Plant Pics!!!

[JustPeachy]

I mentioned in another post that I would try a get some pics up of my plants. So here they are!

Cherokee Purple and Yellow Pear Tomatos



Okra, Mixed Hot Peppers, Eggplant, and 1 Little Basil Plant


I am open to suggestions so if they look puny please let me know. Also, I am going to transplant them soon.

~Emily

[hendi_alex]

Plants look great, nice color and form. Here in central S.C. I've got another 7-8 weeks before it is time to put the tender annuals in the ground. I've got a set of plants in slightly smaller containers than your cups and will step them up to 1/2 gallon containers in another week or so. They will stay in the 1/2 gallon containers until around April 22nd when they go in the ground. When transplanting, the rootball is set near the bottom of the larger container and a couple of the lower leaves are removed. You would not believe how fast the plants jump when sized up to those larger containers. If you have a few weeks left before planting, you ought to consider experimenting with a couple of the plants. I use the small black nursery containers that generally hold the smallest size of retail shrubs. The pots are about six inch diameter by seven or eight inches deep.

[JustPeachy]

Thanks Alex! I am glad they are off to a good start. When I transplant I will definately need to bury a lot of the stem. When I moved the seedings into the solo cups I used miracle grow moisture control potting soil and they went a little "stretch armstrong" on me. I keep the shop light (cool white T-12's) maybe just an inch above the top leaves to try and prevent stretching, so I think that the miracle grow mix is to blame.

For the next transplant I am going to use a potting soil that I can fertilize myself when the plants need it.

~Emily

[BrianSkilton]

Those look very good! I also have some Purple Cherokee Tomatoes seeds that I need to start, never tried them before. Keep up the good work, and keep us posted

[hendi_alex]

This batch of seedlings just started germinating a little over a week ago, with some still popping up. The plants will be the main mid summer crop of slicers tomatoes including heirlooms. Also peppers and egg plant are on one side of the tray. I don't believe in throwing away seeds and keep them forever, but keep them frozen during most of the off season, though often leave them sitting out way too long. Some of these seeds could be over five years old, maybe even ten years old. So germination is poor for some of the oldest seeds.




Here are my heirloom selections:

This first batch of German Johnson comes from saved seeds, bought fruit from farmer's market in N.C. last year. As you see these have just broken through the soil.

German Johnson(new trial)


German Johnson (new trial) from bought seeds.



Cherokee Chocolate (new trial), new seeds 3/4 germinated.



Brandywine, seeds three to five years old. Poor germination at this point. Sometimes when germination appears poor, other seedling pop up later. But you can clearly see a difference in germination rates after the seeds are two or three years old.



German Queen (new trial)



Some of my favorite slicers that are in the same tray: Whopper, Goliath, Big Beef, Big Bite, Celebrity. New for this year: Believe it or Not. Failed to germinate thus far: Delicious

If you care to see additional photos, here is a link to my flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15582147@N04/?saved=1

[rainbowgardener]

Looks good! Under Organic Gardening forum "my seed starting operation with pics" you can see my set up, though already since I posted that, things have grown and there's a couple more trays filled. I don't know your climate. Here in zone 6, I put my tomatoes out mid to late April, with lots of protection and a lot of people think I'm crazy at that and wait until Mother's Day... So I don't start my tomatoes until mid Feb, otherwise they get leggy and tired of waiting.

[JustPeachy]

Thanks guys! Shortlly after posting the above pics, I transplanted the tomato plants into 1 gallon containers. I would have liked to use something smaller, but I used what I already had. I checked on them when I got home from work this evening and they look happy so far. This is the last time I transplant before they are moved into raised beds outside. Once we have some more warm days I am going to start giving them a taste of the sun.

This is my first attempt at starting plants from seeds and I am mad I haven't tryed it any sooner. It is going better than I planned. I have access to a larger variety of veggies now.

BTW... I enjoyed looking at your gardeing pics Alex! However, I am not very fond of spiders.... Either way nice pics and I love your orchids. They are beautiful.

~Emily

[hendi_alex]

I as well have been spider phobic all of my life. When a young adult, start desensitizing myself by picking up and handling small spiders of the biting kind and bigger ones like the grand daddy long legs. Have worked my way up to handling bigger spiders and getting really close to giant ones. Most summers I'll touch those big garden spiders with a bare finger or will pick them up in gloved hand. It no longer bothers me when most spiders crawl on my clothes, though the really big angry looking ones or the big black widows still cause that panic if they get on me or very near. The fear that seems to crawl up my back appears to have gotten better from repeatedly handling or getting very near these arachnids. Last summer when crawling under my daughters crawl space to do some work, a huge black widow was just over my shoulder as I crawled inside and looked backwards, checking for such a critter. The thought of crawling within a few inches under that black widow literally made me feel sick. Later I had to go under that same, perhaps 18 inch crawl space, and do more work. That activity resulted in a full clostrophobic panic attack. It took some mental discipline and several rounds of calming breaths to stay under that spider infested, very tight location and complete the job. Surlely am glad to have finished that activity. Hopefully, only have one more trip under in the crawl space to put down a vapor barrier.

