Beginner - getting ready to start

[tam91]

And hoping for beginners luck too!

Well my peppers are started, germinated by baggie/paper towel method. Almost 100% germination, so Jalapeno M and Serrano are in the dirt, and cooking on the DirecTV box. That went fast - I just started them wednesday.

I want to make sure I do everything right with the tomatoes - the time is getting close. Here's what I'm planning:

I have wire shelving, got the full-spectrum T12 bulbs at a good price. So 2 fixtures (4 bulbs) per shelf.

The nursery sold me Sunshine Professional Growers mix or some such - they called it Metro-Mix 200, and said it's what they use to start all their seeds.

I have well water with a lot of iron, a water softener, and then a RO filter. So I was going to use the water from the RO for the seedlings. It isn't good enough for a Aerogarden, but seems to be just fine for houseplants. If anyone thinks this will be a big problem, please let me know.

So moisten the mix, put in the seeds, sprinkle more mix over the top and mist. Cover with plastic wrap/domes until most germinate.

I know to soak some of the older seeds. I might even try the paper towel method with a few, as insurance. Or is just sowing the better?

Basil, Chard, etc. I'll do the same.

I think I'll be doing this in my basement - it's a little cooler than the house, but not much really - probably upper 60s.

Any thoughts welcome

[dice]

I would sprout them in a warmer area (70F plus), but grow them
in the cooler area after they sprout (more robust seedlings). You
may be waiting awhile sprouting them in under 70F
temperatures.

The various Metro-Mix mixes are listed here:
http://www.sungro.com/products_displ...hp?brand_id=17

[chgokim]

What date are you planning to start your tomato seeds?

[Stepheninky]

Originally Posted by tam91

And hoping for beginners luck too!

Well my peppers are started, germinated by baggie/paper towel method. Almost 100% germination, so Jalapeno M and Serrano are in the dirt, and cooking on the DirecTV box. That went fast - I just started them wednesday.

I want to make sure I do everything right with the tomatoes - the time is getting close. Here's what I'm planning:

I have wire shelving, got the full-spectrum T12 bulbs at a good price. So 2 fixtures (4 bulbs) per shelf.

The nursery sold me Sunshine Professional Growers mix or some such - they called it Metro-Mix 200, and said it's what they use to start all their seeds.

I have well water with a lot of iron, a water softener, and then a RO filter. So I was going to use the water from the RO for the seedlings. It isn't good enough for a Aerogarden, but seems to be just fine for houseplants. If anyone thinks this will be a big problem, please let me know.

So moisten the mix, put in the seeds, sprinkle more mix over the top and mist. Cover with plastic wrap/domes until most germinate.

I know to soak some of the older seeds. I might even try the paper towel method with a few, as insurance. Or is just sowing the better?

Basil, Chard, etc. I'll do the same.

I think I'll be doing this in my basement - it's a little cooler than the house, but not much really - probably upper 60s.

Any thoughts welcome

Sounds like a plan, just do not use softened water on your plants, if you do water now or later using water connected to the softener there should be a by - pass valve to bypass the softener and then let it run a min or so before you use it. The reason is that water softeners use salt pellets and salt is not too good for your plants at any stage. The salts can build up in your container and soil and will eventually cause damage and death to your plants.

[veggie babe]

I think it will be a great season for everyone. I lost about half of my tomato plants but I still have plenty.

happy harvest,

Neva

[tam91]

Originally Posted by dice

I would sprout them in a warmer area (70F plus), but grow them
in the cooler area after they sprout (more robust seedlings). You
may be waiting awhile sprouting them in under 70F
temperatures.

The various Metro-Mix mixes are listed here:
http://www.sungro.com/products_displ...hp?brand_id=17

Ok, so I can't tell exactly what they sold me at the moment, lol. But it is nice and light and fluffy, and soil-less, so I suspect they're right. - Edit - I figured out out, it is MVP:

http://www.sungro.com/products_displ...101&brand_id=1

Hmm, ok, so I need some more warmth. They won't all fit on the DirecTV box, lol, and I don't heat my house THAT hot. Other than a bunch of heating mats (out of the price range for the moment), what does anyone do for more heat?

