- applestar
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Re: Finally! Off to a haphazard start for the 2014 season
OhioTiller - if your warm set up isn't ready, start with the cool tolerant crops. My unheated garage "V8 Nursery" where I have the 3-tube t-12 and 4-tube t-8 lights is too cold still to put the tomato seedlings out there (35.8°F ATM) but as the tomato seedlings grow up, I will have to move out the cold tolerant seedlings to make room.... Anything that requires 50's and above will need to stay inside.
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Sprouted and transferred to growing tray tomato seedlings so far. It's a pretty nice assortment already
...Very slow to germinate. I think it's because overall, house temp has been much colder this winter and I don't have a thermostat regulated germinating system. I'm noticing more sprouted on days that have been warmer (like today )
I've replaced removed microblocks with new microblocks of basil and marigold seeds.
...Very slow to germinate. I think it's because overall, house temp has been much colder this winter and I don't have a thermostat regulated germinating system. I'm noticing more sprouted on days that have been warmer (like today )
I've replaced removed microblocks with new microblocks of basil and marigold seeds.
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Berkeley Tie-dye [heart] and a basil microblock germinated today.
Brought out the Salvia Blue Angel out of the cold strat fridge. Hopefully, they will be more willing to germinate in the cooler room temp than the tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and impatiens. (balsam BTW are growing way too eagerly ). Celery and petunia seedlings are doing well.
Upblocked the brassicas that have been sulking with only seed leaves in the garage all this time. Maybe they just need a good shot of nutrients. Tomorrow, I have to upblock the first to germinate Stump of the World tomato seedling which is outgrowing the microblock and sending a taproot out along the moist sand.
Brought out the Salvia Blue Angel out of the cold strat fridge. Hopefully, they will be more willing to germinate in the cooler room temp than the tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and impatiens. (balsam BTW are growing way too eagerly ). Celery and petunia seedlings are doing well.
Upblocked the brassicas that have been sulking with only seed leaves in the garage all this time. Maybe they just need a good shot of nutrients. Tomorrow, I have to upblock the first to germinate Stump of the World tomato seedling which is outgrowing the microblock and sending a taproot out along the moist sand.
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Yeah, your brassicas have been sulking. Mine which have been going in and out and in and out all this time, are sturdy transplant size plants with six true leaves. They could go in the ground as soon as they are hardened off enough and I have some ground ready for them. Tonight and tomorrow night they will stay out all night, but Wed it goes down to 15 deg and I will bring them back in -- with any luck for the last time.
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Hang in there, Cola
The brassicas are already sending up true leaves.
One Roselle that sprouted shriveled up (too late removing the plastic film cover) but another one is germinating.... Saved marigold seeds and basil from last summer are very lively and are popping up almost as soon as I sow them in miniblocks to replace sprouted tomatoes.
I have GOT to upblock some of those earlier sprouted tomato seedlings today -- am going to try making my own block maker that can set the microblocks deeper if I can.
I mentioned in another thread that I went outside and pottered around yesterday, cleaning up a bit, and rebuilt the compost pile. First look around to assess where to plant what this season, and what's needed. It's also time to prune apple and pear trees outside. Busy early spring season is unfolding.
The brassicas are already sending up true leaves.
One Roselle that sprouted shriveled up (too late removing the plastic film cover) but another one is germinating.... Saved marigold seeds and basil from last summer are very lively and are popping up almost as soon as I sow them in miniblocks to replace sprouted tomatoes.
I have GOT to upblock some of those earlier sprouted tomato seedlings today -- am going to try making my own block maker that can set the microblocks deeper if I can.
I mentioned in another thread that I went outside and pottered around yesterday, cleaning up a bit, and rebuilt the compost pile. First look around to assess where to plant what this season, and what's needed. It's also time to prune apple and pear trees outside. Busy early spring season is unfolding.
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Since last fall, I have been using paper -- newsprint type typically used for packing -- to line bottoms of my containers (to keep soil mix from falling out) and also have used k-cups without removing filters. I think the slow growth and stunted growth I'm seeing is due to nitrogen lock up in the area especially when the feeder roots grow up to the paper. Repotting/uppotting in fresh growing mix or heavily fertilizing once to kick them back into growth seems to be working.