[smokensqueal]

I finally got some pics of my plants so I figured I'll share them.

First is my California Wonder Peppers. They are a bit slow coming up but at least they are coming up.



this is my sweet basil. they came up fine but haven't grown much. I'm not sure if that's normal or if I'm missing something



These 10 peat pots down the middle are my Rutgers tomatoes



And my cherry tomatoes



And my Early Jersey wakefield cabbage. Is it normal for the cabbage to be looking like this? Kind of stringy just laying around?

[applestar]

These are Cabbage Caraflex and Broccoli DeCicco. Caraflex is coming up in 1 day and deCicco in 2 days:

They're moved out to the Glow Light Area (70ºF~75ºF day/55º~60ºF night) in the garage and the tray is raised so the seed leaves are 1.5~2" under the lights when they open up.

Until then, the seeds are sprouted in the upstairs Winter Garden (SE window with the insect screen removed. 68ºF by thermostat, 75~85ºF when sun is shining). The aluminum take out tray reflector helps boost the light for the sprouts opposite from the supplemental CFL in the student lamp.


These (Romanesco cauliflower Shannon - up in 3 days) will go out to the GLA tonight or tomorrow morning:


Here are some older lettuce Red Sails (started 2/8 ):



BTW -- I'm TOTALLY sold on soil blocks and home made seed starting mix. I don't like the peat pots because I could never properly maintain the moisture level. They're dry out too much, or get too soggy, or get moldy. I tried paper egg cartons but they're giving me the same trouble. Loving the soil blocks. Planted a batch of lettuce in soil blocks on 3/1. Will post pics when they're photo-worthy. (They're JUST starting to sprout -- mostly root hairs and unshed seed husks)

[rainbowgardener]

sorry, but your tomato and cabbage seedlings are looking way too spindly and stretched out. Are they getting enough light? I use 4 fluorescent light bulbs over a tray, just a few inches above the plants, turned on 16 hrs a day... If they are getting enough light, then my next guess would be maybe you are fertilizing them too much. Baby seedlings like this don't really want fertilizer. Once they are actual plants with at least two sets of true leaves, they can handle some, but not at this stage. Makes them grow too fast to keep up with the root systems. Other than that, some one else would have to come up with other answers, but that's not how they should look. When I get a chance, I'll post a few more pics of mine... Check under Organic Gardening to see how they were looking when close to the age of yourse.

[smokensqueal]

rainbowgardener, I'm assuming your talking to me. I believe they are getting enough light but this is the first time I've really ever started anything indoors. I have two 4 ft bulbs about a inch or two from them along with another CFLs with what I believe to be a bit of a different light spectrum. As far as fertilizer I've used zero. I planted them in peat moss, compost, and some potting soil mixed.

I thought there might be something up with my cabbage the way it just layz about but I thought the tomatoes were fine. They spouted up so quickly but in the last few days they haven't grown up much. Maybe they are building their strength now.

I've been knocking them around a bit to try and strengthen them up.

[jal_ut]

The Rutgers, cherry tomatoes and Wakefield cabbage are not getting enough light. When newly emerged seedlings are getting enough light, the seed leaves stay very close to the ground. They do not go up on two inch stems and fall over. If you are using grow lights, put them within 4 inches of the plants and leave them on all the time.

[BrianSkilton]

smokensqueal, I'm no expert; you said you used peat and compost and potting soil, maybe that is why there growing so tall and leaning over? Try just using plain old potting soil, that's it (or use seed starting mix). I know people are probably going to kill me for saying that but i've had great success with just potting soil. To me it seems they should be getting enough light, after all your shop light is inches away from them. Again just a complete guess. Also if you have a south facing window place them there for a few hours per day.

Another good thing to do is take those tomato plants re-pot them and cover them just about up to there leaves (not quite) this will help them focus on growing a thicker stem. Make sure to be very careful to not damage their roots.

[smokensqueal]

Thanks Nick and jal_ut, I did move the light a bit closer and did get them outside for a bit this past Saturday. It appeared to help a lot. They are now growing more leaves and stopped growing upward so much.

The cabbage had a rough day and I think I killed most of them (see my post on killing my cabbage) but can't seem to get them to strengthen up much. It might be to late and I should of had the light closer sooner. O well all part of learning.

I do have a south facing window but it's in the kids room. I've been trying to move the pepper plants to that window so they get warmer and have a bit more light but the boy forgot they were in there and let the dog in and BAM the plants when everywhere! The wife had to pick them up and they look okay so hopefully most of them survived but she won't let me put them there again.