6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed

It is optional. How long before you can transplant them outside? If soon, I wouldn't pinch. But if you still have a month to go and it is already 4" tall then I would. At 4" are you sure it is getting sufficient light?

Dave

Hi Dave, Yes they are sitting directly under the grow light. I hope to plant them one day next week, as soon as this cold spell is over. I think I will go out and just pinch a couple and see what happens. This is my 1st year to plant seeds and I have had a great time. Thank you both for your help......

Well...from my experience, I have found that some of my seeds, especially small seeds that are surface sown produce little fuzzy roots hairs once the radical has emerged, or soon after. This all happens pretty quickly, as they are needed to absorb water. All I am trying to say is that the seedlings in question could be just!!!

Good luck with your growing!!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Root hairs on seedling

What kind of plants? Tomatos typically have fine hairs on them and so do peppers - but it doesn't look like "white" fuzz.
I agree with Sarah, I usually see root hairs on my lettuce which is surface sown. But it goes away in a day or two as the root develops. Make sure you're getting enough air flow and that the soil isn't too wet.

Wow, that list would be way, way too long for someone to type out for you.

Basically, it would be anything that says 'needs light' or 'do not cover'.

Here's some A to Z help to get you started:
Perennials
Annual/Biennial

I do ALL my seeds barely pressing into soil and never cover. I do cover the pot/ container with clear plastic dome.

I am starting Petunias for the first time too!
I bought the Tidal Wave kind that gets tall and wide. I hope we all have luck in starting them for our gardens. My seeds are the pelleted kind, I sown them on the 8th of march and the soil temp is usually right at 75-78 degree's. Let us know of your progress as far as them germinating if you'd like! I would love to learn myself as well on how to get really healthy stocky plants!
Good luck !

I got germination!!! I am growing a Double Flowering Mix(sowed on March 6th) and one called Prism Sunshine (sowed on March 4th. This morning I took the plastic cover off and a bunch of them have sprouted!!! I also have Tidal Wave Silver which i planted on March 6th, but clumsy me picked up the container and dropped it, spilling the dirt and seed all over the floor:( We will see how many of these germinate...there was only 12 seeds to begin with!!!

Good Luck Everyone!!!
Sarah

Thanks again generator 00 for your help. If you come across anymore info I would be greatful!! Same here, I will send anything your way.

I started some under grow lights and they are doing well. I use 1 teaspoon of miracle grow to 1 gallon of water. I set them in a pan and let them soak up the water. I am in texas so I will set them out in the next couple of weeks. I did transplant them into bigger pots when they had 4 leaves. Hope this helps.
Happy growing.

Not sure how well this works on such a large seed... but you may want to try tossing the seeds in a glass of water to see if they are viable.

I believe the rule of thumb is if a seed floats it is non-viable as the hollow chamber causes it to float. Seeds that sink are still dense and (supposedly) viable.

I bought Yellow Crookneck squash last year (from Totally Tomatoes) and I tried to start them both in pots and in my heated germinator. They never sprouted. Not in the paper towel, either. I finally contacted the seed company and they sent me another pack which, surprisingly, sprouted just fine. I have no clue what happened to the first pack.
Kris

Thank you for your responses! I appreciate it :) Yes, digdirt, I'm as "bad" as my daughter for not putting in drainage holes - guess I've done it for so long that I figured it was the best way (although, if they had had holes, the particle board shelf they were on would probably have been ruined!).

Here's what I did, I gently and grabbed the serranos first turned them so the water could drain out of the corner. That was working wonderfully, then "plop" - out came all the soil and seedlings - argh! So I quickly repotted them in some fresh soil. They aren't dead yet! We'll see how hardy they are.

Then, having learned from the serranos, I gently placed my hand over the beardstongue and drained them out the side corner. So far so good, I put them on a heat pad to expedite evaporation (I had it out for the petunias). We'll see what happens. If I had another plug in, I'd put the fan on them too but right now my strip is full.

I'd love to put them outside but we haven't seen the sun in 4 days. Tomorrow's high is supposed to be 25! Spring is just so unpredictable :)

I would replace the heating pad with the fan. You don't want to steam em.

Sorry but I have to disagree. While it is true that "Tomato's are a warm/hot weather plant. they suffer in any temperature below 70F day & night.." is somewhat true for full grown plants in the garden, it is not true for seedlings. Most tomato seedlings are grown in greenhouses where the air temp is maintained between 55 and 65 to avoid leggy growth and associated problems.

Your garage will work and is used by many for starting seeds. I have linked a recent post on this question here below. It also links to a long discussion on the same issue over on the growing tomatoes forum here with even more details.

You only need to make a couple of modifications to be successful.

1 - place some sort of insulation on the shelf above. Anything to keep the warmth from escaping through the self above - a folded blanket, piece of foam, old newspapers, etc. and a another "chill block" on the shelf you will be using to keep the cold air from the floor from getting to the plants. You will just set the trays of plants on top of it.

2 - buy some cheap clear plastic to create a tent around the set of shelves. It needs to be cut at the corners or down the center to allow you access and so you can open it for air when the temp inside gets above 70-75 for the heat the lights put out.

3 - include inside the tent a small thermometer to monitor temps and a small fan to help circulate the air around the plants.

4 - if the temps in the garage drop toward freezing you may need a space heater for those really really cold nights.

Good luck with your plants. Be sure to harden them off well before putting them in the garden. ;)

Dave

PS: plants in the garden will easily tolerate temps down into the upper 40's if there is no wind. They won't set fruit at those temps but the plants will survive. It is the soil temps in the garden that control plant safety in the spring, not the air temps. ;)

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Seeds in an Unheated garage?

would it be easier to just grow them indoors with the setup I have or would I still need to create a greenhouse out of plastic with a fan and all?? wonder if I can talk my wife into that......:/

list of tomato seeds I have started already.

1. Cherokee Purple
2. Cherokee Green
3. Speckled Roman
4. Delicious tomato
5. Brandy Boy
6. Beefsteak
7. Roller Coaster Cherry
8. Riesenstraube

These are two different types of peas. The Green Arrow are shelling peas, meaning that you only eat the actual round peas inside the pod. The Sugar Snaps, you eat the pod also. I grow both for two different purposes.
Martha

I like sugar snap because they are edible pod. Just pick and eat! The vines get really big though so make sure you have enough support for them.

I would winter sow the zukes and squash. I dont know if you can do the cukes and definately direct sow the beans. Check out the winter sowing forum if you need info.

I wouldn't bother starting cukes and beans inside. I've tried zucchini and summer squash indoors and I think it sped the progress somewhat. I'll be doing it again this spring about 4 weeks before I put them outside.
Rick

IF your soil temps are high enough for germination and growth - you don't want to mulch until it is - you can mulch the whole thing, then pull the mulch 2-3" back from the rows where you will put the seeds, plant the seeds. Once the seedlings are 2-3" tall, slowly replace the mulch up to the sides of the row of plants.

Pine straw is a good mulch - we use it sometimes too - but it is acidic and it does take more time than other mulches to decompose so be sure to keep it away from direct contact with the stems of the plants so it won't bind up any nitrogen that they may need. OR you can layer on the pine straw and then add additional fertilizer by just scattering it over the mulch.

Dave

Thank you :-)