2014 Seeds Started!

[rainbowgardener]

I was looking at all the little seedlings and realized I couldn't really tell the curly parsley apart from the cilantro, except that the cilantro is bigger, growing faster. I haven't grown the curly parsley before, just flat, and I haven't done cilantro at all, so at first I thought I made a mistake. But I looked up pictures:


https://tinyfarmblog.com/wp-content/uplo ... ly_parsley[/b]_seedling.jpg



https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PR-Eg9sJfYY/T ... ]Coriander[/b]7A.JPG

They do look quite a bit alike, at least at this stage (which is about where mine are). Are they related or is it just coincidence.

[applestar]

Hah! Interesting. My cilantro self seeds outside so I never took the opportunity to compare before....

I think maybe a distinction is parsley seed leaves are pointier... and perhaps cilantro true leaves are thinner and less stiffly held?

...I've been playing iPad games "spot the difference" "search for objects" (usually very detailed hand drawn pictures in which objects or pieces of objects are placed in plain or camoflaged areas) -- then realized I play this "game" all the time when gardening -- when volunteer seedlings emerge, plant ID, looking for pests like aphids, tomato leaf miners, or (currently) overwintering brown marmorated stinkbugs among the plants....

[inuyashalover21]

Got my herbs, veggies and flowers going right now. 4 flats under a grow light. So far my Big Dipper bell peppers, swamp milkweed, plains coreopsis, lantana and my tomatillo have sprouts.

[rainbowgardener]

Planted my first two tomato varieties yesterday: Better Boy hybrid and Early Cherry. It's a few days early from when I said I would plant tomatoes, but I couldn't resist. More to come! Also planted the green basil. Starting on the warmer weather stuff, spring is coming!

I thought your signature line was interesting, inuyasha. Lists 8 large Aerogardens, which are for indoor gardening and then says "I am addicted the outdoors." Mildly contradictory. I have one of the small aerogardens that I use for winter herbs and then turn off in the spring.

[rainbowgardener]

YAY!! It is 45 degrees and sunny and the first two trays of potted seedlings went out in the sunshine -- broccoli, cabbage, spinach, cilantro. I have more of all of those indoors, if I somehow manage to kill these, starting them out so early. But it is going up to 66 tomorrow, time to get them out in it!! This is the time of year when I watch the weather forecast very closely and things go in and out a lot.

[applestar]

I hope that weather is coming our way soon -- it's pouring rain outside right now... Melting the accumulated snow (some drifts up to around 18"-20" deep judging by how high up the rabbit fences they are)

[skiingjeff]

Finally got some of my broccoli and kohlrabi seeds started!

I wish it was anywhere close to 45 degrees here. We have highs only in the 30's still

But at least we're getting the seeds started now that we are back home - Yay!

Can't wait for the little guys to pop out of the soil.....

[rainbowgardener]

Amazing what a bit of sunshine will do!! My broccoli have now been out for most of two days (coming back in for the nights), in a spot that gets mostly only morning sun. In those two days they have nearly doubled in size and are looking fuller and healthier and darker green. Even though they will grow under the lights, it's really not the same.

[rainbowgardener]

First tomato seedlings are up! They are Stupice, which is an ultra-early, and sprouted in TWO days. The early cherry and Better Boy have not shown yet and they were planted one day sooner. The rest of the tomatoes haven't even been planted yet, but it is time.

[rainbowgardener]

I started noticing that some of my little seedlings didn't seem to be growing as much as I would expect. My first thought was the soil, so I tried amping it up a bit more with coffee grounds and alfalfa pellets. But I noticed that the celery planted in Miracle Gro was actually not doing as well as the celery in my home made soil. Then I noticed that the stuff in pots that got moved up to the upper level started doing a lot better. The upper level has the newest light tubes. The lower level especially where the stuff is that is thriving least has the oldest light tubes, at least 15 years old. So I took a couple of them out and put some of the newer ones in (since I am currently only using 12 of the 16 tubes). I'll give it a few days and see if they perk up any.

