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TomatoNut95
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Re: First sowings 2021

Vanisle_BC wrote:
Wed Jan 20, 2021 4:02 pm
No problem and it's not stupid. I have fat/uncoordinated fingers and make quite funny typos. Plus sometimes my spell 'checker' makes silly mistakes of its own. If I put a hyphen in uncoordinated it comes up with some pretty weird stuff.

I got a giggle at 'planting saliva' when you had voiced concerns about people maybe sneezing on things.
I think my problem is that I type fast. I've told my BFF some strange things: that a tropical smoothie (storm) was headed to the gulf, and I put people (pepper) in my okra batter. :lol: J also texted my aunt to tell her my saliva was coming up...

imafan26
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It sounds like you were typing when you were hungry?

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TomatoNut95
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Ha, ha not necessarily. Doesn't matter what condition I'm in for me to typo. 😆 Usually I'm just typing fast and hit the words that my keyboard suggests next in the sentence I'm typing out.

Speaking of which, my saliva... 😂 is coming up.

Vanisle_BC
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TomatoNut95 wrote:
Thu Jan 21, 2021 10:30 am
Speaking of which, my saliva... 😂 is coming up.
But you're not hungry? Drool on ....

Vanisle_BC
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Those rhubarb seedlings I started early Jan are doing something I wouldn't expect. They had opened their very first - cotyledon? - leaves when something ate the tops off all but one (leftmost in the picture). I considered them dead; in every case only a stump of stem was left showing. So they've been sitting abandoned under the flourescents in my workshop for at least a week and suddenly I see they are growing new leaves. I thought this would be impossible as they never had any 'true' leaves before being reduced to topped stems. These guys look like being real survivors!

Here's a picture. The very biggest plant, front left, is a non-rhubarb invader; probably from an accidentally dropped seed. All the others are the original seedlings. Sorry for the poor DOF in the photo. I should have paid more attention to the lens aperture. 'Point & shoot' - duh!

I never did find out what ate them. Set a mouse trap but the bait wasn't touched. After a week it's still there.

Rhubarb seedlings recovery.JPG

.

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applestar
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This is neat. Hope they come back.

...left-front looks like some kind of a radish with the shape of seedleaves and hairy true leaves.....

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applestar wrote:
Fri Jan 29, 2021 8:45 pm
...left-front looks like some kind of a radish .....
Oh no, then It would likely be a daikon; I'd better get it out of there fast.

Moglog33
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Hey guys I'm thinking of getting into Hydroponics and was wondering, is there a specific type of nutrient I should buy, or will anything with the right PH do?

ElizabethA
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I have planted lots of seeds to start indoors this year! I typically don't do this and just wait until after the last hard frost. We'll see how it goes...
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applestar
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A table (and windowsill) full of possibilities, hope and promises!

...this will depend on your previous experiences, but I borrow from a technique described by a renowned tomato expert to loosely lay plastic food wrap over the started seed trays until the first seedlings push up (remove or only sectionally cover unsprouted areas after — sprouted seedlings will need very strong -but not direct sun- light at first).

This works well with plastic starter trays and cell trays, but you may need to experiment in case it promotes mold growth on the paper pulp products. Using chamomile tea, cinnamon, or hydrogen peroxide when watering May help to suppress fungal issues. (Be careful with cinnamon and peroxide - no direct contact on tender seedling leaves)

ElizabethA
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Thank you for the tip Applestar! Guess what! It's only been a week and I already see some sprouts popping up! Kale, collards, thyme, and garlic are the first!

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Great to see you on the forum, Elizabeth!

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Gary350
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When we lived at the other big house I had a place to grow plants inside the house. I put all the plant trays inside large 20 gallon trash bags to hold moisture. Once a day I opened each trash bags to air out the bags & let in fresh air to prevent mold. Once seeds germinated usually 3 days for tomatoes plants they had to be moved outside during the day to get REAL sunlight to prevent leggy plants. Temperature outside were sometimes 35°F when I left the house to go to work. Plants staying outside until I returned home at 4pm then plants were moved inside and kept in plastic trash bags again to hold moisture. It was tricky to learn how much fertilizer to put in plant water. Start out small with fertilizer increase it a tiny amount every day until you see good results. Pepper seeds took a week to germinate if kept warm. Plants do better outside in real sunlight as long as they don't freeze, tomato plants turn purple color below 45° but they do fine anyway and harden off. Don't have plants in plastic bags outside sun will cook them.
Last edited by Gary350 on Fri Feb 26, 2021 12:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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applestar
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OK — you are correct about “real sunlight” being the best @gary350

