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rainbowgardener
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Seed starting basics for newbies

Someone asked for this, so I thought I would start one and others can chime in. If the mods like this, they can sticky-fy it. All of this has been written in other threads here, but I think not all gathered up in one spot.

The basics of what you need for starting seeds is good light fluffy "soil" (usually soil-less mix), light, heat, consistent moisture, containers.

Soil: The basic Miracle Gro potting soil works fine. Or you can make your own mix with peat moss or preferably coconut coir (a non-mined, more renewable product), perlite and/or vermiculite, compost. They sell seed starting mix which is very fine textured, but has no nutrients. If you use this, you will need to start fertilizing once the seedlings have true leaves.

Light: Does not need to be fancy grow lights. Most often people just use ordinary fluorescent tubes in cheap shop light fixtures. This would probably not be good enough light for growing fruiting plants to maturity and fruiting, but is great for starting seeds. But the lights have to be right down close to the plants, like just 2-3" above, hung on chains so that they can be raised as the plants grow. They should be on 16 hrs a day (some people even do 18, but 24 hrs is NOT better, they do need the rest period). Note that some very fine seeds like petunias and impatiens need light to germinate. Do not cover these seeds at all, just very lightly press them down so they are in contact with the soil.

Heat: Most (but not all) of the garden seeds that people would typically be growing germinate much better (faster, more reliably, better germination rate) with soil temperatures above 72. There is a sticky in this section with a chart of germination temps. The seed packet will usually tell you what temp the particular plant needs for germination. For plants that need warm soil, you need to have a way to provide that. They sell special plant heat mats, but regular pharmacy heating pads sold for people work just fine as long as they don't have automatic timed cut off. Or some people have had good results keeping them on top of refrigerator (but that is usually a dark spot, so you would need to watch carefully and move them to the lights as soon as sprouted) or using incandescent light bulb under the shelf they are on to provide heat, etc.

Moisture: This is probably the trickiest part, kills most seedlings. Baby seedlings have very little root system, so cannot be allowed to dry out or they die. However they are also very sensitive to being too wet. There is a fungal condition called damping off that young seedlings are prone to in conditions of low air circulation and too much moisture/ humidity. The stem starts kind of rotting just above soil level, gets a little bit pinched in and the seedling keels over, ends up lying flat on the soil. Once that happens, it is kaputt, all you can do is get rid of it. So you need to provide consistent barely damp, preferably with good air circulation. Easiest way to do that is by "bottom watering": having all your cells/ pots/ containers in trays. Then you just pour a little water into the bottom of the tray, just until it just touches the bottom of the pots, so the soil in the pot can wick it up. Probably add a little bit of water each day, but NOT if there is any water left from the previous day.

Containers: NOT peat pots. They are a menace. Hold too much moisture and stay too wet and then suddenly dry out and suck all the water away from the plant. And if you are bottom watering, they will get all moldy on the bottom. Use plastic. Can be the little cells and pots made for the purpose or it can be plastic yoghurt cups, drink cups, or whatever is handy as long as you put plenty of drainage holes in them. If you are using heat mats, it is typical to start plants in the little grow cells, so that you can crowd a lot of seeds onto one mat. If you do that, once they are well sprouted and have their first pair of true leaves they will need to be transplanted out into little pots.

AVOID the little seed starting kits sold with domes and peat pots, they are seedling killers! I don't use a dome at all, to easy to damp off your seedlings. If you do use a dome, remove it as soon as the seedlings are sprouted.

The main other thing you need to be aware of for seed starting is TIMING. If you start seeds too early, they will out grow your space before it is warm enough outside to put them out and you will end up with long spindly plants. If you start them too late, you will end up putting them out in the heat of summer. You need to be aware of the difference between cold weather crops, which are frost tolerant, like cool weather and tend to fizzle as soon as it gets hot and warm weather crops which die in frost and like hot sunny weather. Cool weather crops include peas, brassicas [broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc], root crops like potatoes and carrots, and green leafies [lettuce, spinach, chard, kale, etc]. Warm season crops is pretty much everything else. Corn and beans are earliest of warm season, then tomatoes and peppers, and the cucurbits[squash, melons, cucumbers, etc], are the latest, need the soil really nice and toasty warm. So you want to have your seedlings ready to go out at the right time for the season they like.

