6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
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.
I never soak any seeds. I've heard of people soaking legumes but not squash. If you are a beginner my advice would be to ignore the soaking until you've got the hang of all the rest of the things you need to learn like watering, light etc. It always seems just one more thing to faff with and I don't think it gains anything more than a day or two.
I soak my peas and beans over night and then stick them in damp (not super wet) soil - I usually get excellent germination rates.
I rarely soak anything else - though I am trying it with cilantro and parsley this year.
Never heard of anyone doing a twice a day rinse - except for making "sprouts"
This doesn't look like damping off to me. I'd suspect the gnats (which it's their grubs in the soil that are the real problem. However the seedling pictured looks quite good. For tomatos just plant them with their stem buried and they'll root on the stem itself. You didn't specify if the damage is on other seedlings or the severity so I can't give a reasonable response. The drooping seedling probably (unfortunately) is a goner.
mauch1~
thanks for your response. There is widespread damage on most of the tomato plants, but oddly enough, not on the flowers, peppers, etc.
But the seeds were bought from many different seed suppliers, otherwise I would suspect a seed quality issue.
I only ever saw one gnat. Is this damage typical if what gnat grubs do?
The only other thing I can even think of is that maybe the damage was done by my sprayer, as I was reaching to spray the different plants close to soil level? When you said this did not look like dampening off, I tried to consider what else it could be.
Thanks again!
Here is a link to the Seed Saving forum.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Seed Saving forum
Many of the varieties I have are early maturing (50-65 days for the slicers and cherry tomatoes, 60-75 for romas).
Add to that, the reason I want to use the perforated row covers is cause it will increase the warmth, resulting in faster germination.
Also they will be grown in containers which means the temps of hte soil in the containers will be warmer in comparsion to the soil temp of soil in the ground.
So would this result in an earlier maturing date, and an earlier harvest date as a result (in comparison to growing them in the ground)
It sounds to me like this is an experiment that you really want to try. - So go ahead. We all have the need to see what rules we can get away with breaking.
Maturation dates on seed packages are very misleading and rarely correct. Often they are based on when you transplant out a 4-6 week old seedling, not when you sow the seed. You wlll probably do fine with tomatoes, possibly with eggplants, they will just be later than average. Id be surprised if you can get peppers to fruit before frost, unless they are hot peppers or a smaller sweet pepper of some sort. If it is really important to you that you be harvesting a lot of vegetables, then buying a few starter plants as well makes sense.
Please be careful when you dispose of the dead plants.Do not let any seed get loose! Burn them in your fireplace if you have one! You may drop seed outside.
Morning glory is a very invasive plant! I have been fighting them in my garden and along my fence line since 1979.
I never planted them, they came with my land.
Even though I snatch any I can find out of the ground as soon as they sprout, they keep coming back!
I can see why some people plant them, they are pretty. But they will destroy a corn crop and/or garden.
A closed cold frame can easily reach over 120 degrees if sunny especially while the sun is high. One of my cold frames I need to have ventilated if it's sunny and 28 degrees, another is about 35 degrees and the other two frames are ok until about 40 degrees.
Depending on the outside temperature I'll prop the lids either an inch (with a block of wood)or 3 inches (with a brick). Generally by 9 am I open them fully if it's around 40 degrees.
80-85 would be ok for tomato seedlings.
Soil cables are something that's used more during the winter months. I don't use them though they might have some use during spring. The soil stays fairly warm as it is. I have Christmas lights that I use for heat if needed but I've only used them about a dozen times since November.
I've experimented with a few warm weather seedlings this spring ( 2 tomatoes and 2 peppers). The peppers have all but failed and the tomatoes are hanging around ok. I figured it was early for warm weather seedlings in an cold frame but thought I would try. We have had a snowy and cold April. As temps start climbing into the 40s overnight it'll stay closer to 55-60 in the frames at night so it should then be ok for the warm weather stuff.
I have a couple questions regarding the temperatures of 'baby' (younger seedlings, about 2-3 weeks old).
I know that stuff like broccoli, cauliflower, etc. prefer cooler temps upon germination (60-70 F degree range)
However I'm wondering if the temp should be kept warmer when they're younger until the plant becomes more established or if I can lower the temp to 60-70 range for young seedlings.
Would the 60-70 temp range for younger seedlings (even cold weather stuff with the exception of endive, sorrel, arugula, escarole, and lettuce) be too cold?
I also have the opposite question regarding the warmer end of the scale for younger seedlings; would it be too hot for cool weather crops.
How long should the 80-85 degree temp range be kept for pepper tomato and eggplant seedlings? (how old, how many true leaves should they have etc.)
Or is the 80-85 temp range the ideal growing temp range for them or is that too hot?
Also what is the growing temp range for squash seedlngs I know they prefer warmer temps, but what is the temp range for them? Is 70-80 degrees good; or is 80+ too hot for them?
Harden them off, then transplant to final outdoor containers. Those seedlings look like they are way too close together, but it's hard to see them in their containers in this picture. At this point it will be hard to separate them if they are close together in the pot, because the roots are tangled up together. You must separate them or they will not grow right.
Separating roots is easier when the soil is dry. Dump the pot and slowly tease the roots apart with your fingers. Don't worry if roots break a little.
So go from there and good luck with your first seed starting venture!
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!
Tomatoes not grown in full sun, do not produce well. As you know light will be your problem, look into how you will get the number of foot candles of light produced by the sun, into your inside location. Al