rookie mistake need advice please.
Hi everyone I made the rookie mistake of too many ice burg lettuce seeds in a cell and they are only 4 days old but they are growing like crazy. I'm un sure on my next step with this. I have also planted spinich, cantalope, snow peas, cucumbers, tender sweet carrots. I started all of these 4 days ago. The lettuce, cucumbers, and snow peas are all staring to break the soil. This is my first time with seeds that worked. Any help would be great thanks in advance!
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IndyGerdener
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applestar
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Make sure they are getting sufficient light. "growing like crazy" can sometimes be that they are merely stretching for more light. You want stout, stocky seedlings, Especialy heading lettuce like iceberg because they can't support the head on the seed stem below seed leaves. I recommend supplemental lighting with fluorescent light.
If you think they are healthy seedlings, it is possible to separate 4-day old seedlings by floating them soil mix and all in water. If they could be better, I'd say start again with only 2 (or 3) seeds per cell and clip off the extra one (small pointed embroidery scissors, nail/cuticle scissors work well for this purpose) so there is only one per cell.
I think it might be too early to start cucumbers and cantaloupe. You want to start them about 2-3 weeks before last frost and wait about 2 weeks after last frost to plant them out if you are in a hurry. Most cucumbers arne cantaloupe mature fast enough that you can sow them directly in the ground about a week to 2 weeks after last frost and still have good harvest. (unless you live in a very short growing season area -- you'll want to choose fast maturing varieties in that case.)
On the other hand, you may be able to sow snow peas and spinach directly in the ground outside already.
If you think they are healthy seedlings, it is possible to separate 4-day old seedlings by floating them soil mix and all in water. If they could be better, I'd say start again with only 2 (or 3) seeds per cell and clip off the extra one (small pointed embroidery scissors, nail/cuticle scissors work well for this purpose) so there is only one per cell.
I think it might be too early to start cucumbers and cantaloupe. You want to start them about 2-3 weeks before last frost and wait about 2 weeks after last frost to plant them out if you are in a hurry. Most cucumbers arne cantaloupe mature fast enough that you can sow them directly in the ground about a week to 2 weeks after last frost and still have good harvest. (unless you live in a very short growing season area -- you'll want to choose fast maturing varieties in that case.)
On the other hand, you may be able to sow snow peas and spinach directly in the ground outside already.
Thank you both for the fast responce and Yes they are streching for light. I did some reading after posting that. I'm thinking I'm going to have to start them over because they are white not green. I didnt notice them growing till this morning. I also burried them to deep. I did hurry and I now have them under light. I'm a total rookie here so please bare with me. I live up here in Washington so our last frost date is supposedly Mar 10th. Which is only a couple days away.
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stonefly327
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to add to what applestar said, I did the cucumber thing last year, starting them from seed. when I transplanted them into the garden, I also direct seeded for another trellis using the same variety and the ones direct seeded caught up to the transplants and produced as well and at the same time. determined it was a waste of time starting indoors