6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
I've done it both ways - snip thinned with the scissors and just let the clump grow. Either way works, it all just depends on the "look" you are after. We like it in hanging baskets so individual plants don't work all that well.
For future reference if the small clumps of lob appeal to you you can just buy the plain seed (cheaper) and plant it that way.
Dave
Dave,
I defer to your experience in that you're likely correct, scientifically, about what is actually best for plants... but it doesn't bear out in my personal experience. I find my plants "stop and start" and struggle along more if/after they are potted up to different containers than they do while still in the APS units... perhaps because of the human factor there! I am a rather scatterbrained mom with three small children underfoot... I am hopeless about remembering to water even a few houseplants, so you can bet my success rate with more finicky seed starting systems was about zero! Then again, maybe the "scatterbrained" thing has worked out to my benefit, in that my reservoirs do dry out once in awhile before I notice it... haha! But that is different from keeping the reservoir empty except for specific watering times...
There are an awful lot of people who are enthusiastic proponents of Earthtainers and other self-watering container systems who would argue your point...
There are an awful lot of people who are enthusiastic proponents of Earthtainers and other self-watering container systems who would argue your point...
Ahhhh but there we are talking about established plants, not young seedlings. ;) Been awhile for me as my kids are all grown but you'll understand, it is just like "kid's needs aren't the same as those for adults".
I find my plants "stop and start" and struggle along more if/after they are potted up to different containers than they do while still in the APS units... perhaps because of the human factor there!
Nope its not the human factor it's the plant factor and good for them in the long run. Those stops and starts are the triggers the plants need for switching to root development vs. top growth just as kids have growth spurts and plateaus while their bones catch up with them.
Just some thought to consider. :)
Dave
Am I reading this right that your mix is one eighth ferilizer? If so you probably killed your seeds and seedlings from fertilizer burn. Don't add any fertilizer until your seeds are sprouted and have their first set of true leaves, and then only sparingly. The worm castings didn't kill your plants because it is a very weak fertilizer.
californian you are missing the point of the experiment.. which is to germinate (or not) seeds from the get-go in a pre-mixed soil medium. The experiment shows strong fertilizers in the soil are not conducive to germination. It's a multi-tiered experiment that also is looking at the growth patterns for what does germinate. We're not trying to show the effect of fertilizer AFTER the seeds are germinated, but the effect BEFORE the seeds germinate and then closely watch the results. The fish fertilizer is 5-1-1 and nothing has germinated to date. Instead we got all that mold growth. The other aspect of this experiment is for observation notation in the project. I know what you are saying, but that's not the premise for this particular experiment. We could try reducing the amount of fish fertilizer and 10-10-10 used to see what amount allows germination and then note what kind of growth we see.
Sleepy33 - don't worry about me moving to the winter sowing side - I basically answered my own original question by getting a great light set-up today, so I'm committed to starting seeds inside. Plus, the whole appeal for me of starting seeds indoors is that I can pretend, for even the slightest of moments, that it's warm and winter *will* eventually end. One would have to do some MAJOR convincing to get me to run outside in the bitter cold to check on, water, or in any way care for my plants. That's what my cozy laundry room now with my fabulous light set-up is for. Always a nice 70 degrees! And I can check on them in my jammies if I want, without putting 17 layers on.
However, if you're trying to get me out to ski, then that's a different story!
So Molly and Me and pitimpinai, thank you so much for your kind suggestions, but I will gently decline for now.
To be fair, you don't really "check on" WSing containers at all once they're set out... I do both WSing and indoor seed starting, generally flowers (especially perennials) and some greens outside, and most vegetables inside. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. I enjoy being able to dedicate my few lights to the plants which I want to baby most (I want early peppers and tomatoes!) and still be able to start annual flowers and such as well...
I placed an order with Johnnies and they give you a bunch of seeds per pack. Plus their shipping is lower than most. Everything related to fuel has risen 50% over the past three years. When I bought my corn burner in 2003 shelled corn was $1.60 a bushel, Now its $3.65 bushel.
Well, you could start some more seeds as a backup; if this is what they look like after a month, you know they will be big enough by then! Do you have a bright, sunny window? Maybe you could start transitioning these guys to sunlight and start hardening them off to go outside (you can always bring them in if you're expecting a cold snap), and that way free up some room under your lights for the new seeds? Just kind of use these guys as a 'practice run' and experiment with light, water, etc. Or buy more lights... haha. :) Just some ideas.
Ok, first let me say thank you for all the words of encouragement. I think I was scared into not watering the tomatoes for fear of killing them via water. Well I went ahead and gave each one a complete soaking. I checked to see if they were root bound, which although they did not appear to be to my untrained eye, the roots *are* at the bottom and sides of the cups, so I am guessing the water wasn't reaching them.
It's a learning process right? I thoroughly watered all of them, and while some of them still have bottom leaves that look like they are going to fall off, the tops have perked up considerably and are giving me hope they may just survive.
That being said, I am going to start one more round of tomatoes (one of each variety) just in case. A little bit of insurance if you will :)
I am glad you don't mind my question though. I am sure I will have many more as the season progresses.
I read before that most perennials, when grown from seed, will not produce flowers the first year. Is that true?
As a GENERAL rule, that is true. As it should be, perennials devote their first year to root development for longer life than annuals.
But there are a few variety exceptions. And also some exceptions depend on (1) your gardening zone and length of growing season and 2)when planted in their permanent growing location.
Dave
Also the peat pellets themselves don't have an awful lot of nutrients, so potting up enables you to give starts a richer medium. For brassicas in your zone, I would think that the end of first week of April should be earliest for hardening off/planting out, JMO.
Oh, that's ok; the cool thing is, after you said that about the link at the bottom right, I clicked on it, and that shows you everything they sell that is 'supposed to' flower in the first year, which I didn't know they had a category like that. But the only bummer is it shows you their plants for sale, too, so it ends up being like 300 things, and not just seeds, but it was still neat to look through that category. Glad you will have some beautiful hollyhocks THIS year! :)
Here is a list of perennials that bloom the first year that wife and I have put together over the years. But keep in mind it is also going to depend on your zone. Further north may not be until second year:
Balloon Flower, Black-Eyed Susan, Coneflowers, Blanket Flower (some), most Columbine mixes, Coreopsis 'Early Sunrise', Dianthus, Shasta Daisy, Blue Sage, Mallow 'Disco Belle', and Yarrows.
Most perennials will be second year bloom.
Dave
sleepy and digdirt -
Thanks so much! I've made a note of them. I'd like to at least have some blooms this year as the prens grow. Good luck and thanks again!
susan