The plants were not getting leggy, but a bit pale and faded and just not thriving or growing much. The bulbs still did not seem to be dark at the ends. It may be why the stuff that has been going outside perked up so much with actual sunshine.

They say you should replace the tubes a lot sooner than that. I always said I would replace them if and when the plants didn't seem to be doing well. This may be that time.

The "newer" ones that I replaced them with were still T12's, though I do have some T8 and even a couple T5. I suppose for real comparison, I should have swapped for the T5.

It's the advantage of years of experience doing this. If I didn't have a mental image of what they should look like, I might not have noticed for longer that they weren't really doing well.

[skiingjeff]

Well, my broccoli have sprouted and 2 of my Kohlrabi are sprouting!!!!

It is always a thrill to see them poke out of the soil.

I was away yesterday and got home today to find the little guys coming up

[ReptileAddiction]

My purple basil is up. The rest of the seedlings go out almost every day and go into the greenhouse at night.

[applestar]

Sounds great! I think between yesterday's thunderstorm and today's sun the snow finally disappeared enough to see the ground. My patio table had no snow on it. It looks almost strange -- I got used to seeing white all over.

I could have put my seedlings outside too, but I stepped on something and have a cut on the bottom of my foot that is exactly where the bone presses as you take a step. Ouch. My babies will have to stay inside for a while longer.

[rainbowgardener]

Oh ouch, indeed! Sorry, applestar.

Anyone have any thoughts about how often you replace your fluorescent tubes?

[IndyGerdener]

Anyone have any thoughts about how often you replace your fluorescent tubes?

I have heard at least every 3 years. But I say if if it stops the growing process then change them, but if it works don't change it.

[skiingjeff]

Oh ouch, indeed! Sorry, applestar.

Anyone have any thoughts about how often you replace your fluorescent tubes?

A typical flourescent light lasts approximately 20,000 hours but the quality of light output gradually decreases over time around the half life point. This is based on running it for about 3 hours at a time. Life expectancy can increase to 34,000 hours if the light is left on for 24 hours each time.

So using the minimum 20,000 hours scenario to be safe, if you run for 16 hours a day for 3 months, you get 625 days or 7 to 8 years before you reach the midpoint of 10,000 hours and start losing light quality.

So if you got 15 years before you noticed a decrease in growth, you either did really well or you run your lights for less than 3 months time

Sometimes being a numbers geek has its advantages

[Jardin du Fort]

Just thought I'd pipe in here to say I'm still alive. Sounds like you have things well in hand. This year is NOT a year for me to be starting the garden early, so will be concentrating on "summer" crops in my currently small bed.... Probably same as last year until I get a chance to enlarge the area later in the summer.

Here in the Fort we still have about 3" of snow on the ground that hasn't melted from the 4 days of thaw last week. I still have mega piles of snow either side of the driveway, and there is not currently any thaw in the 10 day forecast! Aside from being the coldest winter on record, we are about 2" shy of being the winter with the most snow.

So, anyhow I'm thinking about starting my tomatoes and peppers &c from seed this year. Last year I started too late and had to get plants from the local organic gardener..... From what little I remember, mid to late February is the right time to be starting seeds around here. Hmmmm.

[rainbowgardener]

This:

https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-in ... te-map.php

says your average last frost date is May1 - May 10. That's at least a couple weeks later than mine, so you have a bit of time yet. I have decided over the years that it doesn't work well for me to start tomatoes from seed any earlier than 7 weeks ahead of my av. last frost date. Even using the early end of the range, that would give you a couple weeks yet to get it together.

Peppers are a little different story though, being a lot slower. I start mine about three weeks sooner than the tomatoes. But you won't be too late if you get them started right away.

Not sure about the "and etc."

Here in Cincinnati, we have had record, season to date snowfall, 18", just about exactly double the average.

