6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Freezing only works if the seeds are well dried first and most home seed savers just don't dry their seeds that well. Any moisture left in the seeds will freeze and rupture the cell walls - end result, if not mush, in non-viable seeds.
Professional seed suppliers have access to much better drying equipment and flash freezing equipment not available to the home seed saver.
And freezing isn't necessary anyway. With the exception of a few flower varieties and members of the allium family, most all seeds will store fine for many years if just kept cool, dry, and out of direct sun or high humidity.
You will find many discussions about how to properly save and store seeds over on the Seed Saving forum here (linked at the top of the page on this, the Growing from Seed Forum).
Dave
I have never started any lettuce or spinach indoors--always direct seeded in the garden and they germinated just fine. This year I am toying with doing lettuce in a big pot just so I can start it sooner, get lettuce sooner, and the pot can be moved indoors if we get really low temps late in the season.
One year I grew leeks from seed and I did start those inside and then transplanted them later into the garden.
Does anyone have this information (http://www.backyardgardener.com/tm.html) on a spreadsheet file that would share it? I would rather not duplicate someone else's effort.
Thanks,
Martha
What are you planting them in? Would it be possible to individually "lift" some of the smaller seedlings up closer to the light? I have one fixture right now growing two different trays, at different heights. I separated the faster growing taller seedlings, from the slower growing ones. The tray with smaller seedlings, is propped up with a book ;-) Perhaps you can try a similar approach.
As for 2 lights or 4, that is an individual decision. Of course, more light is always better. But from all I have heard, one 2 light fixture is enough to get most seedlings started and ready for planting 6-10 weeks later.
Hey everyone, thanks for the replies. Think I am going with two tube 2ft'rs, in a foil inclosed area. Hopefully that will be enough light bouncing around to keep them/some from getting leggy. But I plan on sticking around, so I plan on posting pics and what not on the progress. Just so folks can learn from my mistakes or from what worked right!
Later.
Rob
There are two threads about soil blocks over in the SqFt Forum.
One thread, which is linked below is for making the soil blocks...
A second thread talks about how well they are holding up, and a second making method that is VERY inexpensive. I'll link it in another post.
Here is a link that might be useful: Soil Block making
I think it is a normal fungus, the seedling will be ok, just stop watering the ones that have it and let the the soil dry out under the lamps a little bit. You can also dab the fuzzy stuff with a qtip dipped in bit of diluted peroxide mixed with water. Mix a tsp of peroxide with a 1/2 cup of water, dip a qtip in it and dab the fuzzy stuff.
Dave's Garden has someone there that has made a spreadsheet. Any visitor can see and/or print it out. Anyone who belongs to Dave's Garden is eligible to add to it. The beauty of this particular spreadsheet is that it is done by gardeners who have actually experienced the growing. I don't know the website, but I bet you can find it. (I have it bookmarked and don't have to type it any more.) Judy
the above referenced spreadsheet is right here:
Here is a link that might be useful: seed spreadsheet
You have fungus growth, common problem with peat pots and pellets when they are kept too wet. Let them dry out until the fungus growth disappears - it won't take long - usually no more than 2 days and placing a small fan in the area to create a gentle breeze will help speed up the process.
If you have already cut back on the watering and fungus is still apparent, reduce the water more. You can scrape some of it off and you can mist the peat pellets (not the plants) with a dilute 1:10 mix of hydrogen peroxide and water.
Your seedlings are getting too tall because they are not getting nearly enough light - windows very seldom work - and if you review all the FAQs and discussions here you'll find that 16-18 hours of intense, broad-spectrum light is needed to prevent "leggyness". Read about the fluorescent lights set up most of us use. ;)
No you cannot snip them off. That kills the seedling. All you can do now is transplant them into new containers and plant them as deeply as possible, burying most of the stem.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Dave
i had seedlings in a window, and they kept getting taller and taller and taller!! I got them under a light and the magically stopped growing! I thought it was a bright enough window, large, south facing, heats up my dinning room on a sunny day. It was not bright enough!
You really need to get them under a light. I have in the past, saved some tall plants by staking them. could use Skewers to do it. However, it won't help much with the tipping problem. Then, when you go to plant in a larger pot, plant them deeper.
You can start them now if using a hoop house. I have mine going now and they will go to the garden the 15th of March. Cole crops are quite cold (not freeze) tolerant and won't tolerate the heat and comes far too soon. Just don't let them get too far along before transplanting them to their final place or they won't head up.
Dave
Maureen,
I start Lantana from seeds and from cuttings every spring. If you are growing Lantana camara, you will have plenty of flowers this year, but you probably want to start early so you won't have to wait until late July or August for bloom.
Germination is variable. They can sprout in just a few days, but can take 3 weeks. Try soaking the seeds in warm water for several hours before planting to speed things up. Once they germinate they grow fast and can quickly fill a pot, so when you pot them on, give them some room.
Happy Spring! Alana
This was what a search came up with
Zones 4-9. Native from the central states of the USA. Surface sow the seeds, light needed for best germination.
I usually start it now. Under floresantlights and warm.
It helps to sprinkle a liitle vermiculite on surface for sowing the seeds. Isn't a perennial for me though.
Hope this helps. Boop
I do use the Excel spreadsheet (see my earlier post in this thread), but the actual seeds I keep in a shoebox with alpha dividers I made by cutting up large index cards. I want to be able to find the actual seeds fairly quickly, but the spreadsheet gives me the data I need (year, name, source, how planted, etc.).
I plan to use some TP rolls this year, too. I am going to fill each TP roll with potting mix, stand them on end in shoeboxes, and plant Parsnip seeds in them. Then in summer I will plant the TP roll/parsnips directly into the garden. (Parsnips are tricky to grow here because of our short summers).
I don't know for sure if it will work, but it's worth a try.
That bulb appears to be an incandescent and if so, is a waste of electricity for growing plants. For the same wattage, you could use five 23-watt CFL bulbs and get a ton more lumens.
Mike
hi
you will want to turn it on and see how hot it gets if it is too hot you'll burn the seedlings and dry out the soil to fast.
I use 100 watt equivalent compact florecents(draws like 23 wats) for my over flow from the shop lights and they seem to work fine.
michelle