6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Well, May is not midsummer, so a quick answer to your question would be yes. As Mauch says it depends a bit on the species but as late spring -summer in USA tends to be very warm and if the frosts stay off till late you could get a terrific display. Good luck - Ian.
Yes, you can sow seeds for annuals in midsummer if you keep them constantly watered which might be 3 times a day. They might not give as good a show as if they were sown in spring, but you can definitely try. Some seeds you think are annuals will actually winter over when seeded midsummer and bloom the following spring. It's all an experiment and you learn a lot as you go, even when experienced. Good luck!
Thanks so much calistoga, your input is valuable. I can see your point and why you are saying what you are. I appreciate very much the thought you put into your answer. Perhaps that would be best.
However...I'd like to try with the burlap. I may be being foolish but do value the burlap (2 used coffee bags which is essentially 4 layers of burlap as recommended by the Interbay mulch system) not only for weed minimization but as the mulch to allow gentle watering of beds (even hard rains drip through slowly controlling washing) and keeps moisture levels even.
So....I'd still like to try to germinate the seeds and use the burlap as mulch and not pull the burlap away. I may just be like the kid that has to learn the hard way but that acknowledged...it I still need advice on the seeds...my plan for the transplant is cut thru and plant..
BUT for the SEEDS....Would it be best to 1. plant the seeds under the burlap and cut a hole or slot or cross to allow the newly germinated seeds to continue with the burlap as their mulch
2. cut a cross or slot in the burlap, plant, and allow that to be the hole the seeds push through that
3. Cut a little hole where the plant goes and plant there like that
The advantage of the first it seems to me would be protecting from washing away of the seed and I know some light gets through the burlap...I've also had one person suggest cutting a cross and pinning the flaps however which seems also to have advantages but a lot of work.
Which method or variation do the experts here recommend....given I'd like to try this to retain what I consider to be the benefits of the burlap as mulch over straw and other options.
HELP! It's almost time to plant.
THANKS....
I don't know about peat pots, since I can't remember the last time I used them, but that soil doesn't look soggy. If that's a soilless mix you're using, then yes, you need to start providing some nutrients. 45ú is ok for some seedings, like lettuce, but not heat lovers, which get stressed at those temperatures.
I no longer live in a climate where I have to keep seedlings indoors for extended periods of time, although I don't live in a particularly warm climate either. I just got sick of the whole high-humidity-sterile-soil-heat-mat routine, and now I just sow directly into potting soil in plastic cups, providing no plastic covering or increased humidity or heat, just keeping the soil moist, and occasionally spraying with a bat guano/earthworm casting solution or sprinkling a little dry organic fertilizer on the soil if the seedlings are large enough to water normally. I do this with vegetables, herbs, flowers, shrub seeds, everything. So far I have better results, but that's me, here, in this climate, in these conditions.
I don't fertilize much before transplanting, but I do find that some added nutrients to a soil that already contains some composted material is of benefit, and doesn't weaken the plants, as long as there is good light. A seed really just contains enough nutrients to get two leaves in the air, and a root in the ground, so beyond that you're going to have to provide something more, either with potting or actual soil, or a drink of fertilizer.
I had a similiar problem and it had nothing to do with peat pots. Many of the soilless mixes don't have any nutrients, so you need to add some to boost the seedlings along (and some of them that have fertilizers in them I've heard negative things about). Anyway, my seedlings were in plastic where each section was 9 plants. They germinated, and then stopped.
When you fertilize use a very dilute solution. Mine is more dilute that the weakest dilution the fertilizer I'm using lists as a mixture (a 'Miracle-gro 'like' fertilizer).
I agree with what Sara said. As for the lights, if the bulbs are T8 or T12 move them to about an inch or two from the plants. If they are T5s you might want to keep them a little farther away because the T5s get a little hotter.
It's good that you're now feeding at half strength.
Art
PS - There's an older post on GardenWeb about growing petunias (see link below) that you might find helpful. Be sure to scroll way down to a post by 'triplediamond' and view his petunia pictures!
Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Petunias
This post was edited by art33 on Sun, May 12, 13 at 1:28
Probably same as the petunias, not enough light. Tomatoes can be repotted with most of the stem under the soil, so I would give them a bit of time to recover and then do that. It looks like many are too far gone, but I see a few in the pic that should come back fine.
I agree that they are red aphids and they are sucking the good from the plants. A forceful spray with cold water helps or try insecticidal soap. Mix with water as per package instructions and spray the plant. The soap will also kill any eggs and it is completely safe. Then watch to see if you've missed any.
Yeah - sorry - but you need to just compost those.
Even healthy radish doesnt transplant well - it will grow but it wont bulb up. The seed for radish and lettuce is cheap.
I'm also in zone 4 - it should be warm enough to start both of those outside now, they like coolish weather.
I would recommend doing a little research on this forum before you start anything else - pretty much everything you need to know is here somewhere - read the FAQ's and use the search engine.
This is only my 5th year - and I have learned most of what I know reading through old posts here - that and trial and error :)
I am a beginner gardener and this is my first year out of three that I have successfully grown seeds indoors. And I have been using the same Jiffy peat pellets each year as well. The first year everything became moldy and the second year everything became too leggy. This year I have been keeping my seedbabies close to the light gradually each week moving them an inch further away from the light, starting with them at 2 inches away and now six. My horticulturalist friend told me never more than 6 inches away from the light. In my first year of growing mold I learned to take off the plastic dome once the seedlings have sprouted. My friend says she never uses a dome but she has a way greener thumb than I. Hope that helps!
