Southern seed starting! - Page 4

bryanccfshr · January 15, 2008

True Leaves are in. This weekend when I get home I will have to do the dividing and selecting.

Worth1 · January 15, 2008

If I didn't know better I would have thought I saw a Black cherry plant in there.

Worth

bryanccfshr · January 15, 2008

That would be excellent seedling recognition, but I think you have inside knowledge. There are at least 2 cups with BC in there.

macmanmatty · January 19, 2008

Started my tomatoes jan 5 2008 and peppers december 30th 2007. Now all tomatoes are up (that i think are going to be) and most peppers are up. Soon to start more tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, herbs (basil, organo, parsely, sage and rosemary) and eggplant.

robin303 · January 22, 2008

Our last predicted frost here in Zone 8b is March 15th. I start 4 weeks prior to that. Then again 2 weeks ago I was putting on Deep Woods Off because of the Mosquitoes Go figure. I do study the 10 day weather forecast big time to see some kind of cycle.

bigbubbacain · January 31, 2008

I started mine on 1/11. Came home from traveling on 1/22 to find a very poor germination rate. The ones that did come up looked pitiful. I just started over again on 1/25. I feel like it's almost too late, compared to when other people in my zone start theirs. I'm already feeling like I need to start calling my plants sources, even though it means buying varieties that would not have been my first choice.

feldon30 · January 31, 2008

Any idea what might have caused your seed starting issues?

bigbubbacain · January 31, 2008

The first few days were unusually warm for January, so I put the flats in my greenhouse and figured I could just forget about it. 2 days later it was cold again and the flats stayed below ideal germinating temp for too long. I think it might have been too late by the time I bought the heating mats, that and the fact that the heating mats kept the temp too warm. I didn't want to buy them, but every heating pad out there now comes with an auto shut-off control. Anyway, I'm starting over again unless you think it's too late and I'll just go buy young plants for this year.

Forgive me for asking this: Since I'm in your area, do you think you might be willing to sell me any seedlings you don't need?

feldon30 · January 31, 2008

I start my seeds indoors in seed starting mix and don't show them the outdoors until they are established in 4" pots. I guess I am lucky to have the space to do this.

I think it's pretty late to start now, but that is up to you. I will certainly have extras around the first week of March.

There are some great transplants available in the Houston area in early March from Cornelius Nurseries, Wabash Antiques, Buchanan's, Houston Plants & Garden World, and even Houston Harden Centers. Apparently, Buchanan's already has some transplants!

ferger1 · January 31, 2008

I live in South Boston, Va and I started mine Jan 29

bigbubbacain · January 31, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by feldon30

I start my seeds indoors in seed starting mix and don't show them the outdoors until they are established in 4" pots. I guess I am lucky to have the space to do this.

I think it's pretty late to start now, but that is up to you. I will certainly have extras around the first week of March.

Thanks. I hope to check back with you in March. A few of my seedlings emerged rather quickly so I'll give some of them a shot. I'm trying something new that I hope works in my favor.

Last fall, Michael from the "dwarf project" thread sent me some seeds and I experimented with them by planting in Oasis brand Root Cubes. The cubes are a single sheet of processed wood pulp which holds an inordinate amount of water and a weak fertilizer. I'm familiar with the Oasis brand because I used to work in cut flowers and their original product line is made to sustain cut flowers after they are arranged. the floral industry is so dependent on their products. Anyway, in 5 weeks these tomato seedlings were ready for the final transplant. I've never heard of this happening so quickly! They were the healthiest looking seedlings I ever grew. I'm hoping for a repeat with this batch now that things are coming up. If not, I suppose I'll go to Wabash and Buchanan's. I hate doing that because It's like someone else choosing my varieties for me. My only consolation is that I can try some of my seeds again for fall tomatoes in the greenhouse.

dice · January 31, 2008

Do you still have the ones that were looking wimpy
and that had not come up yet? They would not necessarily
be a lost cause. You could bring them in, put them under
lights or in a window, give them a little shot of half-strength
fish emulsion or quarter-strength MG or whatever, and they
may take off.

I had some last spring that turned out to be old seeds
(from a commercial packet). They took 6 weeks to sprout.
By the time they came up, the ones that sprouted normally
were already 8 inches to a foot tall. Even though the late
sprouters looked pitiful when I finally transplanted them
into the garden, they caught up to the other plants and
produced plenty of tomatoes.

