6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
I know that flowers don't like their stems buried. I meant the bell pepper. I know that when you plant tomatoes transplants deeper, more roots grow out the stem giving them a better root system, I was just wondering if bell peppers did the same thing.
Thanks,
Gemfire
You could germinate them in flats in the indoor greenhouse, then transplant them to the greenhouse when it's time. Transplants love a cooler environment.
If you do a Search in this forum about peat pots, I think you'll find that a great many people have lots of trouble with them. At least, it's a subject that seems to come up endlessly every spring when folks begin to have problems. Perhaps if holes were drilled in the bottom for proper (meaning rapid) drainage they wouldn't cause so many problems.
I use and love the portable greenhouses with four shelves. I have three of them in my basement. They are efficient at retaining heat and humidity. This makes them a good place to germinate seeds IMO. I use artificial lighting inside my portable greenhouses. I have one greenhouse with a 150 watt fluorescent, bat-wing grow light; one greenhouse with three clamp-type, work lights with 42 watt CFLs; and one greenhouse has a compact mini-HID metal halide 150 watts. They all seem to work great from start to finish. I highly recommend the portable greenhouses. The shelves are grated so excess water runs through to the lower shelves/floor if you don't use plastic trays under your pots to catch it. This can be problematic if you want to hang lights on the lower shelves so be careful. Also,the smaller 3 shelf model (about ten bucks cheaper than the four shelf) is nice. not necessary to use humidity dome in these. Bottom heat would be more beneficial IMO because the grated shelves don't retain heat.
Tobacco mosaic virus is very rare (but possible) but I'd first suspect the more likely villains. Do the spots rub off? If so the problem is a mold from too much moisture. Have you been misting the plants? If so, stop and see if the spots disappear. Is there adequate air circulation? A small fan on low will help greatly. Under lights? Need to be close but not close enough to scorch. Room temps? Lettuce prefers cool temps and thrives in the 50 degree range.
Lastly any chance they are a pest? Aphids come to mind as a common problem with lettuce seedlings. If they can be flicked off the leaves think aphids.
With the Jiffy mix you won't have any N burn going (another possibility sometimes) but you will need to feed them as it has no nutrients. A 25% solution of a water soluable fertilizer works well - nothing stronger.
Hope some of this helps.
Dave
Thanks for the response Dave.
I have not been misting the plants. The spots do not rub off, so not mold.
The plants are in my spare room and I have a ceiling fan running on low so there is a light breeze.
They are under 4ft shop lights with cool white bulbs set about an inch above the tops of the plants.
The room temp stays about 60 to 65
As to Aphids.. I don't think so. I am so ready to get out in the yard this year that I am spending a lot of time looking at those wonderful green growing things and I think I would have seen any bugs by now.. :)
Should I be giving them the 25% fetilizer solution every time that I water the plants? I have not done any fertilizer yet, can you suggest a brand name?
Thanks again.
Mat
I only have the tomatoes on the like pinching list..
No, please. Put tomatoes on the do not pinch list. ;) Pinching of tomatoes is not generally recommended as there is little if any benefit and it can sharply reduce production. One first has to know the type (indeterminate or determinate) and exactly where to pinch. Pruning (vs. pinching) a well grown plant is a different matter completely.
Lots of discussions on this in the past over on the growing tomatoes forum. ;).
Dave
Sunflowers are not so easy to start indoors, because they grow so fast and outgrow pots easily before you are ready to do anything with them, or get funky shapes if they didnÂt have ideal lighting or do the "falling over". I donÂt know what zone you live in, but it sounds very early to already be starting them. I actually have had trouble direct seeding my sunflowers because of my heavy clay soil and birds tending to steal the seeds, so I do start my Sunflowers in pots. 3-4 weeks before I know I can plant them in their destination spot, I actually plant individual seeds in bigger transplant containers, but using seed starting mix. Many times, I even put them on my patio, so they are growing up outside and donÂt need hardening off. When the plants are only 6-12" high I plant them where I want them to grow in the garden (and then have to cross my fingers that little squirrels donÂt come and chomp their tops of *G*)
Seed starting mix is a mixture of Vermiculite and Perlite. ItÂs a steril mix that doesnÂt have any bacteria in it, as regulur soil and planting mix would have. Therefore your plants donÂt as easily get any diseases that will lead to dampening off etc.. The mix is also very pourous and light, so that it promotes easy root development.
