6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed

Jiffy Seed Starting Mix works fine and easy to hydrate if you do two simple things:

1) microwave distilled water to 130-140 degrees fahrenheit or max hand hot temperature. Using a liquid measuring pitcher place 1 quart of Jiffy SSM in a clean container like a one gallon zip lock bag. Then add 1 cup of hot water to the bag or container. Expel any excess air and zip bag up.

2) Using your hands grip and massage the bag. This step takes 2 minutes max.

You will now have hydrated Jiffy SSM.

Want to do a whole bag? Add 4 cups hand hot water. Wash and dry your hands and one arm up to elbow. Plunge hand and arm into mix and grip and squeeze Jiffy SSM. Be sure to get all of mix fully hydrated. Remove hand and arm and wash.

This step takes 5 minutes max.

You now have Jiffy SSM fully hydrated at the correct hydration. When you add the water to the mix it will seem like it is not enough but after 2-5 minutes of mixing you can squeeze a handful of the mix and just barely get a little water out.

I only use Jiffy SSM. I have had trouble with some of the other seed starting mixes ( Schul.. et al) over the years. I have not tried the other expensive mixes mentioned above. I go cheap. Works great.

I grow plants from seeds under lights most years 50+ flower varieties as well as some bushes and trees etc.

Rick

My suggestion to you is make you own mix from coco peat or called coir you can by a big block at a hyroponics store for 20$ then some vermiculite which is 20$ with about 5 gallons of compost or one bag of compost added. that alone will give you 2 20 gallon storage totes full of plant starting mix. more than enough for one season then maybe another if you recycle you soil a lot. It may seem like alot more money but per cubic foot of soil its much cheaper than a plant starting mix.

Here is a link that might be useful: TheItalian Garden

So peppers and tomatoes then. Everything else on your list is best direct seeded anyway.

Peppers are slow growing so those might work for them depending on how far in advance you start them. If you use the standard 8-10 weeks prior to transplanting to the garden and transplant them into the 3.5s when they are 2 weeks old they should hold until garden time.

But 4" pots would be better and the square pots always work better than the round ones as they fit in the standard trays. The round ones waste tray and shelf space..

Tomatoes need deep pots to go into. SVD 355 @5" deep work much better for them (or you can just use 16 oz. plastic drink cups like many do).

You can also find better prices than the site you linked. Several gh supply vendors sell regularly on ebay this time of year with big discounts on bulk orders and often free shipping. Novosel Enterprises.com also has better prices. Check them out.

Dave

For the tomatoes and peppers definitely need a square 1 gallon container when they get bigger like the size of mine that is just transplanted today into a 1 gallon pots. to keep them for the next week or two until i get my greenhouse that i ordered here. if you would like you can check out my youtube channel i am just starting out myself but have a lot of hort background from school. I don't have very many videos up yet but i will be adding how to's and such very soon over the course of a few months.

Here is a link that might be useful: TheItalian Garden

While that makes sense, last year, both seedlings in a lot of the cells looked fabulous, and it was hard to choose which one to kill. I think for me, I'm more okay with having an empty cell than removing a perfectly healthy seedling to discard it. That is just me of course lol. As long as 1 to a cell is not detrimental to the plant somehow, I'm happy now that I chose the 1 per cell method. Thank you both so much for your answers.

No need to kill the extras. Just transplant them into other containers..

Dave

I posted this under the seed starting thread as well.

Jiffy Seed Starting Mix works fine and easy to hydrate if you do two simple things:

1) microwave distilled water to 130-140 degrees fahrenheit or max hand hot temperature. Using a liquid measuring pitcher place 1 quart of Jiffy SSM in a clean container like a one gallon zip lock bag. Then add 1 cup of hot water to the bag or container. Expel any excess air and zip bag up.

2) Using your hands grip and massage the bag. This step takes 2 minutes max.

You will now have hydrated Jiffy SSM.

Want to do a whole bag? Add 4 cups hand hot water. Wash and dry your hands and one arm up to elbow. Plunge hand and arm into mix and grip and squeeze Jiffy SSM. Be sure to get all of mix fully hydrated. Remove hand and arm and wash.

This step takes 5 minutes max.

You now have Jiffy SSM fully hydrated at the correct hydration. When you add the water to the mix it will seem like it is not enough but after 2-5 minutes of mixing you can squeeze a handful of the mix and just barely get a little water out.

I only use Jiffy SSM. I have had trouble with some of the other seed starting mixes ( Schul.. et al) over the years. I have not tried the other expensive mixes mentioned above. I go cheap. Works great.

I grow plants from seeds under lights most years 50+ flower varieties as well as some bushes and trees etc.

