6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
I start all my seedlings under lights only. I, too, and relegated to the laundry room with no windows. As long as your lights are close enough (I keep my fluorescent tubes ~1" from the top) you should be fine.
If I knew how, I'd post some pictures. Either way, the window, IMHO doesn't provide much of any light to growing seedlings anyways, so you're not losing much without them.
Thanks, I was thinking the same on the windows not giving much light.
I set it up last night and I think I like it better than the table. Everything I need is there and I don't have to worry about making a mess because the floor is tile with a drainage hole.
I can't know what you mean by "wrapping"? A plastic tent? Mylar blankets? 1/2 wrapped and 1/2 unwrapped? Can you "wrap" the rest now? Depends on what you mean.
That all means very different things to different people so it would be easy to mislead you. A photo or detailed description please.
Now I find out I have to plant much sooner than I thought. (community garden)
They are dictating your planting dates??? Why on earth would they do that? Do they have magic weather control or something?
Dave
Sounds like you may be gardening for the first time. I think of gardening as a big experiment. And I try new things every year. "Forcing" is usually a word used when talking about bulbs and corms.
Most of the time, I do not wrap seed germinating trays/cells because of possible damping off problems, which kills newly germinated seedlings. I usually use air circulation, a slow fan on a timer (on for 1/3 or 1/4 of the time) sitting across the room. It also helps the seedlings to toughen up so they can handle wind better. (For every rule, there are exceptions!)
Planting out ... There are cool season crops and warm season crops. Some cools season crops can handle light freezing and frost. Warm season crops can not. So you cannot just plant a garden all at once. I build my garden as the season progresses. Do a web search on "cool weather crops" or "warm weather crops".
My guess is that if you show the community garden people that you are working the plot, maintaining it, using it, weeding it, that they will be satisfied. If you want to show early progress... Some plants can be directly seeded into the garden. Lettuce, beets, carrots, radishes can survive cool weather (and can germinate fast in the garden if conditions are good).
If the community garden people understand gardening, they will know this stuff. If they are new at it, they will be learning.
I used the wild seed mix that I purchased from joblots, a local store in my area. I did this each year but have yet to see any yield from it. The best thing to do is purchase seeds from a great store online such as Johnny's selected seeds or plants that are growing from a nursery. It's tricky I know.
I pinch back pretty much any of my annuals that send up a central stalk. Zinnia, bedding dahlias, pansies, snaps, galardia, petunias, geraniums, verbena, bachelor buttons, pretty much everything but Impatiens, which branch out like crazy without it. I start them early enough that I can pinch them back and they have time to re-grow and be close to bloom when I plant them out.
I confess to being a bit of a pincher too....but probably for bad reasons as often as good ones - all those seeds which I started too early and are getting leggy, those in danger of falling over (staking?tying? I don't think so).....in fact, I am an enthusiastic adherent to the Chelsea Chop, a late May shearing back of numerous plants to keep them sturdy (because I am not staking the bigger ones either). The pinching goes every way - leaders, tips, side shoots (woe betide a wayward tomato or sweet pea side-shoot escaping my eagle eye).
I would say though, it is pretty much horses for courses, entirely optional (I am an inveterate meddler and prodder).
I think your set up will work fine. I didn't use any heat this year and the seeds came up within 5 days, with seeds from last year. Just put some cling wrap over the pots to keep the moisture in until you see the first tiny green leaves, then take the plastic off ASAP.
As for the light, it just means that don't keep them in the dark; it doesn't need strong lights to germinate, just some. Light duration is more important than the actually strength. I've grown these every year, and my first year didn't even have a light set up, just placed them on south facing windows during the day. They did great!
The biggest challenge with lobelia is separating them and transplanting them into pots - they are tiny!!!
Last year I sowed them in clam shell boxes - a pack of seed per box. Then when they were about an inch tall, I used a little scoop and scooped out about 1/2 teaspoon full at a time (10-12 plants?) and moved them to little 3oz cups were they grew until I planted them out, or moved them into baskets. Some people separate them into smaller clumps than that, but mine did just fine, they don't seem to mind being crowded together.
Do you have fluorescent lights to grow the seedling under while they are indoors? Tomatoes, Peppers, and Beans are all warm weather lovers, so in MN you won't be able to plant them in the ground until towards the end of May, even with cloches. I don't put mine out until the first of June, and sometimes that is to early. Its way to early to start the bean seeds, they won't be happy in pots for more then 3 weeks or so. Most people direct seed them. Carrots are always direct seeded, as transplanting will stunt them.
Without fluorescent lights directly over (2") those plants will be very weak and spindly after two months of being indoors.
