Started seeds

[rainbowgardener]

Started my first seeds today!! (Actually a week or two behind when I usually do, but other stuff going on) On a heat mat I planted parsley, dill, fennel, coleus, Canterbury bells, and spearmint. Without extra heat, I planted broccoli, rosemary, and thyme.

And I am now about 6 weeks from the first outdoor planting!


Unless we get more real winter in the next 6 weeks, some of my fall planted spinach and broccoli may actually over-winter! I could still pick spinach out there if I wanted. (But since it's not growing much these days, I'm leaving the leaves to feed the plant.)

[superschwein22]

Oh, wow. Are you in zone 5 or 6? I would have thought this is super early? Well, you must be excited. It's nice to get going. I can hardly wait and it's going to be my first spring as a new gardener.
I am going to give it until late February, early March to start my flowers inside, I think.

[OROZCONLECHE]

If Im now in zone 10a Instead of 8b, does that mean I can start earlier than the years before?

[rainbowgardener]

Oh, wow. Are you in zone 5 or 6? I would have thought this is super early? Well, you must be excited. It's nice to get going. I can hardly wait and it's going to be my first spring as a new gardener.
I am going to give it until late February, early March to start my flowers inside, I think.

I'm in zone 6. You will notice that the seeds I started are either cold weather stuff or very slow to sprout and grow. It isn't time yet for me to start things like tomatoes, though in a week or so, I will start bell peppers which are also slow growers.

The mid-March outdoor planting is for all the winter crops that are planted "as soon as the soil can be worked." That would be things like lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, carrots....

[applestar]

I have my fingers in my ears. Tra-la-la-la......

[gixxerific]

So it begins.
Just looking through my notes trying to find my planting schedule from last year.

I was also just out looking at my chard that I left in the ground it looks as though it will come back on its own. There may even be new growth on it now with the mild winter we have had I don't doubt it.

Good luck RBG

[dustyrivergardens]

My chard overwinters here to pick it hard early all spring because when it warms it will go straight to seed.

[rainbowgardener]

So it begins.
Just looking through my notes trying to find my planting schedule from last year.

that's (part of) why I post it here. This is my notes. I can go back and look at what I posted from last year...

[PunkRotten]

I started chamomile, yarrow, and lettuce a week ago. They are already up. Today I started cilantro, dill, and marigolds. Can't wait till mid-FEB to start everything else.

[PunkRotten]

If Im now in zone 10a Instead of 8b, does that mean I can start earlier than the years before?

What seeds to you have planned? Some can be started a little earlier than others. If you got things like beans, melons, cucumbers etc they do best planted directly in the ground when it is warm out. Usually around late April.

[OROZCONLECHE]

Oh ok thanks, Yea im waiting for watermelons

[rainbowgardener]

Planted petunias, celery, climbing snapdragon.

I love broccoli. The fall planted stuff is still hanging in the outdoor garden, not really growing, but not dying either. The broccoli seeds I just planted indoors, no heat mat, three days ago, are sprouting already!!

[gumbo2176]

The seed starting bug bit me yesterday too. I put the following in starter trays.

Tomato- Juliette, Cherry and Better Boy
Peppers- Pimento, Jalapeno, Bell, Belgian Wax, Banana and Pablano
Squash- Acorn and a winter mix of several different seeds in packets.
I'm hoping growing some winter type will keep the SVB's at bay.


The following went directly in ground.

Detroit Red Beets
Red and Yellow Onions
Romaine, Black Seeded Simpson, Red Oak Leaf Lettuce--these will be done when it heats up in late May, early June.

Our weather here in New Orleans has been very warm even by our winter standards. At 11:00 last night I was riding my motorcycle back home from an evening of darts league play and only had on jeans and a t-shirt and was very comfortable. Now that I've mentioned that, it will likely be very cold for Mardi Gras.

[gumbo2176]

Planted petunias, celery, climbing snapdragon.

I love broccoli. The fall planted stuff is still hanging in the outdoor garden, not really growing, but not dying either. The broccoli seeds I just planted indoors, no heat mat, three days ago, are sprouting already!!

