Read and Read and Read...now asking for suggestions

[dtlove129]

Starting seeds indoors for the first time and have 2 questions:

1. Do I need my shop lights on at the beginning before germination takes place or can I wait on that until they come out of the ground? I currently only have some daisies, columbine, and flowers like that planted but my veggies will be started this coming weekend (if the seeds arrive on time).

2. I used the pellets and a self watering greenhouse (read online that watering properly can cause issues so figured I would spend the extra few dollars on a better greenhouse thing). So with these pellets will I transfer the flowers and veggie seeds to larger pots later or can those pellets go straight into the garden or flower bed? I also read where someone said to pull that netting off the pellets before planting, but wanted to check on your thoughts here because I would hate to damage the roots.

Thanks in advance

[GardenGnome]

If you use something that has plasctic cells the 36 cells work well and are long like bar lights. The jiffy pellets I won't buy again cause I don't like the netting by the time I was going repot them the roots grew threw the net and I can't remove them. I don't like that the 36 size also makes it so you can bottom water. I don't use the dome for the top I use it for the bottom so I can see the water level. [img]https://i1268.photobucket.com/albums/jj565/ericmgilson/2012-03-05_12-36-24_550.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i1268.photobucket.com/albums/jj565/ericmgilson/2012-03-05_12-36-17_103.jpg[/img]

I turn my lights on and have a heat mat to get the soil up to temp so they will sprout.
I think people repot there stuff cause it can go into the ground. And to let the roots grow bigger. Also if your plants aree bigger bugs won't kill them as easy if attacked. But if its ready to go outside and there size is good. The domes I use are from $2 or $3

[dtlove129]

Thanks Gnome. Well I have spent too much this year so I'm going to try the pellets. I have had somewhat luck in the past starting flowers in the pellets and transferring them outside later. I just hope my veggies work the same. This year I definitely have a better set up and have researched the heat and lighting and watering part of it, which last time I just watered when it seemed right and didn't watch the amounts too closely, I didn't have lights and just used windows (causing them to get stringy), and didn't worry about heat control. So hopefully I'll have some luck since I have researched it more this year, and then next year I'll probably go with the small pots and potting soil instead of pellets.

I just can't decide to pull off the netting before putting them in the garden or hope that the roots grow and break through the netting.

[GardenGnome]

I made small cuts in the bottom of the net and all around the sides just in case.
Also some seeds need cold temp to spout some need heat. I crowded my herbs and am paying for it. Lol this is my first year really trying to grow. Most stuff that happens to seedlings can be fixed crowding/being leggy if there not to bad. Some people said to thin your stuff after it has there true leafs. But there's so many roots I did mine when they were sprouted and looked heathly.

[rainbowgardener]

Re the lights. Most things are fine with just turning the lights on after the seed has sprouted. But depends a little bit on what you are trying to grow. Some of the very fine seeded things like petunias and impatiens need light to germinate. I can't off-hand think of any veggies that need light to germinate, but your seed packet will tell you.

But if you aren't going to turn the lights on until they sprout, you do need to keep monitoring, so you don't leave them in the dark very long after they sprout. Also if you are growing several different kinds of things, then you will need to have the lights on as soon as the first ones sprout, regardless of the rest.

Lights just a couple inches above the plants on chains so they can be raised as the plants grow, on 16 hrs a day.

[dtlove129]

Yep, the light is now on. I just checked my flower seeds this morning, and the first ones are breaking through the soil. Pretty amazing! Planted on Saturday night and here it is 2.5 days later and the first signs of growth.

[dtlove129]

Oh another thing. I have read where you need to fertilize the seedlings. Any tips on that? I don't want to burn them up either. Again mine were started in pellets so I'm thinking the best way to get fertilizer to them would be like mixing miracle gro or something with water and pouring in the watering tray.

When do I start fertilizing them too?

[GardenGnome]

I asked about doing that people said no just water. Some even did water in bottles cause of the chems in tap water. They said at first the seed is feeding its self idk what it was called. I would think that would burn your plants there tender to start with.
Maybe later you could use a tea or actt that's really watered down. But I would check more into that.

[rainbowgardener]

Well, the seed provides food for the seedling initially. But that will be used up by the time it has the first true leaves. At that point, you do need to be providing some nutrients, if you aren't using potting soil that has nutrients built in. I'm not sure about your peat pellets. I think usually those are a sterile growing medium, without nutrients.

Here's what Marlingardener told someone else about fertilizing seedlings recently:

John, use a mild fertilizer for your seedlings. I like to use compost tea or manure tea since they are so mild and I don't have to worry about the strength used. Miracle-Gro could be a bit harsh for seedlings, so if you do use it, start out with quarter-strength and move up to half-strength after a couple of weeks.

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=244751#244751

But yes, if you use it in very dilute form, you can just put some miracle grow in water and feed your plants with it. As GG said, better if you can let the water sit for 24 hrs to outgas the chlorine, but sometimes I don't and it doesn't kill them.

[dtlove129]

Thank everyone for all the help! This is really a thinking game!