At this site it will tell you when your average last frost date is:

https://www.almanac.com/content/frost-chart-united-states

The seed packet will tell you how many weeks ahead of that date to plant your seed. That will at least give you a good starting point until you have more experience with your own garden.

That's all the basics. With more experience, you will learn nuances, like grouping things together in trays that have similar requirements (especially for moisture vs drought tolerance), but this is enough to get you going.

Anyone else can chime in, with their experience/ tips.

[img]https://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt102/rainbowgardener/1seedlings3-11.jpg[/img]

(Bottom shelf right side, you can just see a couple blue lines with cords coming out from them. These are the heating mats. I have everything coming down to power strips so that I can turn all those lights on and off with one button. The mats are on a different strip so they stay on 24/7)
Last edited by rainbowgardener on Thu Sep 20, 2012 7:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

Vance71975
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Awesome thanks man!

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mtmickey
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Excellent! The only thing I would add is air circulation. Once they have their first true leaves, I put a lightly blowing fan on my starts and this seems to help make them a bit stronger.

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My set that I did was with
4 foot bar lights with sunlight or day light bar lights.
I bought them at walmart for under $30.
I use a 36 cell trays 3 wide. 12 long two of these will fix under a 4 foot long light.
I bought 2 heat matts from amazon
Hydrofarm MT10004 Windowsill Heat Mat [url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0044U4F5I/]https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0044U4F5I/[/url]
it almost fits a 36 cell tray the long way is the same but its not as wide 1/2 short on both sides but still works great I also have a Seed Propagating Seedling Heat Mat, 20" x 8.5"

[url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004PAGPVO/]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004PAGPVO/[/url]

Its a inch wider on both sides and the same lenth. I have them plugged into an adapter that plugs into a Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Thermostat For Heat Mats

[url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZZG3S/]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZZG3S/[/url]

It works great and is easy to use has a auto shut off and turn on (ill add more on it later in a edit)
For my soil. I use jiffy organic seed starting mix jiffy mix its cheap and last abit with the cells. I've tried the peat pellets but like post before they dry out. Also if you buy them with nets your roots grow into them and the nets don't break down when planted. I like the jiffy mix cause when you plant muti seeds in one cell it comes apart with ease. Like said before If you use this, you will need to start fertilizing once the seedlings have true leaves.

I have not had any problems with any of the products I've listed. I leave them on a 16 on 8 hours off light. With the lights 2 inches above the trays. I leave my matts on a temp of 75 and its worked really well. I've been running these for about 6 months now. It I was to set up one last thing it would be a timer. But I like to open the windows there by when its nice to let some sunshine in.(west facing windows) ill add photos in the edit when my phone wants to work right.

GardenGnome
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I don't use the domes for the tops I sometimes place them on the bottom. You can see how much water is in there. When you bottom water and can see if any roots are poking out. The dome will bend if picked up so watch out.

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PunkRotten
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Question: What is the minimum up pot size for peppers and tomatoes? Like once they sprout, get 1st true leaves, what is the smallest pot to put them in before up potting again?

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rainbowgardener
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It's kind of an odd question. I don't know what the smallest is. I move them from the cells to 3" pots. They can stay in those for about a month. If you move them into something smaller than that, you will have to move them again real soon.

Every time you transplant tomatoes, bury them deeper than they were before. They will grow more roots along the buried stem, so you increase the root system that way.

GardenGnome
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Anything bigger will work for a upgrade but you might have to upgrade again abit sooner then normal. Like from a 9 oz cup to a red beer cup. That's what I'm using.

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PunkRotten
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Well I have these 6 cell plastic packs and the height is 3 inches, length is about 2 1/4 inch, and width is about 1 1/2. I am worried they are on the small side for tomatoes and peppers.

GardenGnome
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If roots gorw out the bottom of the cell. Then you need to upgrade if they have true leafs that are full or more then true leafs then I would think you will need to.

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According to Jon Jeavon's How to Grow More Vegetables, seed starting flat depth should be 3" and uppotting flat depth for most larger seedlings should be 6". Now he's using flats/community containers with recommended in-flat spacings and root pruning -- I.e. cutting them apart like a sheet cake -- prior to planting out.