I just pulled all my broccoli plants a couple days ago. They are also one of my favorites and I had a bumper crop of side shoots after harvesting the main heads. I had to pick every other day to keep up and to stop them from going to seed. I put in more broccoli plants several weeks ago but they are not really growing too well and are kind of spindly. I'll start more by seed to get some before the summer heat hits.

[HannahGrace]

I'm working on getting some seeds started today (peppers and some herbs, mainly since I don't have all of my seeds yet). With the way the weather's been I can't keep myself from playing in in the dirt.

[GardenGnome]

I'm feel alittle lost but I'm trying to stay on track.
So peppers and tomatos need heat.
But broccoli and cabage you would just put in a tray and use a sun light?

[GardenGnome]

Did some looking
So far seeds I'm planting on the heat mat are 19 diffrent peppers.
7 diffrent tomatoes
2 tomatillas
And a mix of herbs

I have a extra light
But not heating matt.
What can I do?

[rainbowgardener]

Broccoli and cabbage I would just put in a tray under lights (in fact I have broccoli seeds that have sprouted that way). I'm guessing you might be able to just start them outdoors. I have broccoli outdoors that I planted in the fall that are still going because we have had such a mild winter. But by mild, I mean we have had a few nights down in the teens. It's very tough stuff....

As far as the rest, it is a ton of stuff, I hope you are planning a huge garden. ... I know from the pictures that you have the room for it, but it is a whole bunch of work trying to get that big a garden space ready, when it hasn't been gardened before. The secret to successful gardening is in your soil.

In the meantime, you have a couple choices about all those seeds. As far as stuff that needs to be started indoors, it does seem like there's lots more that needs the heat mats than not. So the choices are get another mat (I run two of them) and/ or be patient. Plant things very crowded on your heat mat and just use it for germinating them. By the time the seedlings get true leaves, they can come off the heat mat (and get spread around more, less crowded) and make room for the next batch. So you become a serial seed starter! It might mean some seeds don't get started quite as early as they might have, but you have a long growing season, you have time....

That picture I showed you, most of all those plants on the two shelves got started on the two mats. Then they just keep getting moved out and spread out more and more as they get bigger. I pretty much transplant most of my seedlings three times-- from crowded on the heat mat, to one per cell off the mat, to one per 3" pot, to the ground or large container where it is finally going to grow.

[AZCricket]

This will be my first Spring as a gardener and I'm starting off rather simple (if a little late).

I use the Jiffy seed-starting trays with the pellets and started radishes about a week ago. They've already gotten big enough to go into the pots on my balcony.



Started some Nevada lettuce at the same time, though I'm still waiting for them to get a bit bigger to plant them.

Also started some spinach and snow peas the other day.

I'm really excited hehe.

[HannahGrace]

I ordered some seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed company earlier this week and they arrived in the mail today! I think I'm going to go celebrate!

[rainbowgardener]

YAY!!!


I now have broccoli, spearmint, geraniums, petunias, and dill that have sprouted!

[superschwein22]

I just placed my order with Jung's at the beginning of the week and my seed starting kit is due to arrive on Monday. How long does it normally take Jung to send out? Does anybody know?
I hope, I am not too late.
Rainbow? You have Petunias already? Should I start them as soon as I get them in? Gosh, I hope I at least get a few healthy looking plants during my first year, lol.

[rainbowgardener]

ss22... you are doing fine. You are in MA, north of me, so you needed to be a little behind me in timing. Looks like your average last frost date might be end of April, a couple weeks later than mine. I started the petunias a little earlier this year than some times, possibly too early.

Jung's is pretty fast. I think from when I got my order confirmation email it was 4-5 days until the seeds arrived.

The question isn't the timing, it's the appropriate conditions for the seeds once you get them. The petunia seeds sprouted considerably faster than the seed packet suggested, perhaps because I could give them pretty optimum conditions with light, heat, moisture, etc.

It's barely Feb, you have a long time yet before you will be planting anything outside. Breathe easy !!