Lining the container with paper worked perfectly fine last spring when the containers were going out for the season -- I think because the direct contact with the soil meant the earthworms etc. moved right in and started breaking down the paper right away. But I think I won't be doing this for indoor and isolated from the ground containers any more.
...
I couldn't help myself -- I re-seeded some of the tomato seed microblocks 3 days ago
Most of the compact/micro and dwarf tray that I put on the TV DVR box in the entertainment cabinet are sprouting. . Oh. Just checked and the other trays I put in a salad container on top of the TV box upstairs are sprouting in a smattering kind of way too. Yep. Constant warm temp is definitely a key factor.
Hmmm... for people who practice lunar planting cycles, does the impending full moon explain the 3 day germination?
...
Ladybug patrolling the pepoer seedlings
Lining the container with paper worked perfectly fine last spring when the containers were going out for the season -- I think because the direct contact with the soil meant the earthworms etc. moved right in and started breaking down the paper right away. But I think I won't be doing this for indoor and isolated from the ground containers any more.
...
I couldn't help myself -- I re-seeded some of the tomato seed microblocks 3 days ago
Most of the compact/micro and dwarf tray that I put on the TV DVR box in the entertainment cabinet are sprouting. . Oh. Just checked and the other trays I put in a salad container on top of the TV box upstairs are sprouting in a smattering kind of way too. Yep. Constant warm temp is definitely a key factor.
Hmmm... for people who practice lunar planting cycles, does the impending full moon explain the 3 day germination?
...
Ladybug patrolling the pepoer seedlings
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Tomatoes!
I'm finding recycled K-cups perfect size for celery starts. These are a little limp from needing a bit more light and lack of fan activity which I need to set up. Adding photo of the cool weather early greens in the garage V8 Nursery. Found some aphids on them today so I woke up some ladybugs from the fridge.
...really good germination within 3-4 days for the 2nd try tomato seeds so I think the previous batch was gardener error -in judgment among other factors but- controlled temperature being most likely as I mentioned above. Another slight possibility for the previous failure which I want to explore at some point is that I tried spraying hydrogen peroxide when some of those showed signs of mold. I'm finding recycled K-cups perfect size for celery starts. These are a little limp from needing a bit more light and lack of fan activity which I need to set up. Adding photo of the cool weather early greens in the garage V8 Nursery. Found some aphids on them today so I woke up some ladybugs from the fridge.
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Reorganized the sprouted tomato microblocks. I have a pair of tongs of exact width to hold the microblock and I was intent on carefully positioning and lifting a microblock out from among others when one DD asked me something so I shushed her. She looked to see what I was doing and said -- " Oh! are you playing 'Operation' ?"
___ETA___ These are a bit more stretched out than I consider ideal -- a problem due to the haphazard set up this year. But you can see they have colored up nicely and look pretty sturdy. Ordinarily, planting deep to just below the seed leaves when uppotting would make up for it. The one very pale seedling in the front left corner is a Brazilian Beauty seedling that was discovered in the unlit germination salad container atop the TV box 8 hrs too late. Very weak looking in this photo immediately after transferring, but it was hard to see the difference after 12 hrs under the lights and overnight uncovered in the cooler air___ Upblocked some: Eclectic mix of other seedlings... Upblocked overgrown microblocks -- their roots had grown 2-3 microblocks over and neighboring seedlings were getting stunted -- in some home made soil blocks that lets me drop the microblocks down an extra deep deep hole ...one issue I have with these soilblocks is that I can't plant them up to the seed leaves when I upblock the first time. But the soilblocks are designed to make them grow concentrated root system inside the 2x2x2 cubic space, and after they outgrow the miniblocks, I will put them in the bottom of a deep cup. last year I used 18-20 oz beverage cups, and they will have chance to grow some serious roots along the stems.