...the caveat here is if you choose to do this, you need to be dedicated about caring for the seedlings — it’s nearly impossible to make it work while the seedlings are starting in tiny containers or cells:

— they should be in deeper volume of soil/potting mix so they don’t dry out quickly
or get washed out in rain

— always check moisture level of the growing medium BEFORE setting them outside

— monitor and bring in before over-exposure to elements... sun, wind, rain, (storm), cold temperatures, even snow and freeze

— if they get used to daily sun, and you have multiple days of increment weather — cloudy is fine, but some kind of stormy weather — and no alternative set up indoors, the seedlings will suffer

— they are exposed to outdoor pests while still tiny ... I’ve had infestation of melon seeds by some kind of fly I never heard of, aphids, etc.

— NO domes or plastic covers in direct sun — the seedlings will get “cooked”


etc.

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I start all my seeds outside in mostly a 50/50 peatlite mix. It may or may not have osmocote. Seedlings don't require fertilizer until they get their true leaves. Then they will need to be fertilized.

I use 3.5 inch nursery pots, but I have also used recycled yogurt cups, soup cans, and drinking cups with holes in them.

The mix should be moistened first until it clumps but is not dripping with water. Peat moss is hard to wet. If you plant seeds in a dry mix, there is a chance of the seeds floating up and the mix wetting unevenly.

Some slower to germinate seeds like coriander and papaya benefit from soaking overnight. Some of the harder to germinate pepper seeds benefit from soaking in potassium nitrate (it imitates the acid in the birds gut that helps breakdown the outer seed coating). Other seeds like morning glory need to be scarified first with a file before soaking for the best germination. I don't plant morning glory anymore, it is too much of a weed.

Slower and smaller germinating seeds like coriander, parsley, green onion, and papaya benefit from a paper towel placed on top of the growing media and watered on top of the paper towel. Keeping the paper towel moist so it does not dry out. I plant most of my seeds on the surface, so the paper towel helps to keep the seeds from moving around during watering. Bottom watering would eliminate that problem but the plants cannot sit in the water. I check under the paper towel in a week and every few days after that and remove the towel once germination has begun in earnest. Seedlings would have to be gently watered or bottom watered until they are strong enough for regular watering.

Seedlings started in the sun outside don't need hardening off.

Once true leaves are out, most can be transplanted or started on fertilizer until they get transplanted out.

ElizabethA
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I am attaching a pic of my arugula seedlings! They are doing very well, as are the kale, collards, and garlic!
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Imafan, do you have a formula for the potassium nitrate treatment?

Pepper seed is the most difficult for me to start. Right now, I'm checking temperatures in my kitchen trying to find the best location. About 10 years ago, I had a refrigerator with the coils on the back. There was never any question in my mind that the top of the machine was the warmest location, with heat being released on the back and with a wall so close. The new fridge was obviously different and the tubing inches above the floor. I'd like to do better with pepper germination.

Celeriac seed is also in the soil mix and petunia and pansy seed will go in today. There is a flat of soil with onion and leek seed in the unheated greenhouse. That should have been in there a week or two before last week but I was waiting for a seed order to arrive.

Steve

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You can use a heat mat for starting warm season crops. I did not realize the refrigerator coils were moved either until after I pulled out my frig to clean the back and couldn't find the coils. At first I thought the coils were now in the casing, but later found out the coils are actually on the bottom. It is actually harder to clean. One because it is hard for me to bend down that far and still get up and also because my coil brush doesn't have a lot of room to work down there.

I left a begonia overnight next to my frig once and it was wilted by the next morning, so not a good option for me.

However, my ginger is sprouting on the counter and they aren't even the ones I was saving for planting. It is also early since they should not be coming up until April. I guess I will have to plant them early.

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My seedlings are getting big! Here's what they look like today! Garlic and kale!
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imafan26
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Good job Elizabeth.

ElizabethA
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Thanks Imafan26! I love growing food! It's so exciting! I grow sprouts year around now too. I've probably made over 500 batches in the last year and a half!

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I do like Baker Seeds and I have had some good ones. However, a few of them namely the Black Vernissage tomato was not very good. I got some round Thai eggplant called petch for the plant sales. They are small hard, seedy, and a little bitter. Apparently only certain people like them and like the bitterness. I don't. I do plant them for one person whose wife is Thai and really likes them.

