6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed

What about Miracle Grow? 1/2 teaspoon per 2 quarts. I read somewhere that works?

This way there no need to feed them early on. Because, the garden soil and MG peat moss already have food and nutrient.

I agree. Not to mention, the seed leaves contain nutrients as well. They're full of the starches and minerals needed to keep the plant going not only until it can make true leaves aboveground, but also to get its roots established enough to gather what it needs below ground.

I mix a small amount of time-release fertilizer pellets into my potting mix when I make it (generally a mixture of peat and composted manure, but sometimes with vermiculite, perlite, or sand, depending on the type of plant). That way the nutrient concentration slowly increases as the plant ages and its needs increase, but you never have to worry about over-fertilizing (which, IMHO, is worse than under-fertilizing).

If the root was still small, it'll reorient itself. Plants are neat that way. Just try to avoid planting bulbs upside down ;)

And yes, the first thing to come out is a root. The general pattern is seed coat cracks, root emerges, root/stem pushes rest of seed out of the soil, cotlydons (seed leaves) emerge (sometimes still stuck to the seed coat), seed coat falls off, first true leaves develop, and you're off!

Upon further observance, it appears I had nothing to worry about. Out of pure curiosity I pulled one of the artichoke seedlings out to see how it was growing. (I have plenty of spares) It had already grown from 1/2" long little thing to over 5"! In just 2 days! I was impressed. I haven't checked on the 3 planted outside, this was one planted inside in a 16 oz cup. If the rain ever stops, I'll go see if the ones outside have surfaced, though I won't be pulling them out of the ground :)

Thanks cyrus. Yes I'm sure trying to germinate conifer seeds (or probably any kind of seeds) in a damp environment like a plastic bag could easily cause mold problems.

I have more seeds to try, so I will try to soak them for a day or two in water then plant them in a small container filled with sand or perhaps Turface. Hopefully both of those "soils" will help avoid mold issues and also help reduce the chances of damping off problems.

Thanks again.

Dave

Try soaking the conifer seeds briefly in hydrogen peroxiode 3%, then fill a spray bottle with peroxide diluted to 1% or use chamomile tea and use that instead of water to keep the paper towel damp. I also think coffee filters work better than paper towels.

Leaves on tomato turning purple very often indicate that they are simply too cold. Toms do not like even close to chilly temps.
Yellow leaves- fertilize them and water them as much as you think they need- not soaping wet but nice steady moisture.
I have done full strength fertilizer from the day they sent out true leaf and nothing bad happened. Have done that for years.

Being cold and a little purple probably won't kill the tomatoes, but not watering might. Mine start to yellow like you described when I let them get too dry. I start my tomatoes under lights in the basement, where it's often a little chillier than is ideal, and the undersides of their leaves are often a little purple. No big deal.

Karen - I think it is anthracnose. So where do I get this chlorothalonil and how to apply? Thank you

ok, I found chlorothalonil on Amazon, will let you know how things go

My coleus seeds take @ 4 days to germinate, then two weeks later I take the clump (the seeds are so small so the plants are really crowded in the initial pot), I divide it into smaller clumps, (you will lose some because they are so small & will fall apart). I just pot up into larger cups and just water. They take their time growing! When it warms up outside, I transplant them to where I want them, then I fertilize with MG, and they take right off. Beautiful!!!
Paul

From advice on this board and from experience, I learned that coleus need to be thinned before they'll do anything. They also love fertilizer (obviously 1/4 - 1/2 strength). I know that stinks to thin before you know what you've got, but it really makes a difference. Mine grew very fast after that.

willth will thicken out what do you think i have also planted new seeds straight into the garden growing them on window sill packet said to do this i have now pinched out the tips to see if they thicken out i have also planted seeds straight into the garden pat pat

Leggy = insufficient light. Almost always. The solution is not to pinch off tips; it's to get them more light.

You can find some useful info on Winter sowing forum. true, you are already in perfect greenhouse zone but still, check their FAQ

Thank you for the words of advice. I checked around the other forums and learned a little bit more about both indoor and outdoor sowing. :)

I'll probably proceed with outdoor sowing in trays. I'm going to leave the tray out in the sun until the seeds germinate, then once they've sprouted I'll be sure to keep them out of direct sunlight for the first 7 to 10 days. Thats really the only thing I'm concerned about is the sun and heat here in Central Florida. I might also try the "laundry basket" trick to filter some of the direct sunlight over the seedling tray. I shouldn't have to worry about hardening off the plants too much since they will be started outdoors from the beginning.