But I've taken the hint from that as well as the Root growth study in this often linked source: [url=https://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010137veg.roots/010137toc.html]Root Development of Vegetables Crops[/url] ...and try to initially sow seeds or plant baby seedlings in as close to 3" soil depth as possible at minimum, and older uppots before planting out in 4-6" depth containers.

Though sometimes the space under the lights are at a premium, I try to uppot when the leaves start to overlap for healthier growth. Cells like that are almost always too small to carry them to planting out stage, but they can be used for the initial seed sowing, IMHO.

GardenGnome
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If roots gorw out the bottom of the cell. Then you need to upgrade if they have true leafs that are full or more then true leafs then I would think you will need to.

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runfox
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I'm don't know why, but I have yet to be able to start peppers from seeds! I have a plastic tray for starting seeds in, 17 squares 2x2 each, with drain holes in a bottom tray that holds the water . I use miricale grow potting soil, plant several seeds in each square, and have successfully grown tomatoes, flowers, spinach, broccoli, just about anything but peppers! I have two of theses trays on my front porch, with all sorts of plants started! They face south, get entry of indirect sun, but not enough to dry them out. I use seeds from a new ", sealed seed package! I used Burpee brand seeds last time and only got a few peppers to start from seed. I'm in Fla and the spring weather has been mild, so my garden and other seeds are all growing like crazy except peppers! I have 4 pepper plants growing great that I bought as plants, but I just can't get any to start from seed, don't know why!!!!

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rainbowgardener
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Best guess would be that the soil isn't warm enough. Optimum soil temp for germinating pepper seeds is around 85 deg F, with a range of 75 - 90 being workable.

I start mine on heat mats and have no trouble.

scrogger
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That's a great set up for starting plants you have there. I have never personally tried the heat mats. How much improvement have you noticed from using them and not using them? I am currently using a 2ft 4 bulb T5 fixture.[/url]

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rainbowgardener
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Most of the summer veggies germinate considerably faster with them (like 4 days vs 2 wks), with considerably higher germination percentage. Sometimes I have taken some seedlings off the heat mats to make room for other seeds and left some of their "litter mates" on the mats. The ones on the mats grow about 50% faster, without being leggy. To me it is the difference between success or not. Generally the people who write in to say my seedlings have been sitting there sprouted for a month but still don't have true leaves, are not using heat mats.

Your fluorescent tubes provide light, but not heat.

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Hi Rainbowgardener,

I am confused after reading from various sources so wanted to know your word on the same.
Do we need NPK in diluted ratios for seed germination? Also also if is it okay to apply the same NPK in diluted form for seedlings with cotyledons (no true leaves yet)?

Some sites suggest, start using fertlizers only after true roots have developed. While some say it can be used in soluble form, diluted well, for sowing seeds as well.

Also does this vary from plant to plant? IN the current context, I am talking about Balsam, Zinnia, Hybrid Marigold, Coreopsis, Russian Sunflower and Celosia Dwarf mix. These are what I have sowed seeds of.

Also, if your answer is YES, what's the ratio in which they could be used.

Please advise.

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rainbowgardener
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Do not NEED any fertilizers for seed germination, the seed provides everything that is needed.

The question is does it harm them. I don't use any of the added ferts like that, but I start all my seeds in potting soil with Miracle Gro in it. The reason for that is that once they have true leaves, they do need nutrients and will rapidly start to fail without them. Seed starting mixes are sterile and provide nothing. So at that point there's an issue of timing, and either having to transplant baby seedlings in a rush into potting soil or start adding ferts as you describe. And of course not all the seeds germinate at the same time, not even all the seeds of one variety, identical seeds planted identically. So you have some seeds sprouted and needing nutrients and some seeds not sprouted yet.

I just plant them all the in the MG potting soil. It's easy, cheap, and convenient. I don't use any other ferts, so I can't advise on all that ratio stuff. They don't NEED the MG initially to germinate or get started, but that I can tell it doesn't seem to hurt them, and then the nutrients are there waiting for when the little plant does need them.

Incidentally, there are cotyledons/ seed leaves and then true leaves. I never heard of any thing called true roots. All roots are "true" so they are just roots.

Don't know if this helps any. Perhaps someone that uses your kind of ferts can join in.

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Hi RG,

Update to from where I started - I was able to get nice plants of Japanese Maple, Caladiums, Indian Basil and they were doing fine.

