6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
This is a big guess but I would plant 5 in a 10-18" pot.
One in the center and the rest spaced around the edges evenly. But this is just a guess. It will not pay off to crowd small seedlings because thay are small and you want it to look full. They will get full as soon as the sun hits their faces.
Does that help?
Keriann~
I've been experimenting the last several years to get full window boxes, but my porch gets shadier every year due to a large maple next door that just grows too fast!
Last year, my lobelias did great BUT I stuffed the 24" boxes with 12 plants which I started from seed, and they only got afternoon sun. I think your snapdragons and petunias would do great, but the lobelia would not like the strong sun so much. Snapdragons and petunia like full sun, so try to pair them with something else that likes full sun, or since they are both trailers, plant something in the middle that's more upright and also likes full sun.
I wish I had more sun to plant, but I'm limited by part sun to mostly shade flowers for me :-(
No personal experience with it and likely wouldn't buy it but since you have it why not do a bit of an experiment with it and then let us know how it works. Do you have another plain mix you can use for comparison?
For future reference plain old Jiffy Mix at Wal-Mart or Home Depot is just $4 a bag and works fine.
Better get those onions going as it is getting late for starting onions from seed. In your zone I hope they are a long-day variety?
Dave
Oh, Ohioveggies, I love your place! If you had a barn and some horses, I would be asking if you needed an adopted daughter! I lived in Cincinnati for a couple of years, and used to go to Columbus every year to show at the Quarter Horse Congress. Anyway, your gardens are awesome!
The solution to both problems may be a simple as cutting back on your watering. Wet soil that isn't allowed to dry at all deprives the root of the oxygen they need even more than water. Wet soil not only slows and retards growth but causes fibrous root rot - the first sign of which is leaves looking shriveled and then dying while new growth develops.
Over-watering seedlings is by far the #1 problem for most growers - no one ever thinks they are doing it but they are ;) - and it is the #1 cause of seedling stress and death. It is also the reason many plants will improve once planted to the garden - they aren't getting over-watered any longer and the roots can finally breathe.
The only way to prove to yourself that you may have been over-watering is to cut it back - by half - and note how the plant growth improves.
but I didn't think it would hurt these early starts, because they are all supposed to thrive with heat
They thrive with AIR heat, not soil heat. Heat mats, once roots begin to develop, cook the roots. Leave the heat mats off the seedlings please.
TOO much light isn't possible so don't worry about that part and cooler air temps while they are seedlings is best as sleepy said above. It results in stockier, healthier seedlings IF you can eliminate the excessive watering problem.
Dave
Lettuce ect do not plant deeep.. keep in very good light... I prefer to "top water" but others are convenced bottom watering is best (both have advantages & disadvantages) Soaking seed for 8-24 hours is a good idea.
I only direct sow my cukes, squash, mellons.
ninjabut - can I suggest a review of the many FAQs on this forum (linked on the front page by the forum instructions). They will answer many of your questions.
As already mentioned lettuce and other leafy greens aren't transplanted deeply like tomatoes. They form their roots and leaves from the base cluster, not the stem. If they are leggy they simply aren't getting enough light.
In your zone it should be possible to move them outside now for sunlight, perhaps even plant them in the garden since they are cool weather crops. Here in zone 7 lettuce and such are already planted and up in the garden.
Top or bottom water is debated - several discussions here currently about it. All I can say is that professional growers bottom water only while the seedlings are tiny - once established and the danger of uprooting them in the process is passed they switch to top watering for convenience purposes. Otherwise it is up to you. My personal preference is bottom watering to develop deeper root systems.
Cilantro can be very slow to germinate but then it grows so fast to bolt that direct seeding is usually recommended. Same with cukes, squash, and melons. They don't tolerate transplanting real well and often stunt if you do it.
Pre-soaking seeds helps some things but it isn't required in any way. It's an option some like and many ignore so it's your choice. And if soaked too long can be harmful to some things so do it with care.
