6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
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!
Yes, for items that are normally directed seeded (as are radishes, corn, lettuce, squash,etc.) it is # of days from planting the seeds. For those items that are normally grown from transplant (tomato, pepper, etc.) it is the # of day from transplanting.
However it is important to remember that DTM (days to maturity) are just a general guide, an "average", as many variables can affect it.
Dave
Okay, great info.
However,
1) Why are they in my kitchen bypassing the other rooms closest to my garage? Is it because it's warmer in the kitchen than right next to my garage?
2) Can you suggest a insecticidal soap mixture? Any common household ingredients?
3) What about the adult gnats flying around? How can I kill those off?
4) Are the gnats the reason why I observed that the surface soil of some of my seedling flats has been greenish (like a moss or something)?
If it is that old then yes, it is well past time for it to have been planted in soil. See the how-to FAQ linked below.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Avocado FAQ
These are different sized plants. Are they in the same sized containers? if so then bigger plants will dry out much faster than smaller ones. The size of the root mass in the container is as much different as the mass of the top growth is so their water needs will be very different.
If the larger plants perked back up once you watered them then you have your answer as to the cause. Sounds like it might be time to transplant the larger plants into larger containers.
Dave
How do you know when? Is there a rule of thumb?
Agree with mandolls. But no there is no "rule of thumb". Just as with watering it is when the plant needs it not by the size of the plant.
And you know when by the fact that you have to water them more and more often to keep them from drying out and drooping. That is the sign that the plant is getting rootbound in its current container.
Dave
what i did, and i have a large area for indoor growing, is cut off the top, and replant into 1 gallon grow bags, with the entire stem buried up to the top 2 leaves. now the entire stem will sprout roots, and you get a really husky "seedling" - you just really need adequate indoor lighting to do this - :) - paul m.
Sorry but it is almost impossible to ID seedlings at that stage. Even if you can narrow down the specific choices it is still guess work.
I can tell you that Chinese Pistachio do not have a tip leaflet on the leaf branch as that appears to have. They develop in sets of two evenly spaced all the way to the tip.
Dave
Hm... Interesting.
However, yes, I did come to that conclusion shortly AFTER I submitted my original post. The reason I assume it is some sort of tree or shrub is because of the dark, "wood-looking" stem. The next pair/set of leaves are coming along well, so hopefully I'll have a better photo fairly soon.
It depends on the plants - things that can stand a bit of cold can easily start going out now. I am in zone 4 and have started hardening off cole crop stuff and petunias. In my 10 day forecast there are only two nights when it will drop below 40 degrees - I assume it is warmer where you are. I often have planted out peas, broccoli, cabbage etc before now, but the snow just kept coming this year.
I'll be waiting on peppers eggplant and tomatoes for a few weeks.
yes 2 seed is normal ...color?...if viable only way to tell is to try to germinate!
store the seed at 70 F for 3 months THEN at 40Ffor 3 months
Lightly cover the seed soil temp for germination 65-75F