I had to go on Vacation and moved the plants to my friends house, but monkeys attached his balcony, yes monkeys :roll:

They chewed away the spinach seedlings, the sunflower plants, curry leaves, Indian basil, Zinnia, balsam and pretty much everything.

My friend didn't care for them enough, he over watered them and hence mostly all are dead.

When I returned back, only Lemongrass and curry leaves were alive. Rest all they had scooped them clean.

Anyways, I started again. I got celled inserts, 2x4 small tray with inserts. Each cell around 3x3 inches and 6 inches deep.

This time I have sown, hybrid chillies, russian sun flower (this grows the fastest), Zinnia and Marmande tomatoes.

I covered the tray but I started seeing fungus on it, so I took it off. Plus now we have got decent rainfall here, so temperature has come down to around 25-30 Degrees C. Although its still quite humid.

The medium was a mix of coco peat + soil + dried cow dung manure.

I wanted to know if I need any special care for any of the above seedlings?

I have also sown Ornamental Cabbage (KALE) and lettuce and Marmande Tomatoes separately.

Tried to search on this forum and google a lot, about growing above but couldn't find much.

Could you help me with any tips that I should keep in mind?
I will be uploading their pictures soon.

Bluesteel514
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wow, great write up. Lots of information I didn't know. Hopefully will give me better results.

Betsy Muse
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I wish I'd seen this thread last year. I had my most successful year planting my entire garden with plants I started from seed. I also supplied one friend and my mother with plants for their smaller gardens.

I'm lucky to have a Southern, southern exposure in a large window that spans a small room leading out to our deck, so I have set up some plastic shelves to hold my trays of plants.

A lot of my success last year was luck (I know b/c I have no clue why last year was so different from the previous years.) so I will use this thread to guide me along as I try to repeat starting my garden off indoors.

I had 32 pepper plants (variety of sweet & hot) and 34 tomato plants (3 varieties) and I would have never been able to afford that many plants.

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Rainbow - and all of you thanks so much for the great info :clap: Since I am starting from seed for the first time in a very long time I have been avidily reading everyting that all of you post. I will be starting my seeds on the patio with lights. Since temps will ocassionally still be getting into the low 40's the idea of heating pads is just what I was missing. Overhead warmth and radient heat from the house won't be enough. The heating pads will do the trick. The tomato varieties are new to me so I have to do some more research on germination temps. Thanks one and all. Great post Rainbow.

:lol: LOVE this forum :!:

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ElizabethB
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I was planning on starting my seeds in 6 packs - should I start them in 4" nursery pots instead? I have plenty of both. Transplanting to the garden will be early to mid March depending on the weather.

Thanks again.

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ReptileAddiction
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I would do the 4 inch pots just because it would mean they would be able to go longer with less disturbances to the roots.

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ElizabethB wrote:I was planning on starting my seeds in 6 packs - should I start them in 4" nursery pots instead? I have plenty of both. Transplanting to the garden will be early to mid March depending on the weather.

Thanks again.
I start most of my seedlings in 1020 open flats. Then prick and transplant.

If we are talking strictly tomatoes, than up potting many times is how I like doing them. Start them out in open trays. Prick and transplant deeper into 4" pots. If they don't sell, I will pull from the 4" and plant deeper into 6" square gallons. Each time planting them right up to the bottom leaves. Progressively enlarging the root system.

Eric

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ReptileAddiction
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I do the same thing except I go straight to the 4 inchers. Then I put them in some larger pot (deeper obviously) then when they outgrow those they go into their permanent location.

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rainbowgardener
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I start mine in the little cells. Transplanting never seems to bother them, in fact the tomatoes benefit from it, because every time I transplant them, I set them deeper, which increases their root system.

Starting them in the little cells in mainly a space saver. I have 16 linear feet of lights, but that is not a lot for how many plants I start from seed and space is at a premium. And I only run two heat mats. I don't want to add more, because I already feel like this operation sucks a lot of power. I crowd everything in to the little cells. After they have sprouted and have a pair of true leaves, they get moved off the heat mats, in to their own individual cells. When they outgrow those, they get moved into the 4" pots. I don't up pot after that, just put them in the ground or the large containers they will live in.

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I agree with those who start in 4 inch pots. My location is quite warm from the large southern exposure window and my seedlings seem to outgrow the little cells much too quickly.