[Jardin du Fort]

Thanks Rainbow.

Although the "average last frost" is May 1 - 10, my experience shows that there is often a late frost later in the month. I don't really feel "safe" setting out vulnerable plants until around the 20th or so. I am hoping to actually get a hoop-house built this year, which, if built over the Solanums, they would enjoy the warmth, and get an extended season. At least until I plant the (hopefully) overwintering crops....

[rainbowgardener]

Oh sigh... after a little warm up, polar vortex is back. Our ten day forecast has only one day where the HIGH is above freezing. Thurs night it goes down to 7 chilly degrees. I have four trays of cold weather stuff that I have been trying to get hardened off. But I don't feel very successful at it, since they keep coming back in. I don't think they can withstand 7 degrees, so I have to find somewhere to keep them for at least the next few days... Normals for the period would be aboout 50 / 32, which would be perfect for all the broccoli, cabbage, etc.

[applestar]

I KNOW! My broccoli won't grow -- the unheated garage gets too cold. Still no more than seed leaves. Some of the early sprouters -- Pac choi I think, and cardinal chard with true leaves are wilty but hanging tough. Leeks are happy though.

[Jardin du Fort]

I've come to the conclusion that the National Weather Service has no idea how to make a long range forecast. I look at the forecast map and it is all about statistics. I suppose that is as it should be. My question is what data they use to make their statistical analysis. I won't get into that here, but I think they are missing the boat on accurate data.

Anyhow, their prediction for MY location for 30 days is below normal temps. Go figure. My local 10 day forecast has nothing above freezing, with a few dips below zero. As Applestar said, another Polar Vortex!

My thinking is that in the next years, weather systems are going to become increasingly erratic and unpredictable. That is why I plan on including a hoop-house in the garden as soon as possible. It should provide a protection all year round for at least some of the worst Mother Nature has to throw at us....

I'm shopping for seeds. Burpee Organics and (hopefully) heirloom varieties are readily available at the local M store, so I'll be starting there. I need to get around to ordering the others a.s.a.p. They also carry the coconut coir pots, so I'll pick up a bunch of those too....

[rainbowgardener]

On a different topic, my pots of home made soil have been sprouting some little grassy weeds, not tons and tons, but one here and one there, until over time I have probably pulled at least 20 of them. A few of them pulled out with the seed still attached and I looked at it and realized .... they are RICE !! Look just like this:


https://www.ikisan.com/crop%20specific/e ... 0rice3.JPG

I thought the rice hulls were supposed to be just the outer coat, but apparently a few actual grains of rice get mixed in there.

So my new organic, sustainable potting mix is very lively! It sprouts some mushrooms and some rice seedlings. I kind of like it, that it is full of life. It isn't so many rice seedlings that it is a hassle to just pull them. Who knows, now that I know what they are, maybe I will put a few of those in a pot...

[applestar]

maybe I will put a few of those in a pot...

I was going to say that! It would be fun even just to say you did.

You can grow rice in buckets, tubs or kiddie pools minimum 8-12" depth with 6-8 inches of loam in the bottom. 2-6 inches of water. Don't use anything that floats (good thing you are not using perlite ). Simply add feeder goldfish/minnows for mosquito control -- you won't need fish food they'll fend for themselves.

You can also try dry growing rice dry-land with occasional flooding.

Ideally, the rice seedlings should be planted out with the tomatoes (temp in the 50's).

P.S. Pulled rice sprouts could be allowed to dry out and used as mulch or simply mixed into the potting mix -- sprouted seeds would be pretty nutritious. With the hulls on, you won't be able to eat them yourself though....

[rainbowgardener]

OK so I screwed up already and managed to get the labels mixed up, so now I'm not sure which are my California wonder bell peppers and which are my Anaheim chili pepper plants. Any way to tell them apart as seedlings? Last year when I grew them, the chilis seemed to be distinctly slower growing and less leafy than the bells. This year, these were all planted the same time and so far with 2 pair of true leaves, I'm really not seeing any reliable difference.

