6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Are you using grow lights? I starts seeds in a looser mix, either seed starting mix or a potting soil vermiculite mixture, it makes it easier for the roots to spread. Usually leggy plants are stretching to get light, it is important to keep seedlings 2-3 inches under a florescent light.
They were under grow lights. not very far from the light, but I moved them outside before the stretching began. I now have maybe 4 seedlings that are alive. The others shriveled and died. i said screw it and planted new seeds straight into the ground.
Are these seeds that you saved yourself? If not, I wouldn't bother with fermentation. It is my understanding that fermentation is done when seed saving (i.e. the fall), not in the spring when planting. I have never fermented my seeds, although I don't save tomato seeds. If I did I would be fermenting in the fall.
That's my take.
Thank you all for the information. I am learning a lot from this forum. I did use heat pads and domes. Didn't use lights and plants are still really pretty small. Added lights a few days ago and see improvement already. Im a newbie, what can I say. May have to buy plants again this year but hopefully next year I will be better prepared. Will for sure use basement and lights from the beginning.
Zinnas grow so rapidly that starting them indoors isn't generally recommended. They work best when direct seeded as many don't survive transplanting them.
But if you want to do them indoors then wait until approx. 2 weeks before the time they can go outside to start them as they will be ready to transplant within that time.
If you read through all the FAQs here on how to grow from seed - they apply to most everything including zinnas - you'll find answers to most any basic question including lights and how to use them. The effect on your electrical bill from fluorescent shop lights is minimal unless you set up a big operation of multiple fixtures.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Growing from seed FAQs
Hi Beethie,
I haven't begun my zinnia seeds yet, but if I do start them indoors it will be two or three weeks before I would put them outdoors since they grow fast. I will probably just direct sow them in a few weeks.
I have been growing tomatoes, peppers, impatiens, canterbury bells, various herbs, and morning glory vines. I started the slowest growing plants at the beginning of March. I have four shoplights set up.
As for my electric bill, I don't recall what it was last month. I don't think there was a big increase or I would have remembered.
Cause is over-watering. Your soil looks very wet in the photo and you should never leave any plants constantly sitting in water. Bottom watering means let them sit until the soil surface appears wet then remove the from the water or dump out any left over.
Dave
You don't have to start over from scratch but they will need some gradual re-adjusting after days indoors. right back to 8 hours would be a big change.
Yeah, planting seeds when the weather is like this is one things - plants something else. :)
Dave
I wouldn't cover them, if you don't have anything germinating yet. The cold temp's will delay your germination, and you may loose a few seeds and have to re-sow them to fill in the spots. Lettuce and radish I really wouldn't worry about, they germinate and grow so fast that even if you lost all of your seeds, you probably wont loose anything by way of time if you re-sow them when conditions are better. Peas, eh, they usually pop up pretty quick for me, too, as long as I give them a presoaking so I'd say the same goes for them.
As for peppers, well, If you were counting on your direct sown peppers, I'd go ahead and scrap that plan. Peppers are almost always started indoors. They like very warm soil to germinate, and once they do they don't tolerate cold. I think your best bet for peppers this year is, at this point, buying some started plants at a garden center once the weather warms up consistently. You can start seeds indoors still I guess, but, it's cutting it kind of close and I'm not sure you'd see the production from them that you'd like.
As with most seedlings that are at the cotyledon stage, it is over-watering that usually stalls growth. They are living off the seed coat still in the soil and when it is too wet the roots stunt and growth stops.
If you are comfortable working with them at this stage then you can transplant them into fresh growing mix (bury all that leggy stem) and it will usually kick-start a new growth spurt.
If you want to wait until they get true leaves, fine, but as they are slow growers anyway it will be awhile. Meantime, less water, more light, cool air temps.
Dave
I would suggest adding some coarser materials to the mix when you pot them up. If that mix is actually just vermiculite, spagnum moss and peat moss, it is really going to hold water. I have had even larger coleus rot at the soil line if kept to wet. Mix in some pearlite, or pine bark fines for better drainage.
I hate peat containers of any sort. Either too wet or too dry. Your plants just need to be transplanted out of those containers and they should take off. Get them into smaller containers. Here are what mine looked like when we transplanted them into individual containers (20 oz. cups). . The plants were 4 weeks old at transplant. We leave them in the community container until they are big enough to go into the 20 oz. cups.
Good luck!
Here is a link that might be useful: transplanting peppers
This post was edited by naturemitch on Sat, Apr 12, 14 at 0:38
It can be risky since you will be so dependent on the weather. Possible, but more risky.
You can cut the problems by not doing it with squash or cucumbers as both do so much better when direct seeded at the proper planting times. Few grow them as transplants.
Tomatoes and peppers (especially) require very warm soil temps to germinate so will you be using heat mats? If not then your germination rate may be reduced and will definitely be slower. Peppers need 75-80 degree soil temps until they germinate. Tomatoes 65-70 degrees.
I never recommend peat pots or pellets for germinating seeds. Both are very problematic. Plastic with a good seed starting mix is 10x more successful.
You might want to explore over on the Wintersowing forum here for their tips on outside seed germination. Watering should always be done from the bottom. Be sure to check out all the FAQs on this forum - the blue button - as they cover all the basics.
Dave
Thank-you (and I'll take that one peat pot tray back to Walmart!). I did mean for seeds that would be ready to go in the ground in springtime, I thought it might be a more cost effective way, since one packet of organic seeds costs less than $3 -- the price of probably one seedling that I would buy at the nursery or store. I have always planted that way, and it gets too expensive!
If you are talking about bringing them in - they must be in pots? Which makes it easy unless you have hundreds. Dipping down to 45 isn't a problem, two full days at 45 may make them unhappy. The peppers and the beans are the only ones I would worry about, they definitely like warm weather.
When I get to the point that my seedlings are out on the porch hardening off, if it is going to get below 45, I bring them in.
Many cross posts moving down
My snaps are real slow-pokes, too. If I don't get them right up close to the light, they want to stretch the first couple of days after germination. Lot's of light is the key, and then lots of patience. Once they get to about an inch tall with 2 sets of true leaves then they start to grow a bit faster.
Me, I wouldn't scrap them. I would just set the pots up higher so that they are only 2" away from the light bulb. Also a weak fertilizer might be in order, too. Only 1/3rd strength at first. On nice sunny days, some real macoy sunlight helps, too...just don't leave them out too long at first or they will get sunburned and die.