Last year the plants I started in pots were much healthier because (I'm assuming) I didn't have to transplant them as quickly and they weren't transplanted as many times.

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rainbowgardener
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I don't know. Most of my plants get transplanted three times: From crowded in the cells (saving room on the heat mats) to one per cell, to 4" pots, to the ground or permanent residence. They seem to respond well to transplanting, showing a growth spurt each time.

Most of what you will grow needs the bottom heat for good germinating. It seems like if you try to start things spaced out nicely in 4" pots, you will need A LOT of heat mats, which are big power suckers. It's why I start things so crowded. I run 2 heating pads 24/7 from some time in Jan to about May 1. I already feel bad about how much energy my seed starting operation uses, I don't want to add more.

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Aida
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Hi rainbowgardener!

I have three questions:

1. Is it recommended to start ALL seeds in containers? I would really prefer to start my seeds in containers, as it seems that everytime the little seed packet says "start outdoors" I dig up and prepare a huge patch, only to have a handful even sprout. :roll:

2. Are the lights necessary? Can I just get any old fluroscent tubes at a hardware store? How long do they need to stay under these lights, usually?(I'm interested in sunflowers, strawberries, tomatoes, radishes)
I'm asking because I have no garage or attic to set up a whole chain-pulled light system, so I would have to resort to keeping the containers in my room, the lights propped up on books or whatever.

3. I'm really confused when it comes to compost, blood meal, bone meal, fertilizers, etc. I've never used anything like that, I don't have a compost pile, and no time to start one(I need to plant!). Do you have any articles explaining this? In terms of seed starting, can I buy these things at a hardware store? How much of what in each container?(I think I'll use yoghurt cups and nothing much bigger, and then transplant outside once they outgrow those)

Jeez louise, I'm sorry for bombarding you with all of this. If anyone else can answer, please do!
Thanks a ton in advance.

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rainbowgardener
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Aida wrote:Hi rainbowgardener!

I have three questions:

1. Is it recommended to start ALL seeds in containers? I would really prefer to start my seeds in containers, as it seems that everytime the little seed packet says "start outdoors" I dig up and prepare a huge patch, only to have a handful even sprout. :roll:

2. Are the lights necessary? Can I just get any old fluroscent tubes at a hardware store? How long do they need to stay under these lights, usually?(I'm interested in sunflowers, strawberries, tomatoes, radishes)
I'm asking because I have no garage or attic to set up a whole chain-pulled light system, so I would have to resort to keeping the containers in my room, the lights propped up on books or whatever.

3. I'm really confused when it comes to compost, blood meal, bone meal, fertilizers, etc. I've never used anything like that, I don't have a compost pile, and no time to start one(I need to plant!). Do you have any articles explaining this? In terms of seed starting, can I buy these things at a hardware store? How much of what in each container?(I think I'll use yoghurt cups and nothing much bigger, and then transplant outside once they outgrow those)

Jeez louise, I'm sorry for bombarding you with all of this. If anyone else can answer, please do!
Thanks a ton in advance.
If you read back starting at the beginning of this thread, some of these questions have already been answered, but I'll try again.

1. Not all seed. It depends on what. Some things like carrots and root crops generally, do not transplant well and really need to be direct seeded in the ground. Some things that are quick growing and cold tolerant, like lettuce, there's not a whole lot of advantage to starting them indoors (and a little disadvantage in having to harden them off), so they typically are direct seeded, but can be started indoors if you want to. Advantage of starting indoors is that they can be babied more, more protection, perfect conditions.

2. Some supplemental light is pretty much necessary. This can be ordinary shop lights with fluorescent tubes. But the lights need to be just a couple inches over the plants. "sunflowers, strawberries, tomatoes, radishes" Strawberries are not started from seed, they are very difficult that way. Once danger of frost is past, look in garden stores or on line and buy plants. They are very cheap, like 25 plants for $12 and you only ever have to buy them once. Radishes are one of those root crops that you really need to plant directly in the ground. They are very fast and easy that way. Sunflowers are quick growing and don't really need to be started indoors, but can be. Tomatoes and peppers are the most commonly indoor started. They will end up being indoors under the lights, 8 - 10 weeks, depending on your climate. Your lighting set up doesn't need to take up very much room. If you have a spare closet somewhere, that works great as a little seed starting room.