[applestar]

Oh don't you hate it when that happens -- you draw a blank and realize you have no certainty that the label belongs with the plant (or the group of plants).

I remember Poblano pepper plants were much darker in color overall but I don't remember about Anaheims.

..could Anaheim leaves be larger or narrower?

[rainbowgardener]

Yeah, if I'm remembering right from last year, the chili leaves were narrower. I think I am just going to have to be patient and wait for them to reveal themselves....

[rainbowgardener]

So I am at a complete standstill now until the weather breaks. I have 16 trays of seedlings under the lights, which means the space is FULL. Half of them are cold weather stuff that ordinarily would be out by now, at least on the deck hardening off. So I currently have no room to plant anything else or to uncrowd the stuff that is crowded in little cells.

It is snowing right now and will keep it up all night until tomorrow AM. Tomorrow night the low is in single digits again. After that it starts warming up, but it looks like Thurs until I could start taking things out again. ...

Means everything is going to be behind schedule and then April and May are predicted to be warmer than usual, so all the cold weather stuff will just bolt ... This is why NOT to be a farmer! It's amazing we ever get any crops at all.

[applestar]

Yeah the little ones keep sprouting but the big ones aren't/can't move along....

I was wondering if you ever considered putting up a cold frame on one (or more) of your raised beds. Maybe it's time to go recycle some windows (or put up hoops and plastic film). I mentioned wanting to do that last year and never got around to it -- I have it on my list of things to accomplish this year (again).

[rainbowgardener]

Yeah, sometimes I do cover a raised bed and sometimes I make my little enclosed shelf system and sometimes I just don't get it together.

It's mid- March and seed starting is in full swing. I planted one more tomato variety, New Hampshire Surecrop, because one of my customers asked for high acid tomatoes and NH is rated as one of the highest. Planted cardinal climber, have nasturtium seeds soaking. (These are more of the 1998 collection I was given, so I don't know - most of those I have tried have done nothing.)

But I currently have 8 trays of cold weather stuff back sitting in my office, because it will be snowing later today and super cold tonight... Broccoli, cabbage, spinach, celery, parsley, dill, cilantro, and some anise hyssop. Most of them are transplant size and can go in the ground as soon as weather and the ground cooperate.

Under lights there are now 14 trays of seeds/seedlings....

[rainbowgardener]

Oh sigh... I am trying and trying to get all my cold weather stuff (NINE trays of it now) hardened off. Once hardened it is pretty tough and frost tolerant. But it keeps having to come back in, which slows hardening down. Tues night it went down to 12 degrees and they came back in. Stayed in all day yesterday until now, partly because it was still cold and partly just because I was gone all day from early in the AM and didn't have time to get them out when it might have been warm enough (high yesterday just above freezing).

So the high today is supposed to be 30 degrees higher than the high yesterday (early spring drives me crazy!) and I should get them out. Except that I was looking at the weather forecast and we are supposed to have cloudy with 25 mile an hour winds all afternoon. High wind is really hard on seedlings, probably even more than cold. I suppose I can take them out and put them in some protected spot like under the bench.

Season clock is ticking on by and the time left until it suddenly is too hot for all this stuff is getting smaller.

[Jardin du Fort]

Oh sigh... Season clock is ticking on by and the time left until it suddenly is too hot for all this stuff is getting smaller.

This is one of the big reasons I am planning on putting up a polytunnel, as the Brit's say. This has been an exceptionally hard winter in all respects, and likely we will not see the likes of it for some time, but the last several years have seen all kinds of wierd weather and I don't really trust the "normal" weather pattern any more.

Keep the upward perspective!

[rainbowgardener]

Planted various squashes today (acorn, butternut, yellow crookneck). Probably a little too early, but oh well.

So that is the very last!! Nothing else gets planted indoors!