Rick

In fairness to Jiffy Mix, I have used it for years and have never had a problem. I search it out over other brands. I Use the deep woods method described in the previous post. Just pour in some hot water and mix. Don't even measure, just guesstimate. Jiffy Mix and Pro Mix for potting up have been my favorites. I direct seed most flowers and veggies but use the two mentioned for starting peppers, tomatoes, leeks and some flowers. Dried out peat will repel moisture. That's why it is not recommended for a mulch. Good Luck.

I use a potting mix with a wetting agent in it...Pro-Mix. Even then, I knead water into it till just moist. Not the whole bag at once, just the amount I'm using that day. After filling the pots/paks, and planting seeds, I bottom water in a tray for about 2 minutes.That's all it takes when pre-wetting the soil. Too much longer and your soil is waterlogged.

I'm not that concerned about it being water logged because my cellar is has bone dry air and the mix will dry out in a matter of a day or two anyway.

But yes I agree, next time I shouldn't bottom water once I've wet it with the use of the bucket.

Sorry but yes, they are very leggy. All that stem is due to too much heat and not nearly enough light.

Depending on what they are some might be able to be salvaged by transplanting them deeply now and burying all that stem to just a hair below the tops.. Better yet, start over.

Dave

Agree... Way leggy... but I've been there too. Here is what I've done from experience that seems to work:

>> CFL or T5 TOUCHING the dome on your seed starting greenhouse cover right at the start of day 1 (this way if you miss the germination because you're at work, etc...)
>> SOIL-LESS mediums such as ROCKWOOL are SUPERIOR to soil for GERMINATION PURPOSES.
>> Use a heat mat WITH a thermostat controller. Regulated 77F gives me about 75% germination in 3 days, and THIS season, 100% in 7 days (has to be a fluke, but still pretty good!).
>> As soon as you see the first seed break the top, open all vents to MAX and discontinue use of HEAT MAT.

It is NOT too late to start again! But start to harden off asap and see what makes it.

Good luck,

LC

Dave, good thing I read your reply just before going to bed last night. I went back downstairs, turned the heat mat off and removed the dome cover. One of my pepper varieties hadn't germinated yet so I hope it still does. I made the mistake of mixing varieties in six-cell packs. The yellow peppers on the LHS of the cell packs germinated but the orange peppers on the RHS of the same cell packs did not germinate yet. Yet another lesson learned.

Yep - no mixing varieties in the same cell packs. If necessary just cut the cell pack into 3 packs.

Dave

How do I create low light in a dark cellar? Perhaps I could raise the ratchet carabiners on my lights so instead of being inches from the flat, maybe 2-3 feet from the flat?

What could be said for the seeds themselves (since I depleted my suppy). Are they ruined? Or still waiting for the right germination conditions?

The assumption is that you purchased the seed, it wasn't collected? You could have just received bad seed. The other thing that comes to mind is that you "cooked" the seed, or the seed dried out after it imbibed water, then died.

I got a fixture that is currently holding 2 t8 bulbs, which each emit 2600 lumens. A problem, though, is that the fixture is completely black. Can I use foil or something on the inside of it to reflect light?

CakePlant, have you considered spray painting the fixtures (at least inside) with white enamel? That seems like an easy long-term solution to me.

neuf -since you are starting a new topic with a new question it would be best to begin a new thread. People tend to keep their eye on the new stuff coming in rather than looking back at older threads. However ....

The 'biodome' looks just like any other seed tray with a plastic lid, as far as I can see, plus sponges which are pointless. It would be cheaper and easier to invest in some simple trays, square modules (pots) and some seed starting mix. This contraption claims to prevent spindly seedlings which is nonsense. It is the correct amount of light which will do that, not a plastic dome.

Agree with what floral said above. There have been several previous discussions here about them - most negative. I linked one below and the search will pull up others if interested. If you have more questions about them please start a new discussion.

Save your money. Annuals are easy to grow with a simple and inexpensive set-up.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Park's Biodome discussion

Thanks brandon 7! Yupp those are Lowe's specials...... LOL Practical though... Wheels are a must.... Makes transporting from shop to GH a breeze!

Soooo.......... Are plants hardened off when they come out of the GH?

Somewhat but not fully. Temps, usually, yes. But not to wind exposure and most triple wall cuts UV sun exposure by 30% so exposure still needs care.

Dave

Here are some more. Thought I added them before but I don't see them here now.

http://www.germination.us/

http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/content/seed-germination-tips.htm

http://www.thymewilltell.com/seeds.html

Dave

Thanks Dave,
The links are packed with great info. It's hard to image how much time was spent to put together each site.

Thanks Brandon!

No doubt we have the best list of sites.
Bob