6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed

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.

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!

I did like you said; I'm looking forward to seeing it grow!

Agree there is nothing to be gained by waiting. Worry about the rest of it after the seed germinates - if it ever does - and actually grows some.

Good luck.

Dave

Thanks Bboy and Dave! Into the fridge they go!

Thanks Dave.

Bobby, if you Google "germination temperature" you will find numerous extension websites and others that have charts for vegetables & flowers. Here is one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Optimal germination temperatures for seeds

organic flutterby,

Try to remember that gardening is a process of learning, trying, and then learning from successes and failures. The generous people who offer their advice here and who write books and blogs have gone through this process for many years. I would hazard to guess that most of them still have successes and unforeseen failures from which they learn, even with all of that experience. So relax, read as much as you can from a variety of sources, and then try things. What works is great, and what fails is a lesson learned. Try something different next time. My first garden many years ago was a huge experiment. I had no idea what a bean plant looked like and was pleasantly surprised when I actually harvested enough veggies to freeze and can some extras for winter. Been at it for over 30 years since then and I have successes and failures every year. That is the challenge, and what keeps it interesting. Try not to take it all so seriously and enjoy the process!

Woah woah woah! Never feel bummed! Take your successes and run with them, take your failures and learn from them.

My first garden, I planted about 8 different kinds of seeds. You what I would up growing? Beans, and that was quite by accident! That year I even tried growing 2 indeterminate tomatoes in these tiny little containers with less then 1/2 a bag of soil each! (The coup de grâce was when I woke up one morning and all my beans looked like they had been in a fight with a weed whacker, covered with a layer of hail that looked like it had snowed). Then, the first time I tried starting seeds indoors, I killed every single transplant, except for 2 cabbages, because I didn't harden them off. You talk about naivety and feeling bummed? Holy cow, and we are only on year number one!

It's been a while since then, though not nearly as long as a lot of people here (not that I'm calling them old or anything ;P) and now my failures are no longer as daunting. And believe me, there are quite a few of them, but I also have a lot more success, too. It's a learning thing, and the coolest part bout it is that there is always new learning! You never know it all because gardening is not one size fits all. You have to try new things, and try to improve old things to fit you, and your current situation.

As for your seedlings in question: The good news is that if you loose any, you have time to redo darn near all of them.

-I don't typically transplant onions, unless they are really crowded and/or I start them way too early.

-Lettuce, I always direct seed. So, if your lettuce started indoors doesn't make it, you always have direct sewing as a back-up plan, and you wont be behind anyways.

-The tomatoes, I wouldn't throw those ones out, but I would put in another batch of seed just in case. There is plenty of time for starting tomatoes yet. in fact, here in my zone 5 climate I don't start my tomato seeds until mid-late march, and I know a lot of folks around here who wait until April so, you'd be right on schedule if you popped some more in right now, or even if you waited a week or two.

-The cabbage type plants, I'd also give it a couple weeks or so and then start some more seeds, just in case these ones don't make it or don't transplant very well. You are still at least 2 months out for your last expected frost, which is plenty of time to start another batch.

High wattage lights are overrated particularly if all you're doing is growing seedlings. A 2 tube or 4 tube fluorescent 4 foot shoplight is sufficient. Cool white F32T8 bulbs work great and very easy to find. Don't bother with expensive growbulbs. The 2 tube shop lights can be better for seedlings because the 4 tube lights can be a bit warm for seedlings unless you set it high. But then what would be the point of having the extra light? I prefer starting my seedlings under the 2 tube light then advance the seedlings to the 4 tube light after they've grown and I want to get them ready for hardening them off.

I've been growing cactus plants under a 2 tube 4 foot shop light for years using Cool White F32T8 bulbs. They do very well and my light bill never notices the energy expenditure.

Mossonarock I do agree that they are little spendy for just seed starting the CFL bulbs and the HPS. but the HPS i have seen a huge difference in my seedling development when i move them from my CFL's on top to my HPS lamps on bottom. I am not running a very high wattage of HPS just 150 watts so it does not get very hot. but i do have the set up in my colder garage with a exhaust fan to push fresh colder air up toward the top of the grow area. I have been experimenting with this for some months now and i believe when the plant is in its 4 to 5 week stage of development putting it under a Metal halide or High pressure sodium lamp really helps the plant make more chlorophyll than a CFL bulb does, giving larger leaves and more dark green foliage.

Here is a link that might be useful: TheItalian Garden

I get about 90% success by using a little trick:

Not sure where most people obtain this stuff, but I buy garden-grade vermiculite at our local feed store. Most people use it by incorporating it right into their soil mixtures.

I use an old parsley spice container with big holes (or perhaps an old parmesan cheese shaker would work). I drop the seed on the soil, and DON'T press in. Instead, I sprinkle vermiculite in a thin layer over the seeds. Then water very gently so as to disrupt the surface as little as possible. The vermiculite holds moisture right up next to the tiny seed while still allowing light in. It seems like such an unlikely simple solution...but I promise that it has helped survival rate of my baby sprouts so much!

My ice plant seeds seem to like high heat to germinate. About 75 to 80 degrees in 10-14 days. They grow surprisingly fast, and transplant very easily.

Another trick I employ in my efforts trying to grow tiny seeds: instead of watering with a regular pitcher I use a picnic ketchup bottle. It works perfect for squeezing the water onto the seedbed and/or tiny sprouts without dislodging them until they are big enough to handle the flow from the water pitcher.

Thanks for the thread, trying iceplant from seed for the first time this year. Looks like I'll have to give mine some supplemental heat to get started. I like to toss them in the oven with just the light on. It puts off a surprising amount of heat. I just have to remind the other half not to cook my seeds!

For the tomatoes, I didn't mix varieties within a 6-pack. I have 14 varieties and since sixteen 6-packs will fit in two flats, two varieties have two 6-packs while all the others have one 6-pack.

Thenâ¦â¦â¦.as Dave says, as soon as even one seed in a cell pack sprouts, remove it from the heat and get it under lights, the rest will follow. While heat mats may speed it up, many many people germinate tomatoes without them.