seedlings doing well

[duajones]

I had 95 percent or better germination, these are now 10 to 13 days old

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[shelleybean]

They're cute little guys. They look happy. I'm not ready to start my regular tomatoes yet but I have some Florida Petites in the dining room that are getting ready to set fruit. They're probably about the same size as your young plants there and I planted mine Thanksgiving weekend.

[daylilydude]

duajones do tell us which ones your growing i can see Big Beef and i think the next one is Jet Star but i just can't make out the others? Oh they look great we really like pictures.

[duajones]

I have big beef, jet star, cherokee purple, black krim, azoychka, bush early girl,and new big dwarf. I started some sungold and bush celebrity today. I also have one brandywine that I started on thanksgiving, hoping that a larger transplant would give me a jumpstart. With everything I have read, it probably wont make a difference, but the plant looks real healthy at this point.

[feldon30]

I don't know why, but mine are really growing slowly. I am giving them plenty of light like I did last year. I am keeping them evenly watered and have spritzed them with a good amount of water with diluted fish emulsion. I seeded on Dec 26th and they're at about this stage:

[bydsign]

Oh dj! They look so purty!

[dcarch]

I noticed that duajones has the seedlings on the floor.

I just measured my room.
The temperature on the floor is 69 degrees
and the temperature near the ceiling is 74 degrees.

dcarch

[duajones]

Here in south texas, the temps in my house are averaging around 74-77 degrees. It is definitely a little cooler on the floor, which I think is desirable at this point. I even have a little fan simulating a gentle breeze on the seedlings. I have noticed that it does cause the top soil in the containers to dry out pretty quickly though. I am giving them a little water every day.
Feldon, those are peppers in the picture right? Are your tomato seedlings the same size?

[feldon30]

Tomato seeds will grow fine in 70F - 80 F.
Pepper seeds much prefer 80 F.

[bydsign]

duane...

have you already posted info about your light setup?

Pls share where you got your light fixture especially if it's
under $100.

Thanks!

[duajones]

I purchased the fixture and the bulbs at Lowes for right at 20$ with tax. The frame is made out of 2inch central vac pipe which the owner of the vac shop I work at generously donated. The fixture came with chains and I used an ordinary wire coat hanger to fashion hooks out of.

[feldon30]

At 18 days, my seedlings last June:



At 18 days, my seedlings today:



At 18 days, I should be potting up into 4" pots by now. I only see true leaves on 4 plants on my starts for 2007.

I have kept the soil evenly watered (allowing it to just start to dry out before spraying and on at least 2 occasions, watering from underneath by half-filling the tray, and all the while using low and then medium concentrations of fish and kelp emulsion. They just don't seem to want to grow.

So I'm headed to Lowe's in this wonderful 37 degree weather to get some Brandy Boy seeds and some Scott's soilless seed starting mix to start a dozen more plants in case my main batch doesn't pan out.

[Tomstrees]

look at you guys ! so fancy with the
grow lights ! Heres what my set up has
been forever ... 2 south facing windows ! lol ~

~ Tom

[montanamato]

Feldon....Did you use the fish emulsion on your seedlings last year? I can't see where they would ever need fertilizing at that stage...but if dilute enough I wouldn't think it would hurt them....

Tom...My windows look like yours! After 20 years of starting seedlings in windows, I did buy a simple grow light last year...I wish I could say it made a big difference....I do start a few more pepper and herbs earlier than I used to...

Jeanne

[feldon30]

I did fish emulsion at about the 10th day when I saw the first true leaf, which is the same thing I did last year.

Last year, I used bagged soilless seed starting mix which contains about 1/2 a point each of N, P, and K.