6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
I received my spring planting seeds yesterday from Hazzards. It seemed I had just placed the order so I looked it up. Five days to receive an order from Michigan to California. I knew they were prompt but they must turn around an order the same day received, complete. Al
Fedco, great choice, price and free shipping over $30. This year they shipped free even when my order slipped below $30 because a few were sold out. None of this 'we're sorry, you must order more...' bull. And they shipped Priority Mail to insure a timely shipment. Plus, they are a Co-op with excellent info and garden gossip. I like their Green stance but not a requirement for me..just an excellent source. Of course, some varieties I must find elsewhere such as Territorial though they have ridiculous shipping..
Thanks for the perspective and advice. Yes, I plan to raise the plants up once they sprout. Right now they aren't on a timer-- they're just waking up and going to bed when I do, which gives them 16 hours of light per day. If I have any trouble keeping this schedule, I'll look for a timer.
Thanks again,
~Tori
I always get a white mold on the soil surface (not botrytis) when I sow chives. It looks kind of like a spun webbing instead of a typical mold. Could this be the same you had? This stuff doesn't do the chives any harm and disappears on its own once the plants go under the lights.
Holes shouldn't be necessary, especially if the pots are drying out so quickly. The plastic is put on in order to keep the seeds and the soil moist enough to initiate germination. I usually can keep the plastic on until the seeds germinate whether that's a few days or a couple of weeks without needing to water. I always have my germination area dark and use heat mats so that probably helps with moisture consistency.
I always take the plastic off (humidity domes in my case) after the first signs of germination and then put the seedlings under lights. I know other people like to leave them on until the plants are pushing against the top. I don't see the benefit of leaving them on after germination. I like the newly emerged plants to get as much air circulation as possible in order to avoid disease problems. My technique allows the soil surface to dry out every day or two at the most. I rarely have any problems.
Unless the seedlings are in a very cold and drafty place, I take the plastic off shortly after germination. Due to germination rates, some seedlings are under plastic for longer than others, so it isn't really a detriment, per se. I take off the domes once a day so there isn't too much humidity build-up. Back when I used plastic bags I wouldn't seal them up tight, and again, opened them every day. Keep things consistently moist, not soggy.
There could have been a pathogen in your soil or it got there from some other source, that produced the mold. I too have seen what frances, above, describes as a webbed, white mold. usually it disappears when the soil surface dries out and there is more light. if you're getting it so quickly though, then it might worsen before you even get germination and adversely affect things later on.
I want to say that i've heard of some people here lightly spraying a VERY dilute bleach solution on top of the soil when there was the beginnings of mold (but not if there are seedlings present). What are other peoples opinions on this practice?
Thanks everyone for your input! I knew there had to be some good reasons. I will hold off until the suggested starting time. I will save myself the hassel of potential issues and the risk of utter and complete failure on my first go of growing plants from seed :)
Thanks for your help !!
Below is a link to Starting tomatoes from seed from the Tomato Forum FAQ.
I see it states:
Many novices fail at starting tomatoes simply because they start too early. Given the proper care, full-sized tomato transplants can be grown in 6 to 8 weeks.
hth
Sue
Here is a link that might be useful: The complete instructions FAQ
Hi,
I just joined today and I'm so glad I found this forum! I've used many different methods to start seeds in- the best so far, and one that I've been using for a couple years is soil blocks. You can purchase them at Johnny's or Territorial Seed. They are really great for plants that benefit from being 'potted on' a few times before going to their permanent home- like tomatoes. They are great for seeds that hate their roots disturbed- you know the ones some stay away from because the packet says direct sow and then you forget about them. They are great for seeds that take forever to germinate!
There are 3 that you can buy. You start your really small seeds or ones that take forever to germinate in the micro soil block maker. After they germinate and have grown for about 5-7 days, you 'up-block' them to the next size soil block- the 2" sized. The 2" soil block maker comes with inserts that you put in and when you make them it leaves a square hole in the top that is the same size as the micro soil block! Then there is the 4". You move your plants to it from the 2" the same way.
These are nice for a few different reasons- but the most important is that the roots get naturally air pruned when they grow to the edge of the soil block, they stop. They don't have anything to wrap around like a pot. Because of this, when you plant them in the ground they take off! Little to no transplant shock.
I have built simple wooden trays to hold them- one side open. These make it easier to water. If you go to my blog (in my profile) read the posts about these- directions are in there including a small video and how to build the wooden flats.