___ETA___ These are a bit more stretched out than I consider ideal -- a problem due to the haphazard set up this year. But you can see they have colored up nicely and look pretty sturdy. Ordinarily, planting deep to just below the seed leaves when uppotting would make up for it. The one very pale seedling in the front left corner is a Brazilian Beauty seedling that was discovered in the unlit germination salad container atop the TV box 8 hrs too late. Very weak looking in this photo immediately after transferring, but it was hard to see the difference after 12 hrs under the lights and overnight uncovered in the cooler air___ Upblocked some: Eclectic mix of other seedlings... Upblocked overgrown microblocks -- their roots had grown 2-3 microblocks over and neighboring seedlings were getting stunted -- in some home made soil blocks that lets me drop the microblocks down an extra deep deep hole ...one issue I have with these soilblocks is that I can't plant them up to the seed leaves when I upblock the first time. But the soilblocks are designed to make them grow concentrated root system inside the 2x2x2 cubic space, and after they outgrow the miniblocks, I will put them in the bottom of a deep cup. last year I used 18-20 oz beverage cups, and they will have chance to grow some serious roots along the stems.
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- applestar
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Yeah, but daytime high will be in the 40's or above for the most part, and above mid-20's overnight lows. So, I'm going to start hardening off my cold leafies (lettuce, Swiss chard, etc.)
Also to note -- yesterday when I checked (since a few days), the gallon jug wintersown tatsoi and at least one of the cabbages had started to sprout so I moved the jug out of the sheltered front porch to the front of the garage where it will get some sun and removed the cap. -- I hope that was the correct thing to do. I have very little experience with wintersowing.
Also to note -- yesterday when I checked (since a few days), the gallon jug wintersown tatsoi and at least one of the cabbages had started to sprout so I moved the jug out of the sheltered front porch to the front of the garage where it will get some sun and removed the cap. -- I hope that was the correct thing to do. I have very little experience with wintersowing.
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Thanks for the positive comment! I appreciate hearing that people are enjoying my ramblings.... . What I like to do is try to do things so you could see that anyone could garden (I sound like that chef in Ratatouille ... ). You don't have to have special equipment or professional set up. But I like to try things using all kinds of available tools in between to see what degree of set up is minimally necessary and how much you can get away without.baileysup wrote:This makes me happy! Thanks for all the great posts applestar, and rainbowgardener It's exciting to see all of the seedlings coming up, and getting ready for spring!
Good luck with your garden, too.
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I think so, just because lavender is very slow to get started. It benefits from cold stratifying - planting and then refrigerating for three weeks. Then it needs heat and light for germination and takes 2-3 weeks to germinate. And then the little seedling is very slow growing.
I think it is hard to provide the appropriate conditions of warmth, moisture, etc for as long as is needed, if you plant the seed outdoors.
By the end of my season, the lavender will still be a seedling, maybe 6" tall. Then it goes dormant and then in the second year it will turn in to a real plant.
applestar, your lavender looks quite healthy. When did you plant it?
I think it is hard to provide the appropriate conditions of warmth, moisture, etc for as long as is needed, if you plant the seed outdoors.
By the end of my season, the lavender will still be a seedling, maybe 6" tall. Then it goes dormant and then in the second year it will turn in to a real plant.
applestar, your lavender looks quite healthy. When did you plant it?
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Glad to hear that, thanks! I wish more of them had sprouted, but I'll take what I got. There are two seedlings in the picture and a third smaller one hidden behind the sidewall of the berry container.
My lavender notes:
Lavender English Munstead
02/05/14 1pt berry container V8 (unheated garage) to stratify until 2/23
2/23 top of octarium (indoor - room temp)
2/27 added plastic wrap/moved to WP (indoor plant shelves) above 30"T-5 fixture for extra heat
02/28/14 first sprouted 23d from sowing
I did sow a good number of seeds -- maybe 24 or so? There were three more that sprouted but died.
I'm thinking of trying to propagate some branch cuttings from the existing plant outside --- I've vague memory that I should have done that back in February though... or was that the schedule for root cuttings?
My lavender notes:
Lavender English Munstead
02/05/14 1pt berry container V8 (unheated garage) to stratify until 2/23
2/23 top of octarium (indoor - room temp)
2/27 added plastic wrap/moved to WP (indoor plant shelves) above 30"T-5 fixture for extra heat
02/28/14 first sprouted 23d from sowing
I did sow a good number of seeds -- maybe 24 or so? There were three more that sprouted but died.
I'm thinking of trying to propagate some branch cuttings from the existing plant outside --- I've vague memory that I should have done that back in February though... or was that the schedule for root cuttings?