Dave
mayzu I am impressed with your grasp of seed starting at your age. I am 60 years older but was not as thoughtful at your age. First your seed will probably germinate much faster than what is says on the package. When you have a few true leaves I would suggest you start taking them for a walk outside when you have a nice day. Only an hour at first,starting in the shade. As your walks get longer they should include more sun. By the time you can plant them in the garden they will adapted to the conditions, and take right off. Al
Thank you all for your input! I will avoid the fungicide and follow all directions on my seed packages. ;)
And Al, thank you for the compliment! To be honest, I think my "thoughtfulness" and knowledge is helped a lot by the fact that I have the Internet AND books as my guide. There's a lot of information out there!
tn_veggie_gardner - I'm no master gardener but I believe the botanical name for anise hyssop is agastache foeniculum. It's called by several common names including hummingbird mint. The bees absolutely LOVE it. I've had bees stay on the same flower spike for 10-15 minutes or more at a time. All parts of the plant--including the seeds--have a strong licorice scent. Check the stems--they're square, like others in the mint family. I bought a packet of seeds at the job lots store three years ago and not only did it bloom the first year, it multiplied prolifically. Give it full sun and it's a happy camper.
A commercial vacuum seeder as used in the plug production trade is worth several hundred dollars. The production line moves a line of plug trays filled with mix coordinated with a revolving drum vacuum seeder in a bath of seeds. Each hole in the drum is sized to pick up one seed as the drum revolves through the seed. As the tray moves down the line one row of seeds is released as the vacuum is cut into the individual plug tray holes with mix. It is amazing how fast a tray of 300 plugs can be planted with only a worker or two watching and removing the planted trays from the line. On average a plug will sell for about $.15, making the equipment cost a good investment. Al
I have seedlings located in the gh and in my basement. I depend on mother nature to provide the light for the gh.
A warm sunny day the seedlings they will jump in stature. Inside the the house those seedlings are getting constant light and 70 degrees
Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening by the Seat of my Pants
If you are going to keep seeding mix in a shed or even in a basement you have to keep it dry. Get yourself a garbage can with a tight fitting lid and use it exclusively for potting mix. Mine has soil in big red letters so it won't get used for anything else by mistake. I buy a 3.8 cu foot bag of it every spring when I open my greenhouse and it does me all summer and I still have some left in the spring. It never gets musty as long as I keep it well sealed.
I keep that one in our garden shed. I have a 5 gallon pail with a tight lid that I fill from the big one for the greenhouse and I bring it into the basement when I close the greenhouse. I use this for fall planting and fill again for the spring. It never gets musty either. Pro mix will last a long time as long as you keep the moisture away.
Steve, 2 things. First, I bought a *very* inexpensive light fixture at Walmart. The short one (holds 2 flourescent bulbs which comes with it) was $14. The long light was $11 plus $6 for two regular bulbs. I did quite a bit of research on the lighting requirements, and for most plants regular bulbs (or one warm one cool) will be plenty to help seedlings get off to a good start.
Second, I am very heavy handed and I think the smaller seedlings transplant easier than the bigger ones. I found out the bottom of the cell trays have a hole in which a pen fits nicely, popping out the whole chunk of seed starting medium in one piece (as long as it's wet). Too bad I didn't figure this out until halfway through my transplanting :)
Ok, well, it's done. =) I now have 4 Amish paste, 5 Sungold Select II & 6 Black Cherry seedlings in my normal 16 oz plastic cups. Yay! They were soooo frickin delicate though...lol. Only 1 tragedy, maybe, as I broke a good root piece off of one, but I still potted it to see what happens. I did look under the tray for those holes, but it is filled almost fully, so it looked hard to do. Anyways, we'll see how it worked very soon. If not well, then i'll need a close light setup or something.
- Steve
GOOD FOR YOU! Welcome to the club! I have been growing vegetables and herbs now for over 30 years, kiddo, and you will learn and learn. REMEMBER,
"Nature, to be commanded, must be obyed"... once you learn to provide what they need, you'll be rewarded many many times over.
Best, Homegrown.
P.S. Gardenweb is the best place I've ever found for growing information, and knowledgeable posters.
Know the feeling, Stevey. I just had my first onion seed sprout today! Yay! There's hope for me yet!
Kim