xraychick0
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Joined: Sun Mar 10, 2013 3:45 pm
Location: Zone 6b

New to container gardening. Question about indoor sowing.

I'm new to container gardening. Actually, to gardening period. I live in USDA zone 6b. I would like to grow tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, and green peppers. My question is about sowing the seeds. On the burpee site it gives planting directions for the seeds it says when to "indoor sow" the seeds. My question is do I have to do this or can I sow the seeds outside in the containers? I'm asking because I don't really have the means to grow them insdie as I have two indoor cats (and a dog who's in and out) and I know they would all get into the soil. Thanks in advance!

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rainbowgardener
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Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Re: Tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, and green peppers.

Mixed bag:

Green beans are rarely indoor sown. Soak them overnight and plant them in the ground after all danger of frost is past and the soil has warmed up a little.

You got potato seed? :? Potatoes are very slow from seed. The seed will grow a vine which will grow tubers, which you can plant to get potatoes. Or you can skip all that. Let a potato sprout, then cut it in to chunks, each with one or two sprouts. Plant the chunks. But read up a little bit, growing potatoes is different than most plants. Your potato chunks can be planted when the forsythias bloom, some where around mid March ish where I am.

Tomatoes and peppers are usually started indoors to give them a head start, because they take a long time to get ramped up and producing. Without a real long growing season, you don't have time to get a lot of fruit before fall frost closes it down. I start peppers indoors the end of January and get my first peppers in July. If you plant the seeds in the ground, you have to wait until all danger of frost is past, mid-April ish for me. At which point you would be getting your first peppers in Sept and have a month of production time. Tomatoes are quicker, but still from planting seed to ripe tomatoes is almost 4 months.

But if you are not familiar with seed starting and you are just going to grow a few tomatoes and peppers in containers, I suggest just going to a good nursery, later in spring after last frost date and buying some well started tomato and pepper plants to put in your pots. They are easy to find and inexpensive.

Be sure to get big enough containers. ONE tomato plant requires minimum 5 gallons of soil, preferably more.

After a year or two of gardening experience, you can do the indoor seed starting thing. It is not real difficult, but does require some basic knowledge and equipment.

xraychick0
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Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Mar 10, 2013 3:45 pm
Location: Zone 6b

Great info! Thanks so much! I think I'll do what you suggested with the tomatoes and peppers. The green beans and potatoes sound easy enough. No, I don't have potato see lol. Sorry, the seed remark was just general. I'm excited to give this a try :)



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