If you have any questions about these you can email me.
Happy Gardening!
Tessa (aka dirtdigr)
Here is a link that might be useful: Blunders with shoots, blossoms 'n roots
I know lots of people use Miracle Gro PS but there are also many who swear it is the most evil thing since Satan. One of the most common complaints is that it has too much Nitrogen in it - which causes vertical growth.
I've seen a huge difference in germination rates based on nothing but the PS.
Mike
Yup! you can do this. And it shouldn't matter to the plants one way or the other. As the previous poster said, just make sure the plants that need it..get the darkness they need. But not all plants need total darkness. After all, there are some parts of the world where they have periods of near 24 hour sunlight and they garden just fine.
OK, so I plan on having the lights on 18 hours/day.
My off time will be from 1pm to 7pm.
I will keep the shade drawn on my little window so it will be quite dim/dark in there when the lights are off during daylight.
I may gradually change the lighting time to be more in sync with nature as the seedlings mature, and the nights are not soooo cold in mid March.
Hopefully by April they will be on a regular natural light regimine to star hardening off
Thanks guys
Brian
I'm in MA and haven't even started yet! I'll be starting leeks soon. The nightshades won't get started until mid march..maybe earlier as I've purchased a few wall o waters and can get the tomatoes out earlier with them.
I'm envious of you warm weather gardeners. Our last frost date is around memorial day.
The only thing I can suggest is to make sure they are only a couple inches away from the light. For some reason, for me, my lettuce always sprouts and shoots for the light almost on the same day. I almost always forget, and end up with my first batch a mess and starting over. I prop them on unused (for the moment flats or pots turned over to get up to the lights. Once they start to leaf out they will be fine. It just takes them a few days. That is my experience anyway. Ok. I am off to RE start my own lettuce seedlings.
Thanks for a response. I have noticed today that they seem a little greener. I do think I've lost some though. I think after another day or 2 I will see how they look and transplant them and get the good ones out. If I don't do that, then I'll just start over.
Andrea
gardenmom2 - one nice thing by keeping them in the shoebox until early May, I was able to fortify them regularly with fish emulsion. They became quite sturdy and since they hadn't been mailed to me, there was no transplant shock when they hit the ground. I think that alone let them catch up to the mailed ones that had been planted 2-3 weeks earlier.
Kris
Here's a handy little tool you'll love - Grow Guide. That should let you know when to start things indoors, outdoors and transplant dates according to the first and last frost dates for your region. Google "frost dates" for your area and you should get a number of hits for your specific dates.
Sand ,silt and clay are all minerals. It would be rare to find a soil without a measure of all three. Sand is the largest particle size and will retain the least water. Clay is the smallest and will retain the most. I think you are worrying without a reason. Your directions I think are cautioning you about a soiless mix with very little mineral content. Al
Tim, in the case of your fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium)-, mineral soil refers to the type of natural site where much of the organic top material has been burned away - forest fire or planned burn.
I don't think you will find it matters enough to look for or create a special seed starting mix - epilobium will grow just about any place open without much initial competition from other plants - like your seed containers.
It grows naturally here in all types of conditions - a neighbor has a little in one bed (volunteered), there has been a large patch in a gravelly ditch near a highway where I stop for gas, common in areas that have been logged etc.
Alana, good luck with this one. I don't think it will bloom the first year. I tried growing africana-lutea a couple of years ago, on a heat mat with lights. I only got a couple of sprouts and the plants did not grow very quickly. I put mine outside during the summer and sadly, it died from neglect. It never got very big, though.
Becky
I have wanted to add this one for a few years, but it's natural bloom time is probably a good indicator that I am tilting at windmills.
At least it won't be that one species of Salvia I will regret not trying. I am using a heat mat too, and have it in the greenhouse now. If I should have even limited success I will be as happy as a worm in compost.
Thanks, folks.
Alana
Your soil looks to wet I would place a fan in the area to help dry out the soil. Soil needs to be moist for germination once that happens I normally give them a small drink every couple days. I have had seedlings like yours start falling over waiting for water and they recover fine
Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening by the Seat of my Pants
It is a common soil fungus that decays dead plant material, which this potting media is, and is not harmful to living tissue. What is harmful is the fungus that lives on living tissue of tender seedlings that produces "damping off." Chill with the watering to prevent this problem.