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Upblocked 50 more tomato seedlings to 2" mini soilblocks (well I think one of them was a marigold and a few eggplants, too )
The cut-off top of a vitamin bottle works great for adding a little extra soil mix after pushing the microblocks in the hole.
Maps of growing tomato seedlings so far (the miniblock map would normally be scaled up, but I wanted to get them all on one page)
Some of them -mostly ones that germinated 3/16- had massive roots already, so a little late. But they are mostly still in seed leaves -- I was initially only going to upblock the ones with true leaves, but it occurred to me to try lifting a few of the earliest ones. It seems like they have been growing more roots than tops -- I'm thinking probably because of the lower overall growing temperatures.The cut-off top of a vitamin bottle works great for adding a little extra soil mix after pushing the microblocks in the hole.
Maps of growing tomato seedlings so far (the miniblock map would normally be scaled up, but I wanted to get them all on one page)
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I was just looking at last year's thread to compare
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 50#p291650
-- yeah, a big difference... But last year, I was struggling with huge plants that had to be shuttled out and in towards the end, so maybe this will work out better. Not many super early harvests this year though, I guess.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 50#p291650
-- yeah, a big difference... But last year, I was struggling with huge plants that had to be shuttled out and in towards the end, so maybe this will work out better. Not many super early harvests this year though, I guess.
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This is what happens if you give up on a tray of seeds and leave them in a salad box germination chamber atop a TV box without checking for three days in a dimly lit bedroom because you are too busy to watch TV
-- so -- -- and after 4 hours under the lights --
...trouble is, this one turned out to be a Faelan's First Snow -- a variegated Cherokee Purple segregate that I particularly wanted to grow every sprouted seedling because the level of expressed variegation is quite variable between plants.-- so -- -- and after 4 hours under the lights --
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beautiful job of saving the tiny seedling!
I got busy and managed to not water all the seedlings under the lights for something like 36 hrs. Most of it was fine but the stuff on the heating pads that dries out faster was totally dried out and some of it was all collapsed from wilting. I watered everything from the bottom and the top to rewet the soil and almost all of it came right back.
I got busy and managed to not water all the seedlings under the lights for something like 36 hrs. Most of it was fine but the stuff on the heating pads that dries out faster was totally dried out and some of it was all collapsed from wilting. I watered everything from the bottom and the top to rewet the soil and almost all of it came right back.
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Haven't talked much about my other peppers because they have been failing to germinate -- most likely too cold since last year's successful germination took place in 80°-85°F conditions which was not happening this year. . I re-seeded Cuneo and Aji Crystal just one more time. Donkey Ears germinated after the 2nd seeding. But I'm out of three of the unsprouted variety seeds. I'll keep them in the germination chamber on the heat mat, but I'm not hopeful.
Here are my pepper seedlings so far: Those Anaheims did sprout from the initial early sowing and are farthest along, already growing roots out of the 2" miniblocks.
I removed the filter paper from the K-cups and re-potted the little peppers yesterday. If you look closely, the rescued Farlan's First Snow is lined up with the little pepper seedlings.
My conclusion about the re-purposed K-cups is that you definitely need to remove the filter paper before repurposing the K-cups because the soil mix is suspended in the filter paper inside the K-cup holding only about 2/3 of the total volume, and these had barely started to break down. The pepper roots had entangled in the filter paper or penetrated depending on their root vigor -- Anaheims have vigorous taproots. I lost some precious roots until I figured out that the trick is to trim the filter paper off the cups along the edge first.
I'm going to have to deal with the celery seedlings in w/filter K-cups at some point.
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Sometimes that is the best thing possible in the end because that dry to wilt stage can make them sprout an incredible root system. I know a professional tomato plant seller who does that to his seedlings at least twice before selling, on purpose. He says people come back telling him there is more vigor with his plants then anyone else's plants, and he gets them to buy from him every year because of it.rainbowgardener wrote:beautiful job of saving the tiny seedling!
I got busy and managed to not water all the seedlings under the lights for something like 36 hrs. Most of it was fine but the stuff on the heating pads that dries out faster was totally dried out and some of it was all collapsed from wilting. I watered everything from the bottom and the top to rewet the soil and almost all of it came right back.