[rainbowgardener]

I was out weeding in my garden yesterday! Usually this time of year my ground would be frozen solid and/or under 3" of snow. It was simultaneously lovely to be outside, hands in the dirt, enjoying the sunshine and a little bit global-warming-all-the-systems-are-out-of-whack-creepy. Probably I could be planting all the "as soon as the ground can be worked" crops now, more than a month early... my ground can certainly be worked.....

[superschwein22]

Thank you, Rainbow, that makes me feel at ease. I knew that I would need to start a bit early this year but I was really surprised when I read your post, lol.
Yeah, have been weeding quite a few times this winter already. Crazy year. I'm not complaining, I just hope it doesn't bite us and it drops again because that would really screw me up.

[rainbowgardener]

So my broccoli is now 36 sturdy little 2" plants with true leaves showing, all nicely transplanted to 1 per cell.

Sprouted is geranium, thyme, petunia, celery, dill, fennel, coleus, spearmint, canterbury bells.

Planted but not yet sprouted is bell boy green peppers, impatiens, basil red rubins, salvia, parsley, rosemary.


I managed to drop and break my camera or I would show you a picture...

Well in to seed starting season!!

[rainbowgardener]

Planted some of my home grown seeds (all the above was commercial):

green peppers, climbing snapdragon, purple wave petunia, dwarf yellow marigold.

Pulled more of the sprouted ones off the heat mat to make room for the above.

[rainbowgardener]

Basil red rubin sprouted in just 3 days, is now looking sturdy and healthy.

Green pepper bell boy is just now sprouting after 6 days.

The teeny little spearmints are getting their true leaves and they are so crowded together, I am starting to transplant some out to 2/ cell (and cull a bunch). I swear those things have a 150% germination rate!

No sign of the parsley yet after 2 weeks. Parsley can be slow, so too early to give up on it, but it was 2010 seed, so possibly not viable any more.

(and incidentally on a different topic, my kitchen is full of the smell of lemon basil, which I harvested from the Aerogarden and am oven drying; lovely! I now have a whole spice jar of it, harvested from one litle pkant under the little light.)

[superschwein22]

Wow, you're growing like crazy over there. I have decided to start my seeds as soon as they come in (which should be any day now), since some of the are petunias and I think they need a little bit longer. In general, the winter doesn't seem to ever happen this year and I am anticipating a very early spring.
Exciting.

[vebyrd36]

I started some more maters, peppers, and some flower seed yesterday.

[superschwein22]

Okay, the time has come. Tomorrow, I am starting Petunias, Snapdragons and Geraniums.
Next week it's time for Rudbeckia and the week after that I am starting Delphiniums.
I am super excited.
I am starting them on a 72 cell seed starter kit with a heat mat underneath. The individual cup is about 2" in diameter. Do I do one seed per cell? And when is it time to use the light? Do I have to use it at all? They probably wouldn't get enough light if I didn't I am assuming...
I hope that I will get at least some plants out of this. I only bought one seed package each and I am not sure about the germination rate but I just didn't want it to be overkill as I am just starting out and feel like I could be easily overwhelmed f I attempted too much.

[lily51]

My geraniums are getting their first true leaves, will make first transplant next week. Petunias, pansies, sage, oregano, dusty miller, pearl wort are up.
Will be starting seeds each week now, with the pace in a crescendo until April!
It's always exciting when seedlings start growing!
Rainbow... It always amazes me how much further ahead cinci is over my area of north central Ohio! Lucky you! Enjoy!

[rainbowgardener]

Yes, we are a bit protected in the Ohio River Valley, gives us a little milder climate than anywhere else in Ohio. It is always amazing to me, how much colder and windier flat Dayton, one hour north of me is than here.

Yes, I am now officially 8 weeks before average last frost date so this weekend will be a big planting time for me. I'm planning to move almost everything off the heat mats that is there now and plant tomatoes, basil, and lots of other stuff. The stuff that gets moved off the heat mats all needs to get spread out from being very crowded.

