6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
I don't start feed in until the 3rd set of leaves have developed. I then give the seedlings about half the recommended dosage and then every week increase the dosage.
I have some flowers like Mexixan sunflower(Tithonia) that are in 4" pots and are 8-10" tall so they can use the full dose.
Of any particualr plant or species? Or just pollination in general?
If you Google "pollination" all sorts of links come up full of info ranging from basic to very scientific. I linked one intro one below.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Pollination
You could try potting them in some soil - but I would think in CA you could put the pots on a semi-protected deck or porch, or even outside. There's no light in your refrigerator to support anything with seed leaves. Are you in an area where you would be expecting temps at night to drop much below 38-40F still, that's about what they've been exposed to in your refer.
You do need to think of this as an experiment though - grocery store apples are hybrids and don't come true from seed. You could have apples from a seed grown tree, but there is no way of guaranteeing which one :)
I haven't seen apples do that, but I did find germinated seeds in roma tomatoes one year - and yes I did plant them.
The seed IF planted in soil will produce a apple tree BUT will not resemble the parents. be they Gala or red delicious (etc). would be better served to purchase grafted plants od a desired apple. The same applies to any other fruit tree you have.
Yep, we are still using regular fluorescent bulbs, John, the ones sold at Walmart or most any hardware store or home center. Nothing much has changed about that part. ;) You can buy warm or cool - Kitchen & Bath or Home & Office labels - studies show little difference in results or you can use one of each in each fixture.
Several years back many claimed that the special "grow-light" bulbs were best (and they are still available in some garden centers or online greenhouse vendors like Charley's Greenhouse Supply) but the price is 5x the cost of the plain ones and most studies show no benefit to them for seed starting and growing transplants, only for growing to bloom where their broader spectrum is of benefit.
Hope this helps. Good luck with your seeds.
Dave
I agree with Paula that if you want to be moving the seedlings back and forth the best way to go is with Wintersowing and just leave them outside. It works quite well.
If, on the other hand you are talking about the more common approach of starting your seeds indoors with heat mats, lights, etc. (notice I didn't say better way just more common, ;) then no, moving the plants back and forth inside to outside is very risky. It is too drastic a change in environment and young indoor germinated seedlings cannot tolerate outdoor exposure unless they are first "hardened off".
Hardening off is a process - discussed in length in many posts here - that is required for all indoor germinated seedlings before exposing them to the wind, direct sun light spectrum, temps, etc, of outside and especially required before transplanting them to a garden.
Review some of the links below for more details and enjoy, but 'baby', your indoor seedlings or follow the Winter Sowing outdoor approach. ;)
Dave
Hardening off discussions Scroll down to the ones with the blue borders.
Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Sowing Forum and FAQ's
I've found that most seedlings, once they're up, do just fine outdoors so long as night temps are staying above 40 degrees. Basil, peppers and tomatoes get pretty miserable when its that cold, though.
Lots of seeds won't sprout until night temps are higher. You can start the seeds inside and sit the trays out once germination has happened. If you get a cold snap, though, you may want to bring the seedlings in at night.
I linked another ongoing discussion on using sodium bicarb and potassium bicarb below for your info.
I have tried both baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and have had limited success with both - they work by changing the pH of the soil surface so that the fungus cannot grow as well.
I agree that trying to prevent it is best but not by microwaving your soil. That's a lot of work, only works for small amounts of mix for starting a few seeds, doesn't eliminate all the airborne fungi that can easily infect your soil, and is quite smelly and potentially hazardous.
And if you are using a sterile, soil-less seed starting mix as recommended, it also isn't necessary. It's better to increase the air circulation abound the plants with a small fan, reduce the humidity in the growing area, and avoid over-watering. Fungi exist all around us, nothing we can do about that, but we can control the environment of our plants and so prevent the fungi from growing.
Good luck with your plants. ;)
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Bicarb as an antifungal...
I agree that air circulation is necessary, but not just in the environment around your seedlings. The potting mix should be extremely aerated, too. You can achieve this by adding a substantial amount of coarse perlite to your mix before sowing.
I can't remember the last time I had a case of damping off occur in my seedling flats (over 20 years); creating a very porous mix is an important part of the whole scenario.
Good luck! Remember: prevention is the best policy. ;-)
My best guess from the info provided would be over-watering. This is a highly drought-tolerant plant which quickly develops root rot as well as leaf rot if the soil is not well draining or if it gets too much water. Treat it like a succulent - sandy soil (peat moss, vermiculite and compost all retain water) and minimal water.
Hope this helps.
Dave
Thanks for the responses. I have already removed all but one tomato plant in one of the containers. The other tomato plant (& cucumbers) still have multiple plants in one container.
Fwiw, I may take a picture this evening to show how they're performing.
I have 11 trays (370 cells) of various vegetable seeds I just started - under fluorescent bulbs right now & will be transplanted outdoors in late April. The plants originally in question are an attempt to produce a crop indoors (these will remain under artificial lighting - will be switched to a HPS 12/12 setting in two weeks or so).
Thanks. Guess I forgot that part in my post...sorry. I actually started the Green Envy's in the ground as from what I've read they don't take transplanting very well. I found that out last year as well. I started quite a few, so I think I will try pinching some and leaving others alone. Trial and error.
Have not & will not use.... the grass etc will add organic material to the planting of the flower etc. But will need extra nitrogen to break down the grass/roots AND there MAY be insects or disease that MAY be carried over to the new planting area
I've read about it but honestly can't see the logic to it. Not only for the reasons already mentioned, but because sod isn't nearly as cheap nor as readily available as is plain old seed starting mix and plastic butter containers or yogurt cups. ;)
It would be interesting to see a comparative study however. Why not try both side-by-side and see how it works?
Dave