I would love to hear if the survivors end up being very strong for you too.
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Ha! So it's a good thing if you forget to water once in a while? That's good to know.
Seriously, though, I think something to watch out for is not to over-coddle the babies. Occasionally miscalculating the amount needed and overwatering is one of my worst habits.
I'll have to remind myself of this technique. Thanks!
...another is grouping the seedlings by height so they can be positioned just below the lights. I'm looking at a (thankfully mini) tray this morning that has a couple of compact/dwarf varieties mixed with regular and they are now half the height of the ones towering above them. The difference in growth patterns is very apparent in the early seedlings. That big tray of 50 will eventually be divided into two trays as the rest of the microblocks are upblocked.
Seriously, though, I think something to watch out for is not to over-coddle the babies. Occasionally miscalculating the amount needed and overwatering is one of my worst habits.
I'll have to remind myself of this technique. Thanks!
...another is grouping the seedlings by height so they can be positioned just below the lights. I'm looking at a (thankfully mini) tray this morning that has a couple of compact/dwarf varieties mixed with regular and they are now half the height of the ones towering above them. The difference in growth patterns is very apparent in the early seedlings. That big tray of 50 will eventually be divided into two trays as the rest of the microblocks are upblocked.
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Glad things are going well for you.
Is it possible for you to post a couple pix of your Anaheim chilis? Or maybe even comparisons with the Anaheim chilis and some bell pepper plants? I'm still trying to sort out which of my peppers are which after getting the labels mixed up (choices are California Wonder bell peppers and Anaheim chilis)
Is it possible for you to post a couple pix of your Anaheim chilis? Or maybe even comparisons with the Anaheim chilis and some bell pepper plants? I'm still trying to sort out which of my peppers are which after getting the labels mixed up (choices are California Wonder bell peppers and Anaheim chilis)
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...I did mention it was raining for the most of the day, right?...
Faelan's First Snow seems to have recovered completely, so if you have scrawny light starved tomato seedlings that you want to save, you might want to give the above technique a try I discovered another one this morning, but this time, it's not really my fault. I had a seedling that was snaking around with just the stem showing in the germination chamber -- no root hairs, no seed leaves, not even helmet head (tightly closed seed husk).... {actually you can see it in the photo in this post} This morning, it finally pulled its "head" out enough to show me which end was "up" so I gently teased the seed leaves out of the soilblock: It turned out to be Indian Zebra Burson strain, reputed to be great tasting variety, so I deep planted it in a K-cup just like FFS: Here's Faelan's First Snow leaving the pepper seedling tray and the heating mat: ...and Indian Zebra Burson's taking it's place:
Faelan's First Snow seems to have recovered completely, so if you have scrawny light starved tomato seedlings that you want to save, you might want to give the above technique a try I discovered another one this morning, but this time, it's not really my fault. I had a seedling that was snaking around with just the stem showing in the germination chamber -- no root hairs, no seed leaves, not even helmet head (tightly closed seed husk).... {actually you can see it in the photo in this post} This morning, it finally pulled its "head" out enough to show me which end was "up" so I gently teased the seed leaves out of the soilblock: It turned out to be Indian Zebra Burson strain, reputed to be great tasting variety, so I deep planted it in a K-cup just like FFS: Here's Faelan's First Snow leaving the pepper seedling tray and the heating mat: ...and Indian Zebra Burson's taking it's place:
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Hi Applestar, I am enjoying seeing the interesting germination pictures. How do you have the self control to not "help" that FFS out and remove the little seed coat. I wouldn't be able to resist!
So glad to see that it will likely survive, indeed thrive. I know how it is when you have a coveted variety, so much anticipation, and losing one of those seedlings is like dashed hopes.
I am living vicariously in this thread.
So glad to see that it will likely survive, indeed thrive. I know how it is when you have a coveted variety, so much anticipation, and losing one of those seedlings is like dashed hopes.
I am living vicariously in this thread.
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I know -- I used to fiddle with those seed shells stuck on the leaves. At one time, I put a drop of water/aa compost tea/diluted liquid fertilizer on every single one of them every few hours to soften them and boost them. But now I just let them be.