So right now I have four flats of seeds/seedlings under 2 sets of shop lights. By the end of the weekend, I will have at least double that (in flats and lights). AND the first things planted outdoors!

[rainbowgardener]

Still working on all the indoor planting; I'll update that later, but I planted the first outdoor bed today, mostly spring greens.

The bed has onions, scallions, purple radish in a mixed row. Lettuce and spinach in a mixed row. It has a row of swiss chard. In that row are 4 of last years chard plants. After looking totally wilted for two months, they perked themselves back up. As I understand it (not having usually done this), this year it is likely to bolt soon after the weather warms up, being biennial. So I figure at that point I can pull them and just spread the new ones out a little more.

Also there's a row that has 4 tiny lettuce plants and two tiny spinach plants. They are way too tiny to be plants that over-wintered from last spring planting (I didn't put any fall planted greens in this bed), so I figure the lettuce and spinach that I let bolt and go to seed last year, must have succeeded in re-seeding itself a little bit! Too cool! I haven't seen it do that before, but I worked a little harder last year at scattering and patting in some of the seed. Later I can fill that row in with transplants from the other overcrowded rows.

So my spring greens bed has a big jump on spring - some over wintered stuff, some re-seeded stuff, and this year's seeds planted about a month earlier than usual. But it was 50 degrees out, the ground has been workable for a couple weeks and in the whole 10 day forecast, highs are 40's to low 50's, lows are just above freezing. So I figured why no go for it!

[superschwein22]

Yay spring is right. I had my first crocus bloom this morning. I consider this my first success in my first gardening year.
Can't wait for more to pop up.

[GardenGnome]

Yeah I did see them sorry lol.
I was sick for about the time I first got on this forum tell now.
I've been kinda in and out of it. But I remember now RG lol and yeah that is nearly free. The tree I wanted they won't ship to ca tho .
Don't worry I haven't forgot all the stuff I read I might have asked about it more then once.
Heat mats,trays/flats/cells etc..
And lights(still need to look into diffrent lights)
Temp and light cycle.
Watering from bottom if you can.
Thinning and placing each plant to there own cell. (Some will be lost)
Move to 3 inch pot with shading other plants.
Then into ground.
Next ill look into the soil I've bought some compost and started my own compost bin.
I've been pulling weeds and have a rototiller to help alittle.
Ill be looking into what all I can do with cold frames and a green house.
And I've have my Hardening off process started.
I have some extra lights and heat mats.



Will sunlight still get threw this panel? I'm thinking of moving my plants out here when there in there 3 inch pots for more room. The sun is above this spot around 3 to 5 intell sunset.

[rainbowgardener]

Probably enough for their first step in hardening off. Probably not a place where you could leave things that need lots of sun, like tomatoes and peppers, for too long.

[rainbowgardener]

My first tomatoes are sprouted! The Delicious and Ultimate Opener sprouted just like three days after planting. That was a couple days ago that the first ones showed. No sign yet of the heirloom varieties from webmaster.

Planted nicotiana and summer savory. Have cardinal climber seeds soaking.

Now I'm in that phase where I keep transplanting and potting up and it seems like the plants keep multiplying. I swear I counted 36 broccoli plants to be potted up. I potted up 36 of them and there are still 6 waiting. I haven't yet filled up.

Haven't yet finished filling up the first 8' shelf with seeds and seedlings, which was supposed to be done this weekend. Not for lack of plants, just ran out of potting soil and time...

[GardenGnome]

I got some from the webmaster also (red boar) and one marked SC. The red boar I planted and it popped up nice I keep the temp at 75. 36 broccoli plants yours went crazy also. How many will you keep? only 2 people in this house like to eat it.

[rainbowgardener]

A bunch of them will get sold off. Not sure yet how many I will keep, because not sure what my over-wintered broccoli is going to do. I had broccoli I planted too late in the fall for it to make a fall crop. Normally it would have just gotten killed off, but our winter has been so mild, it may actually make it through. I'm still not quite sure if it is going to make heads or what it will do at this point. If it looks like all of that is going to turn in to broccoli, then I will only keep a few of the new ones.