6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed

I have zinnas planted too and they have about 6 leaves on them. Are you saying to plant them, stem too, up to the first set of seeds. Also can I pinch them now? Would that help them to bush out more? or should I wait until I have planted them in the ground and they have gotten bigger?

Yes, coppertop, that's what I'm saying, but I was looking at Tina's picture above. If you have a 4" difference between the top of the soil and the bottom of the seed leaves, I'm not sure what you should do because that has never happened to me before.

Pinching will help them bush out, definitely. I'm not sure if you do it at 6 or 8 leaves. But yes, do it when they need it whether they are inside or outside.

Lime

justaguy,

I notice a yellow cast to your photo, which suggests you are using a sodium light. I think cool white fluorescents are more suitable for seed starting, because of the higher blue spectral content. Would it be possible to try some cool white fluorescent light on at least some of your seedlings?

Also, I notice your vermiculite has a distinctive brown color to it. I know that some vermiculite has a tan rather than the usual gray color, but I never saw any look so very brown. Did something you watered it with turn it brown?

I don't know what the problem is at this point, but your dahlia leaves shouldn't be turning brown at the tips.

One of the reasons I don't like yellow sodium lights or purple gro-lites is the unnatural color they cast on the plants for photos, or for just visual observation.

MM

I am using a high pressure sodium bulb. While I agree it doesn't make for the most natural colored photos, it does the job for growing. A Metal Halide would be preferable for seed starting, but I can't justify replacing the HPS at this point.

Just going to wait and see if the plants outgrow whatever the issue is. The newest leaves appear to be doing better still so maybe whatever the issue is/was is lessening.

I water them everyday with a sprayer maybe they dry up too fast, or the sprayer doesn't penetrate soil as good(or is water on leaves bad?) they're in a seed tray like 2x2 inches.The soil I'm using is hyponex made from peat,compost,sand, and perlite.

Saturn69,

The sprayer may have been a good idea for when the seedlings first emerged, but now you should probably use something that gets the water on faster and in greater amounts.

A measuring cup with a pouring lip could serve. Just gently dribble some water around the base of the seedlings without getting their leaves wet. You can pour water on faster than you can spray it on. Some garden stores have small watering cans with handy long necks that could work well.

It's also time to think about adding some soluble nutrients to the water, because your Hyponex growing medium doesn't contain a lot of nutrients, if any. As your seedlings develop a root system, you can water and feed them from below by pouring soluble nutrient solutions directly into the drainage trays.

Since your growing medium is probably sterile, your soluble nutrient formula should not contain any nitrogen in the form of urea. In the garden, soil microorganisms break urea down into usable nitrates and ammonium ions. But in a sterile medium, urea can accumulate to harmful concentrations.

Better-Gro Orchid Plus water soluble orchid food (20-14-13 plus essential minor elements) is urea-free and starting off with ½ teaspoon per gallon would be safe and appropriate. As your plants get much larger, you could increase that to 1 teaspoon per gallon. I get Better-Gro Orchid Plus at Lowes.

If a Lowes isn't handy, Peters Specialties African Violet Plant Food has a urea-free water soluble formula of 12-36-14 with micronutrients and it is available at Home Depots and many garden centers and nurseries. Hydroponics supply stores have other brands of urea-free soluble nutrients that could work as well.

MM

I just turn the 6 pack over in my hand and pinch the bottom of the cell of the plant I want and it comes right out in my hand.

Lime

Pinch...flip...and fork as last resort......is what I learned for the past 29 years from my mother and grandmother!

I'm growing convolvulus too now and they have red stems so I think they're fine.

Thanks for the replies.
Its just the stems that are turning red on most of my seedlings. I wasnt sure if it was a disease or if they are supposed to develop red stems when growing.

Thanks for your help susan. Just one more question for now ;) When do I start to fertilize?

I'm a newbie also, but have read that you should start using a very weak fertilizer solution after the first true leaves show.
I used a pinch of miracle-gro in about a quart of water and haven't killed anything yet.:)

Oh, it also said only fertilize about once a week? I'm playing it safe and going a week and a half.

Anybody else want to help us newbies?

Thanks! Ruth

I use a mat on some of my seedlings. I let it get almost dry before I bottom water again. I like using them and I think it helps to keep the humidity up around the seedlings without over doing it. I got mine along with a kit for starting seedlings. I don't use anything from the kit other than the mat but it was cheaper to get one that way. =)

I got my mats from Indoor Gardening Supplies, who sell them as part of an inexpensive kit: you wrap precut mats around one or two layers of eggcrate (plastic grid) and place them inside a plant tray. It's very convenient and works very well; the Perma-Nest trays are rugged and last for years. IGS has kits with or without the trays, and may sell the mat by itself if you call and ask.

You can also buy capillary mat in rolls from suppliers like Gardener's Supply and Charley's Greenhouse.

I think I'll follow cindra's plan of letting the mats get almost dry between waterings. Thanks!

Batchelor buttons and sunflowers grow quickly and are quite hearty seedlings. You can get a good idea of the number and relative size of seeds in a package by shaking it and listening. One package should do it. Individual lunch milk cartons work well for planting. They are a good size for little hands, and don't tip over easy. Rinse well and push the tops in. Dixie cups work also but tip much more easily. Most stores reduce greatly the price on potting mix that the bags have been broken. I just take in a plastic bag to put the whole shebang in so I can transport without a mess. Beware the cheap "Hyponex" brand. It's truly awfull. Many flowers planted now will be great for Mother's day gifts. Happy planting!

I have grown a vegetable garden with my students. We started lettuce tomatoes pumpkins and for the north facing window grew a curtain of cucumber vines up strings. You must start very early as ours produced for the summer school class. We made salads with the garden produce and each kid took home a pumpkin in the Fall which was planted earlier in the Spring. The children learned to love gardening. We grew nasturtiums for the library flower beds and kept them weeded and watered.