Scallions & Jalapeno Seedlings Wilting and Withering

[aovaici]

Hiya folks, first of all I want to say thank you for any help that is offered.. Now, that being said..

I have watched a few youtube videos and decided to mess around and try to see if I could grow some plants from seed to maturity. I admit I should have done FAR more research. But it seems that I was lucky enough to get a few results.. and just need help diagnosing why they look so desperate now after germinating.. Please see pictures below. I used a mix of peat to start growth and horse manure (only other soil I had lying around).

The problem: My scallions are all looking fallen over, almost withering. How do I know if I am under/over watering and what the issues are? Also the Jalapenos I heard are supposed to be happiest when very warm so I put them in a clear Burger King cup and covered it with Saran Wrap over the time.. But the seedlings were doing well before I did that and they started to die after.. what did I do wrong?

Thanks all

[applestar]

Where are you located and what are the daytime and night time temps like now?

Onion family plants like it cool and can be grown with less sun -- like early spring or late fall but jalappeno's need warm temps and will need more sun. But depending on the temperature, tightly covered like that in the full sun could cook them. Most likely, the two kinds of seedlings won't be happy in the same location.

Thermometer is your friend when growing seedlings.

Also, once seedlings sprout, they need air circulation. You can punch ventilation holes -- a good way is to make holes at soil level and at top of the cover to create a thermal current. But if the temperature is warm enough, then the covers should be removed completely -- gradually so as not to shock them if they already have leaves.

Very important -- do these containers have drainage holes?

We'll figure this out -- it's a lot of fun to grow from seeds and once you have the hang of it, there are so many things you can grow!

[aovaici]

Where are you located and what are the daytime and night time temps like now?

Onion family plants like it cool and can be grown with less sun -- like early spring or late fall but jalappeno's need warm temps and will need more sun. But depending on the temperature, tightly covered like that in the full sun could cook them. Most likely, the two kinds of seedlings won't be happy in the same location.

Thermometer is your friend when growing seedlings.

Also, once seedlings sprout, they need air circulation. You can punch ventilation holes -- a good way is to make holes at soil level and at top of the cover to create a thermal current. But if the temperature is warm enough, then the covers should be removed completely -- gradually so as not to shock them if they already have leaves.

Very important -- do these containers have drainage holes?

We'll figure this out -- it's a lot of fun to grow from seeds and once you have the hang of it, there are so many things you can grow!

Well right now.. The temps are high 50's low 60's during the day, and 32-38 at night. I bring the seedlings in at night so they don't frost over, since last week it was a low of 20's.

As far as air flow I figured that I was basically killing the plants by covering them so I removed the covers.. Perhaps for the jalapenos even though I *think* it wasn't too hot with the tops covered becasue there was 0 holes perhaps there wasn't enough CO2?

And no.. Are drainage holes necessary even if I try not to over water?

And what soil would be best? I just tossed together some peets I bought at store and horse manure but if I do it again should I use something else for my seeds? Miracle gro or something?

[aovaici]

Hah just read this... This is PROBABLY some of the issue..

https://urbanext.illinois.edu/containerg ... ainage.cfm

[applestar]

Yep. Peppers need well draining growing mix and hate sitting in soggy soil. Onions too though not as sensitive. Both must have drainage holes.

Those temps are too low for the peppers -- they should stay inside under some kind of a light set up and better with bottom heat (Check out the stickies at the top of the seed starting forum then come back with questions)

Onions should be able to manage but don't leave them out if freezing. 40's or above would be good, 50-60's is perfect.

If it's well aged 1-2 yr/composted horse manure _ I.e. Bottom of the pile/mixed with dirt, looks and smells like dirt -- absolutely no ammonia -- and nothing recognizable _ then 2:2:1 of (composted manure):(peat):COARSE SAND (like the kind that might be used for a riding ring) could work. Maybe 1:2:1 for seed starting.

[imafan26]

The green onions can handle soil that is wet better than the peppers, but even they can rot if the soil is too wet.

Make sure your container has holes.

Congratulations on getting the pepper to germinate. It is hard to get peppers to germinate unless night temperatures are close to 70. They either fail to germinate or germinate poorly and die quickly.

It would be better to germinate the seedlings indoors with a heat mat or under lights. Peppers grow slowly so they can be germinated about 8-10 weeks before your last frost date. Plan on hardening them off once the day temperatures are consistently in the 60's.

Your seeds can be germinated in foil roasting pans or Styrofoam coffee cups, but put some drain holes in the pan and make sure after you water, the pan is not sitting in water.

Soil mix. I would not use fresh manures in any soil mix. It contains too much nitrogen and manures should be composted first.
I use 1 gallon peat moss, 1 gallon perlite, 2 tablespoons of osmocote in my seed starting mix. You can leave out the osmocote if you plan on feeding fish emulsion or some other liquid fertilizer once the true leaves have appeared on the seedlings.

Other people use coir, compost and rice hulls. It does not work for me because coir and compost hold too much water for me and I do not have a ready source of rice hulls.

Regular miracle grow potting soil (do not use moisture control) also works fine as a seed starting mix.

Once outside you need to make sure the site you have chosen has been amended with compost and drains well. It should get at least 6 hours of full sun. Look up the specific guides for the plants you have to determine when to plant and how far apart they need to be. When plants are young it will look like you have a lot of extra space, but plants need to be spaced to accommodate them at maturity.

https://www.extension.iastate.edu/publications/pm819.pdf
https://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/ve ... nsive.html

Now is the best time to plan your garden for next year. You should draw a plan for your garden whether it is in ground, raised bed or containers and site them where they will get the most sun. Select what you most want to grow. Research each plant's requirements and best planting dates. You can check out seed catalogs on line. It is always best to use fresh seed but older seeds will work for most plants if they are properly stored. The seeds for the new year will be out soon and you can request catalogs be sent to you when they come out. Mine are just starting to come in. It is easy to go overboard so make a list of what you would like and then prioritize to what is actually practical to plant. You may be able to trade seeds on the forum or get seeds from friends, or you may just buy a transplant if all you need is one or two. Make the garden only as big as you can handle it. As you gain in experience you can expand the garden.
Below is a link to a garden planning tool. No eraser required.
https://www.gardeners.com/on/demandware. ... Page-KGPJS

https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/ag-06.html