Thanks! I will do what it takes to create greenhouse conditions...
While I am largely ignorant of this whole vegetable garden thing, I am pretty stubborn, and i will conquer this! I will, I will, I will!
LOL
And I will post this question in the other forum, thanks for the recommend!
I once heard that if the cucurbit starts flowering in the starting container, then you may as well start again. They grow so fast anyway.
I had 4 squash started early this year, but with the long wait for spring, all 4 started flowering in the cold frame. For the heck of it, I planted them in the yard to see how they would fair. They're still alive and flowering (still only male flowers, of course), but I'm not sure that they'll get much bigger. By that, I also mean they probably won't get big enough to create and support fruit.
So it's a fun experiment but I won't be depending on them to produce. I direct seeded squash into my allotment last week and they're already up and looking as pleased as Punch. I won't bother to start them inside again next year...
-Noel
I direct sow cukes in early-mid June. They are super easy to sow in the garden, and sprout and grow quickly. Sometimes I sow a 2nd batch a few weeks later so they are staggered a bit.
I don't mind that they're sown late because I want the cukes to mature when the tomatoes come in. Love cucumber and tomato salads! The only time of year that I eat them, and they have to be fresh from the garden (or the farmstand).
I grow Thunbergia every year, and Sweet Peas every few years. Sweet Peas don't transplant very well, but are easy to start by planting them directly in the soil. They'll germinate in cold soil or warm soil. I usually plant them in October here in northern California, when the temperatures are pretty warm, and they seem to take a few weeks to show up (trying to remember). One year, though, I planted them late, and we had some really cold temperatures, and up they popped! So maybe colder temperatures hasten germination. If I had paid more attention I would likely have more specific information. Anyway, I plant Sweet Peas about 2-3 inches apart in soil enriched with plenty of compost. I always cover these seeds with enough soil to block out light, not because light is an issue, but so that the large seedlings have more of an anchor.
Thunbergia seeds are generally pretty speedy germinators when given heat, much slower to germinate (can take a month sometimes) at lower temperatures. I would plant these more like 6" apart than closer because eventually they will branch out. Once they get going they can be pretty aggressive, but it takes a little while for them to get their rhythm, so to speak. I've never grown them on a lattice, but I plant them with cukes growing on long tomato trellises, and they twine around the trellis and the cucumber plants very nicely. I've also had some pop up in odd places where there is no support, and they are full enough to look nice sprawling over the ground. This is another seed that I cover with enough soil to block out the light for the same reason I do the Sweet Pea seeds.
Thanks for the info!
It sounds like I shouldn't expect much more from my Thunbergia seeds. I'll try to ignore them for another week or so, and not hope too much.
I hope the Sweet Peas will be okay -- I was planning to plant them directly in their peat pots (I am putting the pellets in pots as they get going), with the bottoms cut out. Same for the Thunbergias.
We have a short growing season, here (Montreal, Quebec), so I don't know if I plant more, if they will catch up, but I will perhaps try some.
I'll use twine to help the Sweet Peas on the arbour.
Taken for this website;
How to Start a Wild Iris From Seeds
By Meg Butler
Wild iris grown from seed must grow for at least two years before it will flower.
Starting wild iris from seed is a simple task, but it requires patience. Wild iris seed is sown in September and must spend the winter underground before it germinates in spring. Once wild iris germinates, it must grow for two to four seasons before the plant is mature enough to flower. When the wild iris does flower, however, it will produce three to four flowers per stalk for most of the month of June.
Read more: How to Start a Wild Iris From Seeds : eHow http://www.ehow.com/how_7339031_start-wild-iris-seeds.html#ixzz2TYgip6GF
Water your iris seeds and surrounding soil frequently enough to keep the seeds and soil constantly moist, but not soaking wet, from the time of planting through sprouting in the spring. Local rainfall and weather, planting location and soil texture will impact how frequently you need to water. Warmer climates with little rainfall and fast-draining soil will require more frequent, even daily watering. Cooler, rainy or humid climates with humus-rich or clay soils will require less frequent watering.
Moisten the seeds and soil slowly with a very gentle mist so as not to displace the seeds or disturb nascent roots. A hose attachment set on a mist or light rain setting will help to keep the seeds and soil in place.
Set automatic commercial mist irrigation systems to provide your iris seeds with a regimen of 10 seconds of active misting during each 15 minutes of sunlight or artificial daylight hours.
Water iris is a pretty general term, but most iris seed will respond best to a warm moist period, followed by a moist chill, will then germinate when brought to warmer but still cool. If your climate doesn't provide those conditions, you may have to sow indoors, use your refrigerator (not freezer) for the chill, and cross your fingers on having a coolish room for the last stage of germination. How the plants themselves will fare in your temps long term, I can't offer a guess :)
Iris in general and holds true for almost all types: Impervious seed coats. Shake in dry sharp sand or nick carefully with a file. You may want to soak overnight after nicking. All periods must be moist, with seeds in damp not soggy medium. In order - 70F for 4 weeks, move to 40F for 6 weeks, bring back to approximately 50-55F for germination which may be staggered over many weeks time.