My seedlings.... Opinions?

[Gardener123]

The above are radishes... they sprouted 5 days ago... seem a bit leggy to me.





The above are Belize Pink Tomatoes.... they sprouted yesterday, after 6 days in seed starting mix.




This is everything that has sprouted..... beans and cukes are going BONKERS. Today was 7 days since they were planted.




This is my setup....... I added the 4' T12 light today.... the bulbs indicated they were for plants. The pictures look way darker than it really is. I "think" there is enough light...... I mean the cukes and beans were doing great even before adding that long light today.

On the left are all my super hot peppers. They are on a heating mat. They have only been planted about 5 days, I think, so they should not have sprouted yet. I will add two more clamp on lights when they sprout. Oh, and I do have "covers" for the peppers; they were just off at the time I took the photo; I wanted to take a close look at them.

Two questions..... The beans are already 6" high, so they should be up potted, right ( after cutting down all but the best one in each cup )?

And the ones that have real leaves no longer need to be on heating mats, correct?

Open to suggestions and opinions.... I'm pretty much a noob at starting seeds.

Thanks.

[applestar]

The radishes, beans, and cukes are for your "grow things from seeds and show the kids how they grow" experiment right? Not to actually grow to healthy plants?

As I said in that other thread, radish is good for sprouting fast but for growing under lights, they need enormous amount of strong light. Beans will grow in a spindly sort of way and will manage to bloom and bean pods in a sunny window, but hardly with the vigor in the summer garden. Cucumber, I have not tried indoors (was going to try it this winter, but tomatoes took over ... So next winter's NEW PROJECT!) -- anyway cukes need good light and warmth more than any other limiting factor during winter and root space.

OK, here are some radishes I grew for kicks earlier in the winter, constantly keeping the foliage 2" below my best high output 6500K 2-tube T-5 lights:


Both beans and cucumbers dislike their roots disturbed and are considered difficult to transplant.

I would have sown the beans directly in 2-L bottles or 1/2 gal milk/OJ carton cut off at the shoulder to avoid transplanting. But yes, try to get it in 1/2 gal minimum container one plant per pot. Beans have thick brittle roots. Did you inoculate your bean seeds? if not, I would sprinkle some rhizobium inoculant in the planting hole.

Cucumbers need a large pot. Cradle the rootball and gently place it in a roomy hole in the moistened relatively rich potting mix.

Tomatoes are off to a good start. Keep them no more than 1-2" below the T-12 tubes -- they can touch the T-12's without damage so keep them as close as you can -- and 2-3" from the CFL bulb which is hotter and can burn the leaves if within 1". Make sure the CFL is 100W equivalent and get 6500K Daylight. I have been using 5500K Natural Light when I replaced the ones that went bad without realizing it, and I think my tomatoes suffered after the switch. Around here, Lowes stock the 6500K CFL bulbs but Home Depot doesn't.

[Gardener123]

Thanks for the response.... I took some of your recommendations.... well, LOL, like clockwork, the peppers all started sprouting today, and I think it is day 7 for them, maybe 8.

Yes, apple those radishes were just basically fro fun, but if I can transplant and get them to grow, somebody will get them to eat. The beans were to see how fast they actually grow, but I have every hope that I can get those in the ground in about 2 - 3 weeks. I will have to, as they are now about 8" tall, and I don't want to give them a trellis to grow on yet..... No biggie if I lose them as I have lots more seeds and can plant them again, if needed.

TY

Oh, and since moving the radishes closer to the lights, they have started to look better, and more like the ones you are showing.

[Gardener123]

Aaaccck!

I added some new lights, and I guess the plants loved them.... the beans grew an inch today already, but ended up touching the CFL bulbs, and they got burnt.... I could smell it.... They should be fine, but not what I wanted to have happen today, LOL.