Tons of stuff that needs to get potted up. I am churning through potting soil as fast as I can mix it up!

[rainbowgardener]

Here's another look at what it is looking like. I meant to get a picture from farther back to show the whole scene, but I guess that didn't happen (or it didn't make it from the I-pad to here).

The whole area under my 16 running feet of lights is full! This is peak of seed starting season and lots of work to keep up with up-potting, etc.

16 trays of plants under the lights and a dozen more hardening outside and a bunch of stuff planted already and a little bit sold already!

[rainbowgardener]

On the downhill side now, potting everything up and moving it out as fast as I can. Both heat mats are unplugged now.


Memo to self: Don't let all the southerners on helpfulgardener talking about their tomatoes make you crazy! I planted tomato seed on 2/20 and that was still too early. Tomatoes got leggy and burned at the top from growing into the fluorescent light fixtures when there was no more room to raise them. Next year I could really wait until Mar 1. Wait... wait.... wait.... wait....

Starting the peppers at the beginning of Feb was ok though. Just have to do better at keeping them labeled!

[applestar]

ditto on when to start tomatoes!

...but this year, part of the problem has been the weather -- I think you would have had most of them outside hardened off and even planted by now, and I would be toting them out and in for just one more week. As it is, mine are hitting the lights with versions scorch marks on the leaves as well as some sunburn from when they were outside for the all too brief heat wave that was followed by the dip into mid-20's.

Trouble is, when they go outside, they seem to explode into growth and sometimes seems like they won't fit back under the lights they came out of just that morning.

I need to uppot most of the rest, then start hardening off -- couple more weeks before planting out, I think.

[skiingjeff]

Most of my cold weather stuff is hardened off now (broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi). Tomorrow I plan to get most of it planted into the garden along with some more snow peas. Of the 72 snow peas I planted about a week ago only 26 have sprouted

Yesterday I up potted about 58 various veggies and flowers. I have more to go but they can wait a while longer as they are mostly warm weather stuff and we are still getting nights in the mid to upper 20's for the next couple of days.

My salvia pretty much all have flowers as well as some of my cosmos but it is too cold to plant out yet because of the nights.

On a side note the hummingbird feeder is out and awaiting the arrival of the hummers soon

Can't wait for 40+ degree nights!

[applestar]

I'm chancing sowing peas a little late (for me) too. They are pre-germinating right now using the jar method since my sprouters are being used to pre-germinate corn as well as squash and melon seeds (another experimental technique I haven't posted about yet )

[rainbowgardener]

Everything is potted up, the first two sets of lights (4 tubes) are turned off, the tomatoes and peppers and basil are outside hardening off, and everything else is coming out as soon as I can make room.


Bringing things out is complicated by the fact that my partner decided that the deck (where things come out to) has to be refinished right NOW (sigh). So all of the deck furniture is on one half of the deck while the other is stained and dries and I can barely get to the plants....

This coming Sun is the big church plant sale, so a ton of stuff will disappear and life will get easier! I managed to kill off all the marigolds ( they were so pretty, in bloom already) and some of the coleus, because they didn't get brought in, in the last cold snap. The seed starting operation this time of year is just so complicated, it is hard to stay on top of everything. 16 trays under lights (until the past few days), more than that out doors, 5 - 10 trays going in and out and which category what plants are in keeps changing all the time....

[applestar]

Oh bummer about the marigolds and coleus

I can hardly keep up with just a select few things I'm taking out and in right now -- last night at 10PM, rushed outside to bring back the fig that is starting to form itty bitty fig flower buds and the experimental tomato seedlings in the bottles, looked around and decided to put a few of the plants (tea, inside wintered rosemary, etc) closer to the house -- all because of a frost advisory that I caught at the last minute.

This morning, it was 31°F and patchy frost on the lawn.

So I can't imagine the complicated work involved with plants that are meant to be sold.
Does the rest of the week look favorable? Good luck!