Can you directly seed tomatoes, jalepeno and green peppers into containers outside? Haven't had much luck trying to start them indoors. Been 5 days and no signs of them coming up. Temps are not warm here but will be in about a month or so.
GF
-
goldfinger
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:36 am
As I just learned in my thread, recently, hang tight with your indoor starts! I've been having issues with my peppers as well, and it took my tomatoes about a week and a week to a half to get to the point where I thought I should plant them in soil (used the plastic baggie and paper towel method)goldfinger wrote:Can you directly seed tomatoes, jalepeno and green peppers into containers outside? Haven't had much luck trying to start them indoors. Been 5 days and no signs of them coming up. Temps are not warm here but will be in about a month or so.
GF
IME, peppers and tomatoes are finicky about the potting mix. Too dry, too wet, too coarse, too fine - they all make germination much less likely. Plus, peppers tend to take a lot longer than maters to pop through to light.
If I am forced to use inferior potting mix (MG rates in this category, IMO!) I go through it and remove all the bark, rocks, and dirt that does not seem to break up.
Mike
If I am forced to use inferior potting mix (MG rates in this category, IMO!) I go through it and remove all the bark, rocks, and dirt that does not seem to break up.
Mike
I just wanted to mention what happened in my case. I tried starting seeds for tomatoes and peppers indoors about 4-5 weeks ago, I got nothing.
I waited, and I waited, and I waited, and still nothing. Keep in mind that these seeds were in for about two weeks, maybe more, with nary a sign that anything was going on. Mine are planted in pure compost (made from mulch). Then, on another thread, I learned that tomatoes like to be around 75º in order to germinate, and peppers prefer the low to mid 80º's.
So I popped out two desk lamps, and put two incandescent bulb (I normally use CFL, now that the incandescents are out of style), and put the bulbs very close down to the soil. Within 4 hours, I had 3 pop up, but only where the bulbs were (Meaning it was the heat, not the time, that was the factor). I've kept rotating my seed trays, and as the sun has finally come out (We have been overcast about 25 of the last 30 days), the ones closest to the window are getting sunshine,. It took about 2 more weeks, but almost all of the seeds are out (The first 10 or so have their first true leaves, too). So I just be sure to keep them moist, and keep them warm, that was what finally did the trick for me.
I hope that helps, be sure if you try it, to move the bulb (mine started about 2 in from the soil, and have a downward facing cone around the bulb), because if you don't move the bulb, you'll probably overheat and fry the new veggie plants. Good luck!
I waited, and I waited, and I waited, and still nothing. Keep in mind that these seeds were in for about two weeks, maybe more, with nary a sign that anything was going on. Mine are planted in pure compost (made from mulch). Then, on another thread, I learned that tomatoes like to be around 75º in order to germinate, and peppers prefer the low to mid 80º's.
So I popped out two desk lamps, and put two incandescent bulb (I normally use CFL, now that the incandescents are out of style), and put the bulbs very close down to the soil. Within 4 hours, I had 3 pop up, but only where the bulbs were (Meaning it was the heat, not the time, that was the factor). I've kept rotating my seed trays, and as the sun has finally come out (We have been overcast about 25 of the last 30 days), the ones closest to the window are getting sunshine,. It took about 2 more weeks, but almost all of the seeds are out (The first 10 or so have their first true leaves, too). So I just be sure to keep them moist, and keep them warm, that was what finally did the trick for me.
I hope that helps, be sure if you try it, to move the bulb (mine started about 2 in from the soil, and have a downward facing cone around the bulb), because if you don't move the bulb, you'll probably overheat and fry the new veggie plants. Good luck!
Tomatoes and Peppers need heat.
Soil should be 75 to 80 degrees.
I use the Burpee Seed Strating Tray with the water mat and I use a small fish tank heater that is completely submersible and it keeps the water very warm and everything grows fine.
You can also try the heating mat.
Warm soil is the key!!!
