLESS there is mold/fungus on the top though.***
When you see all that moisture on the lid. Carefully remove it and wipe the moisture out. Keep doing this for a couple of days and they should be fine--or remove the lid and let the air dry the soil a bit. If you see the soil on top drying out you can spritz the soil a bit with a spray bottle
Oops =) I did the same thing as Dave. I thought germinations of 8-14 days and 7-12 days was close enough to have in the same tray.. until those darn broccoli plants started shooting up after 3 days! Good thing I was reading up on it, I was going to just leave them where they were (small dark bathroom - it's the warmest place in the house). Unfortunately mine are in a flat so I guess I'll be transplanting them tonight =( It's my first year trying this, I'll know better for next year!
-T
I always use miracle grow for my seeds and usually get better plants from it than from regular potting soil. I suppose some seeds could be sensitive though, maybe just not what I grow. I'm inclined to believe your cactus aren't sprouting because those just may take forever to do so. If your seeds need light to germinate, you'd want to keep them well lit, but otherwise, some seeds won't germinate unless they are in the dark.
I grow morning glories every year, but those are ones I wait to plant where they will grow after the last frost, as they are difficult to transplant. Not saying it can't be done, I just don't usually bother because its hard. I have had difficulty in the past with egg cartons because of them not being deep enough, many of my seedlings just fell over before they could make true leaves. I never used the papery ones, only the plastic. I reuse the 6 packs I buy plants in for my seeds now.
The snow is finally melting and I'm in the mood for starting seeds. Styrofoam egg cartons are available and that's what I'll be using today. My question is about supplying light after the seeds germinate. Can you use a florescent light mounted over the trays? How many hours per day do you run the lights? I've made a cold frame with straw bales and an old glass window. How soon can I move the seedlings to this ?
Thanks for your help.
Jan
When I was in college we used them in our greenhouses and they seemed to work pretty well. We mostly used them to control fungus gnats, but many insects are attracted to yellow (aphids, thrips, whiteflys, etc). The cards probably won't rid you of a infestation, but may put a dent in it!
Ah yes Taz...
I forget that I have cooler temps and a fan going. Maybe not the best idea the seedlings are in warm temps to begin with.
Good point
Keriann~
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.