Johnny's Seeds is allowing home gardeners to purchase seeds today and tomorrow. They will only take commercial orders at other times. They still are out of a lot of items, but I was able to get 2 out of 4 items I wanted. It was expensive $18 for 2 packets of seeds. Shipping was $8. Depending on your location, shipping won't be as bad. As for me, this is why it is not always worth buying seed unless I can buy a lot. I did need these seeds and they are hard to find elsewhere. When I can find them, they aren't any cheaper.

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ElizabethA wrote:
Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:39 pm
Thanks Imafan26! I love growing food! It's so exciting! I grow sprouts year around now too. I've probably made over 500 batches in the last year and a half!
I love growing food as well! Especially tomatoes and peppers. Grocery shopping in your backyard is so fun! 😊 My dwarf tomatoes, pepper cress and marigolds are coming up.

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That's awesome! Are dwarf tomatoes like cherry tomatoes? Do u grow the marigolds for beauty or for deterring bugs?

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imafan26 wrote:
Tue Mar 02, 2021 4:24 pm
It was expensive $18 for 2 packets of seeds. Shipping was $8.
That is why I refuse to buy seeds from most garden seed businesses prices are unreasonable expensive. I bought a package of seeds at Walmart few days ago they have 3 choices, $2 seed packs, $3 seed packs, $5 seed packs. I bought the $3 seeds because the other 2 choices did not have what I wanted. I am driving to Farmers Co-op in a few minutes to get a 1000 carrot seed pack $4. When I lived in AZ tomato plants were $5 each & all other plants $5 and up. Ebay 200 to 500 seeds usually $2 or $3 free shipping. Your geographical location sometimes determines what you can buy. When seeds become more expensive than grocery store vegetables it is time to stop buying seeds.

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ElizabethA wrote:
Thu Mar 04, 2021 10:03 am
That's awesome! Are dwarf tomatoes like cherry tomatoes? Do u grow the marigolds for beauty or for deterring bugs?
You've never grown dwarfs? They're fun! Plants grow to only about a foot tall. Fruits are small like cherries. Tiny Tim is my favorite and this year I'm trying Inkspot which gives black fruit and Sweet Splash Electra gives yellow fruits. Tiny Tim gives regular red fruits.
If you would like some seed I will happily send you some.
I grow marigolds for beauty, and they're easy to care for. But they don't deter bugs like people claim.

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There is a common notion out there that a seed company or garden center in our general area will offer appropriate varieties for our location. I have come to think that this is generally true if the business is around very long. Rising to customers' expectations ;)

Caution is still needed. Even some seed companies that have cooperative arrangements with local seed growers will buy seed from elsewhere. I seriously question the idea that very many grow their own seed. If some have test gardens and professionals to make evaluations, that is about the best that we can hope for. Of course, this is NOT likely true for the garden center and 100% for the hardware and big box store.

I'm sometimes frustrated looking at racks of seed. There might even be seed from 3 or 4 sources. However, if I only have a choice of California Wonder sweet peppers in any of 4 packets, what kinda choice is that? It may be true that California Wonder is the most popular in the US. I'm not saying that it is a poor choice, except that it is not the best in my pepper-challenged garden. In fact, no bell may be a good choice. Ding Dong! I keep trying and some years have some very nice sweet and hot peppers. (Of course, I may run up against a difference between DW's and my preferences ;).)

Steve
who now has some Serrano peppers emerging in the kitchen!

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Some hot peppers I don't even plant the seeds, they just come up in the yard. I have a few super chile seedlings volunteering that I need to collect and pot up. I have not planted papaya for years. The last papaya I had was courtesy of the birds. They only pick the sweetest fruit. The wild bitter melon is also popping up. For me it is more of a weed.

The seed racks carry the most popular varieties, but you still have to do your research to see if the seeds are suitable for your climate. I have grown California Wonder, but I like Chinese Giant and Emerald Giant better. I don't get Giant peppers and I won't get many, but these cultivars have given me the largest and most fruit. That is not saying much. I average 3-5 peppers and on one occasion I managed to get 8. I have The Right Stuff in the garden now. It is alive and it is producing small 3 inch bell peppers. It should be bigger, it is just not. The plant is over 5 months old and barely a foot tall. It has been good in disease resistance. With all the rain, it has remained free of bacterial spot.

I usually try to research the varieties if I have the opportunity. It is one of the advantages of getting catalog seed over what is available at the local big box. Words like excellent taste, disease resistance, heat tolerance, "tender" are words I look for. Some annuals like impatiens are perennial here. Bulbs like glads and amaryllis will naturalize and come up every year without having to be dug up every year. Asparagus is not listed as a zone 12 plant, but it actually is a good perennial here as long as it gets enough water during summer.



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