This year, I'm giving them a pipette of alfalfa water to give them a boost, and some of them will respond, and if the ones holding hands seem to be struggling or preventing the true leaves from properly emerging, I might try plying them apart after their morning misting, but for the most part, they can get by on their own.
I sometimes like to try things that are not always considered the best way, just to see for myself what happens and see if I can figure out a way to recover/revive them mwahahaha
This year, I'm giving them a pipette of alfalfa water to give them a boost, and some of them will respond, and if the ones holding hands seem to be struggling or preventing the true leaves from properly emerging, I might try plying them apart after their morning misting, but for the most part, they can get by on their own.
I sometimes like to try things that are not always considered the best way, just to see for myself what happens and see if I can figure out a way to recover/revive them mwahahaha
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These tomato seedlings in 2" miniblocks have been relegated to the bottom shelf which doesn't have as much light output as the upper two shelves. had flopped by the time I went out to check on them -- they weren't going to stand back up so I had to pot them up in the two drink cups you see behind the card. I'll probably pot them all up tomorrow, and hopefully they can handle it in the V8 nursery with these others. The tomatoes here are the Parks Whopper F2's my MIL started a couple of weeks earlier than I started my tomato seeds:
Got some more stuff done -- Sent out a few more garage overwintered dormant stuff outside -- bonsai wannabe pomegranate (2), citrus (2), rosemary, jalapeño and two other peppers.... Pruned part of the Enterprise apple tree (so late! I have to get ALL the apples and pears done !) Planted seedling spinach, kale, and pak choi in patio windowboxes.... Prepped the narrow area under the trellis in the Kids Garden and sowed Alderman Telephone peas, Champion radishes, and Danvers carrots. Accidentally dug up a couple of Little Marvel peas planted in the patio windowboxes 3/28, and they had germinated -- carefully buried them again. But the trellis corner in the Sunflower House didn't look like they had moved much. Soil temp there was 38° F.
Inevitable consequence of rather weak growth was so apparent that I took pity on them and sent them out to enjoy the last couple hours of sun in the driveway, atop the recycle bucket:
These balsam that I started too early was in even sorrier state since I banished them to the window side where the least luminescent t12 light barely covered. So even though they do get the last hour or so of setting sun, oh, so weak! I had to stick a folded junk mail along one side to keep them from flopping over... Then the two on the other side - applestar
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Oh, here are two views of those 50 two inch miniblocks -- not really sufficient light coverage with this set up either, but if I start hardening them to sunlight on nice days, they should turn out OK
Did you notice the lavenders have been ousted to one side? I want to uppot them because the big two seedlings have actually grown long roots down into the underlying sand... But there are now two tiny little NEW seedlings in there, so I'm waiting for them to grow true leaves. ...and in the mean time, they are all starting to elongate and lean.
In the 2nd photo, Second row, 5th from the right is Chibikko.
FYI the most recent map is in this post: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 64#p326364
Did you notice the lavenders have been ousted to one side? I want to uppot them because the big two seedlings have actually grown long roots down into the underlying sand... But there are now two tiny little NEW seedlings in there, so I'm waiting for them to grow true leaves. ...and in the mean time, they are all starting to elongate and lean.
In the 2nd photo, Second row, 5th from the right is Chibikko.
FYI the most recent map is in this post: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 64#p326364
- applestar
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With all the different tomato varieties I'm growing, there a a few standout seedlings. I drew attention to the Chibikko seedling among the others earlier. Another variety that keeps catching my eyes is Brazilian Beauty. I have other varieties with antho in on fruit skin and foliage, but I didn't know this one did too and to this level. The fruit is supposed to look kind of like Ananas Noire but flavor reviews I've read were "great" and "so-so". I can' t wait to try for myself.
- applestar
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I posted this elsewhere:
Subject: Spring after a VERY long winter!
I planted my broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and cardinal chard... What was it a couple of days ago? Today, it looked like this:
I shouldn't have exuberantly weeded the Creeping Charlie under the gate fences because I think that gave them the idea to dig under. I put rocks to block for now, but will have to fortify the fencing around this former Sunflower & House, especially since I was going to plant greens here this year to rotate after last year's Winter Tomato Variety Trial. ...I guess it's just as well that I hadn't prepared the other 2/3 of this bed and planted the lettuce, Yu Choi Sum, Red/Pak Choi, celery, and three kinds of Swiss chard. I still have kale but those were it for my haphazard broccoli, cauliflower, and kohlrabi that gave me so much trouble starting seeds this winter. I may direct sow some more kohlrabi seeds though, since they mature quickly, and I love the color of purple kohlrabi seedlings. With some luck, I will have cabbage and spinach, etc. seedlings from the Wintersown gallon jug to plant later.