3. Compost, blood meal, etc are soil additives for outdoors. For indoors all you need is basic potting soil with Miracle Gro already in it (which is the commonest way potting soil is sold).

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Aida
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Ok, thank you! :)

I'll read back more carefully to see the other answers as well.

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For indoors all you need is basic potting soil with Miracle Gro already in it (which is the commonest way potting soil is sold).
Blah!

Eric

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rainbowgardener
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I do understand... I don't use the MG anywhere else, only for indoor seed starting and I am working on quitting that and making my own potting soil.

But for beginners, it really is the easiest and most fool proof, rather than trying to mess around with anything else for indoor seed starting, trying to figure out what to add when and how. I never recommend synthetics for outdoor/garden use.

DoubleDogFarm
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rainbowgardener wrote:I do understand... I don't use the MG anywhere else, only for indoor seed starting and I am working on quitting that and making my own potting soil.

But for beginners, it really is the easiest and most fool proof, rather than trying to mess around with anything else for indoor seed starting, trying to figure out what to add when and how. I never recommend synthetics for outdoor/garden use.
Rainbow, Just a little tease. It is good advice, but I'm pretty sure there are seed starting mixes, near everyone, without synthetic fertilizers.

Rainbow, I like this persons idea. Maybe you should give it try.
I also use my worm bin leachate for watering plants with. I just suck it out of the drip tray with a turkey baster and put it in the watering can and add water. I may not be diluting it quite as much as applestar, something like roughly 1 part leachate to 4 parts water. I just use it right away, so don't bother aerating.

I know it is not worm casting tea, but it is enriched organic stuff. I have to get it out of the tray anyway, so the tray doesn't overflow. So why not put it on my plants? Right now it is just house plants. Later it will be my indoor seedlings.
Eric

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rainbowgardener
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:)

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Location: Fort Wayne, IN

I have some 1/2" thick cedar left over from the fence, and have been planning on using it to make some seed flats. I know that 3" and 6" (?) are "standard" depths, but was wondering what the typical dimensions of a wood seed flat are? 10" x 20" 12" x 18" does it matter?

:?

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

It only matters in that it fits your space/equipment. I use 10x20" trays, because the cell inserts fit in them, the 3.5" square pots fit evenly in them. 20" is the depth of my counter that they sit on. And two 2-tube fluorescent shop lights run crosswise across them cover the whole flat with light.

You might have other equipment/space constraints.

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

One aspect you might consider is the weight of moistened soil mix+wood that has absorbed moisture+the largest size plants growing in them. Would you be able to lift them/move them around easily? You are less likely to want to work with them if they take effort to do so.

The other is if you are using lights, the best configuration seems to be 4 tubes across the rectangular flats laid perpendicular to the direction of the tubes, but if you are making custom sizes, you could maybe make 1/2 the standard 1020 size.

You might also want to consider how many would neatly fit on the grow shelf or bench/table you will be using. Remember this might be related to the weight question -- I.e. existing surfaces or new surfaces that can support the weight without bowing, etc that may interfere with even watering.

ALSO, it's a coincidence that you mentioned using fence pickets because I recently received soil block makers as a gift and was thinking about making trays to hold the blocks out of them. If you ever consider soil blocks, you'll want sizes that would accomodate the sizes of your blocks neatly and will want one of the sides to be removable, though if you are handy, you may just make custom trays separate from seed flats. Wish I had leftover cedar pickets like you though. :wink:

imafan26
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I actually start my seed outdoors but because single cells take up too much space on my bench,(some cells always die off), I grow in compots (community pots).
I like to use 4 or six inch pots or recycled tofu containers. It is best for me to have a large surface area but only 2-3 inches deep.
I use moistened peatlite with a little osmocote added. Peat is hard to wet so it is important that the media be moistened first. I've also used Miracle grow potting soil. It works but is more expensive than peatlite. I sometimes will use recycled potting mix.
I put anywhere from 4 (cucumber) to 15 (pepper, mesclun) or more (green onions) in a pot.
The pot goes out on an open bench on trays. I use a second tray as a cover for pepper seeds. The doves will pick the seeds out of the pots if I don't. I water the bench once a day unless it rains hard enough.
Once the plants have sprouted and have true leaves I transplant to larger pots or to the ground.[/b]



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