Edit:
They may take off as long as they were not actually frost-damaged
sitting out in the greenhouse. That impairs production over the
whole season, even if the seedlings survive.

bigbubbacain · January 31, 2008

Thanks Dice! I feel a little better now. I'll probably go ahead and buy some transplants just to be sure. If I have extras, my in-laws are 1 zone behind me and they'll be glad to take them off my hands.

bryanccfshr · February 4, 2008

FlipTX · February 12, 2008

I took this picture of my lone seed-starting effort a couple of days ago. I started the seeds in a cut-off cardboard tube with soilless mix, and popped it into a mini greenhouse I'd made out of a clear plastic bottle. If I'd known it would work that well, I would have started more seeds, but this was just an experiment.

January 15, 2008	#46
bryanccfshr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Farmington, Nm Posts: 450	True Leaves are in. This weekend when I get home I will have to do the dividing and selecting. __________________ I moved!

January 15, 2008	#48
bryanccfshr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Farmington, Nm Posts: 450	That would be excellent seedling recognition, but I think you have inside knowledge. There are at least 2 cups with BC in there. __________________ I moved!

January 31, 2008	#52
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Any idea what might have caused your seed starting issues? __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

January 31, 2008	#53
bigbubbacain Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Zone 9 Texas, Fort Bend County Posts: 436	Too many days off temperature The first few days were unusually warm for January, so I put the flats in my greenhouse and figured I could just forget about it. 2 days later it was cold again and the flats stayed below ideal germinating temp for too long. I think it might have been too late by the time I bought the heating mats, that and the fact that the heating mats kept the temp too warm. I didn't want to buy them, but every heating pad out there now comes with an auto shut-off control. Anyway, I'm starting over again unless you think it's too late and I'll just go buy young plants for this year. Forgive me for asking this: Since I'm in your area, do you think you might be willing to sell me any seedlings you don't need? Last edited by bigbubbacain; January 31, 2008 at 03:38 PM. Reason: additional info.

January 31, 2008	#54
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	I start my seeds indoors in seed starting mix and don't show them the outdoors until they are established in 4" pots. I guess I am lucky to have the space to do this. I think it's pretty late to start now, but that is up to you. I will certainly have extras around the first week of March. There are some great transplants available in the Houston area in early March from Cornelius Nurseries, Wabash Antiques, Buchanan's, Houston Plants & Garden World, and even Houston Harden Centers. Apparently, Buchanan's already has some transplants! __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

January 15, 2008	#47
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	If I didn't know better I would have thought I saw a Black cherry plant in there. Worth

January 19, 2008	#49
macmanmatty Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 55	Started my tomatoes jan 5 2008 and peppers december 30th 2007. Now all tomatoes are up (that i think are going to be) and most peppers are up. Soon to start more tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, herbs (basil, organo, parsely, sage and rosemary) and eggplant.

January 22, 2008	#50
robin303 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Austin, TX Zone 8b Posts: 531	Our last predicted frost here in Zone 8b is March 15th. I start 4 weeks prior to that. Then again 2 weeks ago I was putting on Deep Woods Off because of the Mosquitoes Go figure. I do study the 10 day weather forecast big time to see some kind of cycle.

January 31, 2008	#55
ferger1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: South Boston, Va Posts: 14	Virginia I live in South Boston, Va and I started mine Jan 29 __________________ Rufiesmom

January 31, 2008	#57
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	Do you still have the ones that were looking wimpy and that had not come up yet? They would not necessarily be a lost cause. You could bring them in, put them under lights or in a window, give them a little shot of half-strength fish emulsion or quarter-strength MG or whatever, and they may take off. I had some last spring that turned out to be old seeds (from a commercial packet). They took 6 weeks to sprout. By the time they came up, the ones that sprouted normally were already 8 inches to a foot tall. Even though the late sprouters looked pitiful when I finally transplanted them into the garden, they caught up to the other plants and produced plenty of tomatoes. Edit: They may take off as long as they were not actually frost-damaged sitting out in the greenhouse. That impairs production over the whole season, even if the seedlings survive. __________________ -- alias Last edited by dice; January 31, 2008 at 09:01 PM. Reason: additional detail

February 4, 2008	#59
bryanccfshr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Farmington, Nm Posts: 450	updates 35 days to plant out __________________ I moved!

February 12, 2008	#60
FlipTX Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 271	I took this picture of my lone seed-starting effort a couple of days ago. I started the seeds in a cut-off cardboard tube with soilless mix, and popped it into a mini greenhouse I'd made out of a clear plastic bottle. If I'd known it would work that well, I would have started more seeds, but this was just an experiment.