Subject: Spring after a VERY long winter!
Well, I shouldn't have spared a thought for those bunnies because it turns out they are doing perfectly fine.applestar wrote:In the front yard, I was overcome by sense of weirdness... and finally recognized the source: The crocuses I planted along the edge of the. Japanese Maple/wild strawberry island bed years ago are all up and blooming in a nice unbroken row. -- WHY is this weird? Because every spring, the crocus leaves are chomped inches from the ground as soon as they come up, and the flowers, if they manage to grow out the buds at all before being beheaded are soon chewed down to the ground again. I honestly didn't know that all those crocuses were still alive. I wonder what happened to all the rabbits...?
I planted my broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and cardinal chard... What was it a couple of days ago? Today, it looked like this:
I shouldn't have exuberantly weeded the Creeping Charlie under the gate fences because I think that gave them the idea to dig under. I put rocks to block for now, but will have to fortify the fencing around this former Sunflower & House, especially since I was going to plant greens here this year to rotate after last year's Winter Tomato Variety Trial. ...I guess it's just as well that I hadn't prepared the other 2/3 of this bed and planted the lettuce, Yu Choi Sum, Red/Pak Choi, celery, and three kinds of Swiss chard. I still have kale but those were it for my haphazard broccoli, cauliflower, and kohlrabi that gave me so much trouble starting seeds this winter. I may direct sow some more kohlrabi seeds though, since they mature quickly, and I love the color of purple kohlrabi seedlings. With some luck, I will have cabbage and spinach, etc. seedlings from the Wintersown gallon jug to plant later.
- applestar
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This is not exactly a new seedling, but I'll stick it in here for lack of a better spot
This is either Bull's Blood beet or Cardinal Chard that I started back in fall and overwintered in the garage V8 Nursery. I slipped it out of the 4 inch container and was going to uppot it... but for some reason there was no suitable container to be found in the garage.
I was wandering around all over the garage with the naked rootball in my hand, and after looking in all the likely places for the third time (and vetoing the idea of going outside to search), I looked at the relatively solid rootball I was holding and thought it looked a lot like a soilblock. So I decided to go ahead and experiment by leaving it out like this If the theory behind soil blocks works, then the exposed roots should just be air pruned, and it will grow dense network of fibrous roots inside the soil block. I'm compensating for what is likely nutrient depleted medium by watering with weakly fertilized water.
This is either Bull's Blood beet or Cardinal Chard that I started back in fall and overwintered in the garage V8 Nursery. I slipped it out of the 4 inch container and was going to uppot it... but for some reason there was no suitable container to be found in the garage.
I was wandering around all over the garage with the naked rootball in my hand, and after looking in all the likely places for the third time (and vetoing the idea of going outside to search), I looked at the relatively solid rootball I was holding and thought it looked a lot like a soilblock. So I decided to go ahead and experiment by leaving it out like this If the theory behind soil blocks works, then the exposed roots should just be air pruned, and it will grow dense network of fibrous roots inside the soil block. I'm compensating for what is likely nutrient depleted medium by watering with weakly fertilized water.
- applestar
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Very excited to notice this seedling today.
It's one of the variegated varieties, already showing nice white splashes in the true leaves: Also have a couple of mutants. Not as many as last year, thank goodness. Note that these two are dwarf varieties and last year's defective tomato seedlings were all dwarf varieties, too. I'm hearing that this could be a recessive gene mutation, which would make sense that more tendency will occur in dwarfs.
It's one of the variegated varieties, already showing nice white splashes in the true leaves: Also have a couple of mutants. Not as many as last year, thank goodness. Note that these two are dwarf varieties and last year's defective tomato seedlings were all dwarf varieties, too. I'm hearing that this could be a recessive gene mutation, which would make sense that more tendency will occur in dwarfs.