6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Cheyboygan's frost dates are 5-30 (last) and 9-25 (first).
Traverse City's dates are 6-9 and 9-17. You are between them.
Of the two, Traverse City's is the shortest season, so unless you have something that makes your area colder than that, those dates should be relatively safe for you. Just keep in mind that the frost dates listed for ANYWHERE are just averages, they aren't engraved in stone. Keep an eye on the weather report, and if a frost is expected, run out and cover your seedlings (except for cole crops, which should be okay).
Or, contact your most-local Cooperative Extension Service and ask:
Phone: 517-355-2308
Toll Free:1-888-MSUE-4MI (1-888-678-3464)
Fax: 517-355-6473
(their email address info was having problems)
Sue
Al, I have a light meter, but my question is will there be enough natural sunlight in February to grow my seedlings correctly without any artificial lighting. I have several options outside for my plants. One is a heated GH with clear plastic panels. One is a hoop house with no heat and I am building a portable GH to use just for my seedlings. I am starting my annuals real early this year so they will be more the size of those at HD etc. I want to grow them out, but worry about the amount of sun available this time of the year.
grow-anything,
Try this link:
light needed and see if the annuals you are growing are listed.
Use your light meter and check the readings inside the GH several different times in the next couple of weeks, at whatever level the plants will be at, so you get an idea of the average lux or foot candles. Then visit the Growing Under Lights section of this forum and check out the thread titled "Are my plants getting enough red light?"
As stated, keep your temps in the GH low and don't give your plants lots of water and ferts high in Nitrogen if you are not getting lots of light.
Mike
I've grown bacopa from seed. It needs light to germinate. The seed should not be covered but the seed starting cotainer needs to be covered to retain humidity. The seed pellets may need misting, so that the seedlings can break through the coating. Start 10-12 weeks before your last frost date. My seeds often yielded more than one plant per pellet, which I seperated into single plants for growing on.
Like petunias and begonias from seed, bacopa seems to have poor seedling vigor. Keep your conditions constant. Don't let it dry out, but don't overwater.
I've had enough success to keep on growing it. Hope this helps.
Karen
You're welcome, g'nut!
Yup, an entire table would be nice. I just grab a calendar and keep changing the date on the guide forward a week so at a time until I have the entire planting and transplanting schedule done and attached to my plant stand before I even sow one seed. Well, everything I don't winter sow, anyway - that way is so much easier, but I still need something green inside to coddle when it's still so cold. lol.
If starting indoors, buy a bag of seed starting mix. It will be sterile, often made of fine peat and vermiculite.
You can use the potting/container mix if starting outdoors. Top the pot with a little chick grit (in a pinch, look for a box of parakeet gravel at the pet section of your grocery store) or vermiculite, will prevent a rain from moving the seeds around and will prevent a crust forming should the top layer dry out.
From banana seed sites! I have about 22 different types, none of them seem easy to germinate, at least not in 8-10 weeks.
Balbisiana Banana
Giant Nepal Banana
Thomson's Edible Banana
Royal Sweet Banana
Giant Yunnan Banana
Musa Coccinea ( Scarlet Banana )
Musa Ensete ( Ethiopian Banana )
Musa x. Paradisiaca ( Dwarf Cavendish Edible Banana )
Musa Rosacea ( Flowering Rose Banana )
Musa Velutina ( Velvet Pink Banana )
Musa Zebrina ( Striped Banana )
Darjeeling Banana Musa sikkimensis
Red Flash Banana
Thai Gold Banana
Dwarf Indian Banana
Cheeseman's Banana
Abyssianian Banana
Monkey Fingers Banana
Cold Hardy Banana
Ensete glaucum (Snow Banana)
Ensete ventricosum
French Banana Musa Paradisiaca
Violet Banana Musa Violacea
Thailand Rock Banana Ensete Superbaum
Mike
Yes, there is a FAQ here about it. What you are seeing is fungus - they exist in the air and in soil and only sprout and spread under what is ideal - for them - conditions. Too moist mix, inadequate air circulation, warm temps, and insufficient light are the conditions they need.
It is easily prevented/controlled by letting the soil surface dry out between waterings, cutting way back on the over-watering (we all water way too much ;), increasing the air circulation - many use a small fan - increasing the light exposure, and decreasing the surrounding air temps - fan does that too.
Fungi won't grow unless we create the ideal conditions for them.
Dave
I came here to ask that very question myself! should the affected cells be removed and reseeded? I have about 6 out of a 72 cell tray that have some white fuzz on top, and since they are peppers have not sprouted yet. they are on a self watering mat if that mkes a difference.
Details are on the Winter Sowing form (linked top of this forum page) on how to convert these as well as many other types of plastic containers. Winter Sowers use every kind of plastic bottle they can get their hands on to make mini-greenhouses. ;)
Dave
I liked the idea and made one from a battery powered Oral-B flossing tool. It is easy to epoxy the seed tray onto the flossing fork. It provides more agitation than needed, but can be damped down by dragging the tray on the soil. It gives me an idea for making a seed winnowing tool that could save a lot of time cleaning my saved seed! The removable flossing fork would make it possible to use different home made trays on the same tool. Al
What zone are you in? What kind of temps are we talking about? What kind of vegetables? Most annuals aren't even direct seeded until all danger of frost is past so that by the time they sprout a couple of weeks has passed and temps have risen quite a bit. Can you add heat to the cold frame as needed?
Obviously few things can stand freezing temps except a few of the leafy greens like lettuce and many things won't even tolerate low 40's. Length of time exposed to low 40's we also affect some things. They may take a few hours but not a few days.
Need more specific information/details please but if that's not possible then I guess all you can do is insure that it's kept well above freezing. ;)
Dave
My thanks to everyone who replied. Your comments have been very helpful to the health of my little seeds.
I kept my hands to myself and as you said, the little cotyledons are pushing the seed coats smack dab off! :-) woohoo, everything is looking good so far.
Mary
Both are hybrids and new ones at that. FAIK they are not old enough to have stabilized and are primarily sold only as plants - no one seems to offer F2 seeds but they may breed close to the original. If you have seeds about all you can do is try them and see what you get.
Dave
It may be an albino. Last spring I had started some lavender seeds and one of them was an albino, it grew for a little while and then it fizzled out. Albino plants lack chlorophyll which is needed for the production of food. An albino seedling will last only as long as the food stored in the seed is available.
Are those avocado trees planted in the ground? Since you live in Texas, which soil tends to be strongly alkaline, you could be having a problem with an iron deficiency called chlorosis. If that is what it is, you'd best do something about it, or all the others will go the same way and eventually die.
One site is below, but if you google 'treat chlorosis' a lot of stuff will show up. I think you can add stuff to the soil, and/or spray on the leaves.
Sue
Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Answers / Treating Chlorosis