I live in Green Bay, zone 4 or 5 like you. I don't start my seeds until the middle of March. Unless you have a really good set up as far as light goes, I'd hold off. I think my Zinnias and Cosmos are blooming in July.? Maybe check out the Wisconsin forum. Someone there may know better. Good luck and congrats on the marriage!
Cosmos and Zinnia germinate fast and grow fast. Don't start them earlier than 8 weeks before your last frost date. Also, both take well to pinching. So once they are about 4" high, pinch off the very top above the highest side shoot, so that the develop side branching. Carola
I've always used a soil-heating cable buried into the seedling flat(s). Models with an automatic thermostat work like a charm. They allow you to keep the greenhouse or whereever you're germinating cold, while the soil will stay a consistent toasty 72 (or so). Once germination is complete, the plug is pulled.
I've had the same cables for about ten years.
Check for a cheap Heating Mat at Walmart. Might get one for around $10.00 and those worked well for me. It's actually good when they have that flimsy cover that you can remove, as the cheap ones are vinyl underneath which can get wet without problem. :-) Carola
I start my petunia and impatiens early, as well. they germinate quickly but do take longer to grow to a full size. I've started them as early as the last week in January, but I did them the first week in February this year and last. Tender annuals aren't suited for the unheated greenhouse while it's still cold out (1. it's too cold for them, 2. plants have a temperature they like to grow at, and even if it's not cold enough to kill them, it won't be warm enough for them to do anything. Ever notice how your petunias are small, and then when it gets real warm out they take off?).
I sow cool annuals and perennials in the unheated greenhouse - similar to winter sowing. At the moment my greenhouse isn't heated, but I've built a propagation tent inside (using greenhouse film) that has a small heater inside. that means I only have to heat a 4Wx6Lx3H space. By the time those seedlings are ready to be potted up I will be heating the whole greenhouse. you can use your hoophouse for cool season vegetables. I don't start peppers until a few weeks before the last frost. they like it warm. I haven't tried starting them even earlier and growing them inside - I don't have the space. It's all taken up by flowers!
Not that hard... I've had luck with them on top of a Tropical Fish Tank set in Jiffy 7's and keep mosit in a water bottle Mini Green house... Hope that makes sense...
I May be able to get my hands on some Point seed as Dads looks like it's setting some, I'm hopping to try and Germinate some... Please wish me luck...
NC
You are going to love this plant. I don't care for the regular KMOTGG. It's a weed here and I'm constantly pulling it out of the yard but the variegated variety's foliage is quite different. The plant is beautiful with big green & white heart shaped leaves. This also gets a lot bigger then the weedy kind. I had some that were almost 10' tall.
Karyn
It is called "damp-off" and results from too much moisture, insufficient air circulation, combined with mold that forms on the soil surface. There is a FAQ here about it. I note from your other post you are or were misting the seedlings daily? Please don't, the seedings need to have slightly moist root soil but dry surface soil to survive.
Good luck when you try again.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: FAQ's Growing from Seed
I think I might have found what the problem is. I had a tray of Cardoons that sprouted nicely. I took the lid off and kept them misted. They are on the top shelf of a three shelve rack with metal supports. When I went down to look today, I saw that something was digging in the seedling trays! I think it was a mouse!
I guess a mouse might have eaten my seedlings!
My grandmother always had Portulaca as well, and I love it, especially mixed with Celosia. The bright colors and different textures just seem to complement each other.
I grew it from seed last year, and this year am going to try the "sheet cake" method. Thanks for the tip!
parad0x,
portulaca is a good choice for a hearty flower! They pretty much thrive on neglect. lol.
Anyway, I've had really good luck wintersowing both. You might want to give it a try.
:)
Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Sowing