[url=https://www.amazon.com/Burpee-Ultimate-Seed-Starting-System/dp/B000MX5P8C/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thehelpfulgar-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325]https://www.amazon.com/Burpee-Ultimate-Seed-Starting-System/dp/B000MX5P8C/[/url]
OR
[url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHO1RO/?ie=UTF8&tag=thehelpfulgar-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHO1RO/[/url]
Soil should be 75 to 80 degrees.
I use the Burpee Seed Strating Tray with the water mat and I use a small fish tank heater that is completely submersible and it keeps the water very warm and everything grows fine.
You can also try the heating mat.
Warm soil is the key!!!
[url=https://www.amazon.com/Burpee-Ultimate-Seed-Starting-System/dp/B000MX5P8C/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=thehelpfulgar-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325]https://www.amazon.com/Burpee-Ultimate-Seed-Starting-System/dp/B000MX5P8C/[/url]
OR
[url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHO1RO/?ie=UTF8&tag=thehelpfulgar-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHO1RO/[/url]
For what it's worth, my jalapenos and habaneros did not germinate for 3-4 weeks and they are now flourishing. I'm still new to gardening too, but I kept up with watering when dry and keeping them on the heat mat. I planted 60 jalapenos and 40 habs, and I have 55 jalapenos and 38 habs doing just fine now! I was like you at the beginning too in wanting to give up or try something different. Stick with it, they'll go!
when you plant them outside in the ground. try covering them with a soda bottle with the bottom cut off. this will act as a mini greenhouse. when the plant has germinated and has opened up a little you can take off the cap. you can then start to harden it off by taking off the bottle for an hour each day until your last frost/planting date.
-
gixxerific
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5889
- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
- Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B
The answer to the original question is YES. Depending on your climate. Those are all warm weather crops. SO direct seeding here would work but not well. I have volunteer tomatoes out there about an inch tall my starters are about 1 - 2 feet tall you tell me which one will do better.
Though theoretically if started in the ground tomatoes should do better, they can have a massive taproot 2+ feet straight down. This will be sacrificed when transplanting. Than again you need a long warm season for this.
Though theoretically if started in the ground tomatoes should do better, they can have a massive taproot 2+ feet straight down. This will be sacrificed when transplanting. Than again you need a long warm season for this.
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
All good advice and right on about the temperatures needed and the need for patience. In the best of conditions, the tomatoes might just be sprouting at 5 days and the pepper very likely wouldn't show up for another 2 - 5 days. If your soil isn't warm enough then it all takes longer.
But if you want to direct seed them outdoors you can, as long as the soil out there is warm enough. You can put black plastic over the soil where you are going to plant them, to help warm it up quicker. But then you have to be very careful with them for awhile while they are getting going. Baby seedlings need even moisture all the time, never drying out (since they have hardly any root system yet), but not too wet. And they are vulnerable to too much anything (too much wind, rain, sun, etc). That's part of why we start them indoors, just for protection.
The other reason we start them indoors is to give them a head start. If you aren't going to have warm enough weather to plant the seeds out doors yet for a month, that will be very late to start tomatoes and peppers. I plant pepper seeds around the first of February and start getting harvestable peppers in late June or July. If you plant pepper seeds in mid May you can expect to start getting peppers in Sept, by which time your season will likely be mostly over.
But if you want to direct seed them outdoors you can, as long as the soil out there is warm enough. You can put black plastic over the soil where you are going to plant them, to help warm it up quicker. But then you have to be very careful with them for awhile while they are getting going. Baby seedlings need even moisture all the time, never drying out (since they have hardly any root system yet), but not too wet. And they are vulnerable to too much anything (too much wind, rain, sun, etc). That's part of why we start them indoors, just for protection.
The other reason we start them indoors is to give them a head start. If you aren't going to have warm enough weather to plant the seeds out doors yet for a month, that will be very late to start tomatoes and peppers. I plant pepper seeds around the first of February and start getting harvestable peppers in late June or July. If you plant pepper seeds in mid May you can expect to start getting peppers in Sept, by which time your season will likely be mostly over.