6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
If it takes 3 months or 6 years to flower is not important to me it is importaint that I started it from seed & I nursed it along to the point where it flowers. I even startes a Ginko which takes 25 years to flower.. I am 71 now & entend to see it flower some day!!!!!!
catman, one of the members on here, has an excellent chart just like that on his website. Follow the link on the top right of my page called "Grow Your Tomatoes" & it's on his page on left side under one of the menu items. Steve's Garden
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
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.
Sorry, I should have been more clear. I'm from Ontario, Canada.. and these plants are still growing indoors since it's still snowing outdoors. (Old Man winter refuses to go away) The grounds will not be ready for outdoor planting until late May. I will be having issues with moldy pots till May...
Yes it happens. Usually once one plant of a certain variety is up all the others follow within a day or so.
Seedlings require a lot of light to grow well and in many areas will require artificial light this time of year. You have not specified where you live so I don't know how sunny it is there. If you read through a bunch of the posts on this forum you will discover many novice growers with leggy seedlings that cannot support themselves. Many of these seedlings were started in a sunny window or with a florescent light that was way to far away from the plants (less than one inch is good).
Jon
Thanks for the response Jon.
I live in Vancouver BC, zone 7/8. It's been sunny the last few days, but that should be changing soon. My windows have UV coatings on them, I'm not sure if that affects seedlings. So far the seedlings look pretty good. It's been two or three days since 1 of 4 cabbage seeds sprouted. Oh well, I'll see how it goes. I'm recording everything for future reference. Growing vegetables in the city can be challenging, with all the trees, houses, and garages there isn't much space that gets full sun for 6+hrs.
I think diamond frost is one of those patented plants that are propagated from the parent and the company that has the patent should get their share of sale of plant. You can buy some plants this year and keep them under lights all winter. You may be able to make cuttings but you can't sell or give them away. (I am not sure if all of that is correct but I know you can not sell them). I have two that I kept this winter and they look fine.
You can transplant twice (once to 2 inch than once to 4 inch) with no problem.
Do NOT use a mixture of garden soil and humus! In most cases this mix will be too dense and retain too much moisture. Use the potting mix or purchase a good soiless mix like Pro-mix.
Jon
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.