6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Depends on how much you disturbed them. Sometimes when seedlings first break through the soil, their first leaves can be damaged quite bad. They almost always survive it though. I'd just keep an extra eye on it & maybe fertilize with a watered down solution.
You should see my library. I took out all the "mobile" furniture and hung my two huge homemade LED grow chambers -- one with mostly blue light and the other with mostly red -- each lined with aluminum foil curtains. It looks like the aliens have arrived. ;)
As to cutting the netting away from the pellets, why couldn't one take a sharp knife, such as an Xacto, expose just one small area of the netting's side and slice through the netting and repack soil around the area? I don't think it is totally necessary to REMOVE all of the netting, just give roots a free place to go. Sort of like popping a balloon. It certainly would be easier than unearthing all your plants and teasing all of the roots after removing the netting it would seem to me...but then, that's jusme.
I saw that!! I had exactly the same experience with a pumpkin plant last year. Dug it up and the roots had been trapped in that stupid netting. I still like them, but I peel off the netting when I pot up. I wonder if we should email the Jiffy people and tell them to change their directions.
It will help.
The leggy lettuce may make it but needs to be close to the light. after transplanting set them on a 2X4 or something to bring it up close to the light. For the cucs, don't cover the exposed stem, set it on the soil in the pot & light pack the soil just up to the top of the root ball where the stem is now.
Some seedlings require warmer temps. Petunias seem to like it more on the warmer side, like 68-70 degrees. Broccoli is a cooler season crop, so they should be happier with the cooler temps. Maybe you could move them to a sunny window upstairs during the day? They may respond well to this.
Sarah
I bought the exact same light and figured out immediately that I would not be happy with only one. We went right out and bought another complete set and I have two lights over my top shelf of my mini greenhouse. I'm honestly now thinking I'd like two more for my bottom shelf of my mini greenhouse.
The set you have is right, but you need the light distributed over the entire flat of seedlings or you will still have leggy seedlings. They will all stretch toward the light and the outside ones will stretch the most. I don't even think you could keep the light to within 2" of the seedling tops cuz then the outer plants just don't get enough light. I know the sets are expensive and it's a pain putting them together, but you'll never have to buy the sets again, if that's any help...
First, as some of the friends mentioned, it is not sucha big mistake.
Second, it depend how big the peat pots are. If they are 6 OZ or more no problem at all.
Third, you can fill them as the seeds grow in the pot. Actually this might turn out to be a plus and a new discovery (LOL).
Fourth, you can do a juggling trick to add more soil and fill them up to the rim here is how:
Get an empty pot(same size or little bigger.)
Put the empty cup, face down on a misfilled pot, holding them together with two hand (one hand aroun each pot)
Flip them over quickly. Now your original pot is empty. put some more soil in on top of play cup to compensate you MISTAKE(!!!).
Repeat the flipping trick in reverse to get the soil backm into the original pot.pack it as needed. Voilla!!
I wouldn't worry too much- I second the no peat pellets, however- the roots don't find their way out, depending on the plant- that has been my experience as well. I use a variety of containers- soil blocks, cell flats (some have 200 cells) paper pots. My favorite are soil blocks and the 200 cell flats. The mini soil blocks fit right inside of the 2" soil blocks when it's time to move them on and give them more room. They take up far less room too. The 200 cell flats are really nice- all it takes is a large nail in the bottom to pop out the plugs and then place the little babies into their new home :). These are nice for growing plants that will go in hanging baskets. You can visit my blog to read about the soil blocks.
If you're really worried about them not having enough soil, wait a week and sow some more. :) I really like Cyrus Gardner's suggestion too!
Happy spring to you and good luck!
Tessa
Hey, Im 15 and I love growing plants. Mostly trees, but I sometimes wander around the other forums. I think by you tilling the ground up now it couldnt hurt too much. We did it a bit earlier than needed and we did fine. But, who knows maybe that was just us.
Yum! Watermelon! I started mine in paper pots this year and they are doing fine. Usually I heat up the area that I'm planting in with some black plastic about a week before. I would not work your soil if it has been pouring- do a test, grab a hand full of soil and make a ball- bigger than a ping pong ball, but a little smaller than a tennis ball. Place your thumb in the middle of it- if it crumbles pretty easily you can work in it without damaging the soil structure and causing clods later on. If it drips water- you know it's too wet. Happy gardening!
Tessa
Well "benefit" from pinching may be too strong a word. ;)Many plants will tolerate pinching back but it is usually done for the benefit of the grower, not necessarily the plant itself.
The article linked below is somewhat informative about this optional custom.
You'll also find several discussion on the pros and cons of pinching over on the Annuals forum.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Deadhead, Pinch Back, Disbud and Candle
Hmmm, I've never heard that before. I know there are some plants that you definitely don't want to pinch- those that grow on a single stem, for instance, but everything I've ever pinched has grow to be much bushier and lush, and it's that the point of growing something? To make them as healthy and beautiful as we can? I did some comparisons with Ageratum, what a difference the pinching made. The ones not pinched looked leggy and unhealthy despite my caring for them as usual and the pinched ones were much bushier :). Vines to will be much more lush too. When you take slips, it's the same thing really. The plant sends hormones to the nodes below to promote growth there, instead of the plants tips.
I think I'll head on over to that link and see what the story is- thanks for responding :)
I think when the seeds grow like grass, with no space between them, then it is too much.
with larger seeds it is easy to control but with very small tiny ones is another story.
I have a method to cope with this problem.
I take some fine dry potting, or garden, soil and mix my tiny seeds in it. I really mix it with my hand , on a piece of newspaper or container. Now I have about 3 or more fistfull of the mix. I take some and broadcast it over the entire area little bit at a time untill run out.
Take another fistfull, another. This way I have traced the area maybe ten times.
Statistically the seeds are going to be evenly spaced and close to the average space between them. probability of having seeds clumped up or having wide gaps will be very small. Now, If I wanted to plant in trays for indoor, I will use the same method but with smaller amout of mixture. Poor a little bit of mix in each compartment. Do this two or tree times, or untill run out of mixture. Then cover your seeding and water them.
This is goof proof seed planting. This way separating and tranplantin the grown seeds is possible, as most of them are not attached to each other. Or just pinch off the excess ones, if you have already plenty of them.
Also, lets say that you have 50% germination success rate. Still the ones that germinated will be more evenly distributed.
Absolutely great advice!!! Why didn't I think of that. :)