For hardening off, the direct sun factor is as/ or more important than the wind. The standard way to harden off plants is to bring them in and out, and in and out, lengthing the time they spend outside every day or so, obviously this will be a problem for you. Can you build a protective environment with screen to diffuse the light, and plastic to put over if it get cold, and keep them outside at your garden? I harden mine off by putting them on my screened in porch which only gets a few hours of direct sun, and is protected from the wind. I just put them out there and leave them - unless it is going to get down under 40 degrees - then I bring them in. I plant them in there beds on a cloudy day, or shade them for a day or two when they go into full sun.
would it be a bad idea to add this comparatively small and therefore dilute amount to the vermiculite so that there is a trace amount of GA-3 during the process of stratification.
It probably wouldn't hurt much of anything given the extreme dilution but personally I'd save it for use on something where it is really needed. It isn't cheap stuff. :)
Dave
WRT GA-3 - study up before you start horsing around with it. Read Deno material and check out germination and GA-3 on the Hudson site.
http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/GibberellicAcid.htm#GA-3%20Quick-Start%20Instructions
When you say you have a small amount - what amount? Dosages of GA-3 are measured in Milligrams and 500 PPM is one of the most common dilutions. The amount that can be placed on a toothpick head is the amount that we are talking about in terms of measurements.
Just willy-nilly tossing some GA-3 into a bunch of seed cause you have it is rather foolish. You might kill or drastically deform the seeds.
Just a word of warning.
I love this technique for ALL my medium to large sized seeds... I usually soak smaller seeds and surface sow.
If you're using this method for peppers give it at least 10 days - this year the majority of my peppers didn't germinate until 18-20 days! Compared to 3 days for tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, it is shocking.
I have been using this method for several years, especially for my peppers and tomatoes. I use coffee filters, which I find stronger, and I place the seeds on my TV receiver for heat. Does a great job and they're up in 3-5 days, especially if the seed is fresh. I keep them in the filters until the root is well developed, and the shoot with the green cotyledons are exposed. I have found that pepper seeds are notorious for not shedding their seed coats, so I keep them in the filters until they are past that stage. I have had the experience of leaving them on, in case I destroy the seedling, and having a 'dud' plant. So I make sure I have a good strong seedling to pot up and put under my lights.
How tall are these seedlings, how easy to handle without damage?
An inch apart isn't bad for a short while as the roots won't begin to entangle themselves right way when spaced like that.
Once they get to a comfortable working-with size then just carefully dump out the soil container onto a workspace and gently seprate the seedlings and transplant them. With many things that is usually when true leaves develop.
You might ask over on the Trees forum if anyone has done this as tree seeds are quite different and much slower in their development that are flowers and vegetables.
Dave
I would put in a zip lock w/a bit of damp soil and place it in the fridge. Since your seed has been naturally stratified outside since the Fall you may be surprised at how quickly it germinates. I collected buckeye seeds in the Fall, put them in a bag and they germinated in the fridge w/in a month! Just make sure, if your seed does germinate and you decide to pot it before putting it outside, that you give it a tallish pot because they grow tap roots and these need a LOT of growing room! Good luck!
Or not - depending on your preferences. But either way you'll get leeks. I'm not sure why you'd need 'sturdier' leeks since the long white part is what you're after, not a dumpy bulb. It's one plant which is actually better etiolated up to a point. BTW if you have a lot, pencil size they're delicious in a vinaigrette. This video implies trimming actually lowers yields.
Here is a link that might be useful: Growing leeks
Germination time is determined by the soil temp you maintain. Most varieties will germinate within 3-4 days with 75 degree soil, longer - 7-10 days with cooler soil.
best way to go about this is to use individual pots.
Individual containers for each variety, yes, but not necessarily "pots". Any shallow container with drain holes and 2-2 1/2" of seed starting mix works fine. If you use deep pots then only put a couple of inches of mix in them.
Once well germinated they are then transplanted into individual containers.
Plastic domes are strictly optional. Newbies like them until the discover the problems they can cause. They are not required for any reason and experienced growers seldom use them. If some sort of dome is used then yes, it needs to vented for air or removed periodically to allow for air circulation.
There is a great FAQ on how to grow tomatoes from seed as well as other FAQs here you might want to browse through. Just click on the blue FAQ button near the top of this page.
Good luck and enjoy your tomatoes.
Dave
Yes, 45-50 is an acceptable minimum, not the ideal as it slows germination but acceptable. However, leaving the lights on longer hours or even all the time is no problem for the plants, neither is adding a space heater set on low (which is what most do). Adding heat mats after germination - no.
Dave
Thanks for your responses!