[tam91]

Originally Posted by chgokim

What date are you planning to start your tomato seeds?

Everyone around here seems to be saying end of Feb, beginning of March. So sometime soon.

[tam91]

Originally Posted by Stepheninky

Sounds like a plan, just do not use softened water on your plants, if you do water now or later using water connected to the softener there should be a by - pass valve to bypass the softener and then let it run a min or so before you use it. The reason is that water softeners use salt pellets and salt is not too good for your plants at any stage. The salts can build up in your container and soil and will eventually cause damage and death to your plants.

I understand about the salt and seedlings. What I'm wondering though, is the water that's gone from the softenere then through the RO filter good enough?

Or I'll get water from an outside tap or bypass or something.

I have just used the regular (softened) water for houseplants, and they've been fine for 10 years. Either they're tough or I'm lucky I guess.

[Joe Crumley]

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.

Armed with a steaming hot cup of coffee, each morning, I power up my laptop and click over to Tomatoville for a slow read. Although I've been planting for years, I keep on learning from your postings. Sometimes I find myself slack-jawed from the simple, home grown, techniques. Then, I'm off the older, deeper, rich postings. Lots of fertile idea's can be found by troweling archives.

Thanks again to everyone for every informative morsel

What a neat little family. Please keep on positing.

Joe

[Wi-sunflower]

Here is a page on my web site with a simple germination set-up.
http://knapps-fresh-vegies.netfirms....enhouse06.html

It's in an un-used upstairs bedroom that is naturally a bit warmer than the rest of the house. But I mainly use a small utility heater to keep the temp up around 90-100 for peppers and 80-90 for tomatoes. By wrapping it with the plastic it keeps the heat mainly right there around the shelf.

I had a customer, that found that page, email me that he had used the info for a set-up similar and was amazed how quickly his plants germinated.

BTW, you aren't all that far south of me. Unless you plan to plant way before Memorial Day, I would wait at til at least mid March on those tomatoes. Otherwise you will have leggy monster plants that will be root-bound unless you have the room to put them in rather large pots.

I usually start the first 1/2 of March, but I have to have plants ready for the market by the beginning of May.

Carol

[tam91]

Ah, that's interesting. I'd think I could even put plastic around a shelf or whatever, and just use a light for heat maybe. Or I'll stagger my start, and let the trays take turns on the Directv box (that still cracks me up).

Last year, unbelieavably, I had some tomatoes in at the end of April. But that is really too early, it's just because a greenhouse I bought some from let them get way too big.

I usually plant around mother's day. I asked the greenhouse right nearby, and they said end of Feb, beginning of March. So I'm thinking that's probably ok. I can put them in bigger containers if I need to, at least the plants I am keeping.

As I'll start multiple of each kind, to make sure I get one of each, I think I'm going to have a lot of extra plants to give away. Presuming they work. We'll see.

[tam91]

Hmm now I'm worrying a little, the soil-less mix I was sold (formerly Metro-Mix 200) is listed as good for propagation, but not listed for seed starting. Anyone know if this is going to be ok?

Also, my intention (which they said would work) was to grow the plants in this mix (transplanting into larger containers) until they were set out. Will that be ok also?

[Wi-sunflower]

Anything you use for potting should be OK for germinating too. Unless it's really course and stick-like and wouldn't fit in your pots well or cover the seeds well.

Carol

[tam91]

Thank you - this is really nice and fine and fluffy, I expect it will be fine then.

[tam91]

Hmm just had another thought - once they've sprouted and are under the lights, I understand it's better to grow the tomatoes where it's a little cooler.

But what about the pepper seedlings? Are they ok with the same temp (my basement, probably mid-upper 60s) as the tomatoes?