Oh what to do? :)

paulywog0667 · February 13, 2015

Well, here we go! The 10 day point from when I planted my seeds. Forgive my cheezy setup as I have bulbs on order and am experimenting with cost. Basically just tossed some organic fertilizor on them and did a top water. Seems a bit tough to tell if they where a couple falling from too much water or what. So figured, I am at the decide to either trim some out where there are doubles or transplant them, before the roots tangle too much. Basically ordered a new 6500k HQI for the halide. Then two 6500k 24"t5s for a different fixture. I am tearing down a cedar aquarium stand and will make some type of more permanent station for year round herbs, maybe even a tomatoe or pepper or two. If my lights end up good enough. I have an option of a 400 HQI halide setup, but the electric then goes to 30$ compared to 10$ a month. Any advise ofcourse is welcome! I am in Ohio, so these at day 10. I am hopeing by May I can have them looking great. especially with a fresh batch of bulbs coming.

P.S. My first post with photos. So I did the preview. They did not show up, but looked like they uploaded. So I will try to figure out the photos if they dont post with this.

paulywog0667 · February 13, 2015

Ugh. yeah no pics. lol I'll see what I can do in replies.

paulywog0667 · February 13, 2015

O.k.! Seems better. lol Basically three varieties of tomatoes. Black Krim, Stripey and a german cherry variety. My peppers are just starting to sprout and the beans and cucumbers.... Well yeah, I have some learning to do with timing and the lights.

JamesL · February 13, 2015

Nice job! Keep the pics coming.
That's a lot of Mylar. I envision you putting on a radiation suit and thick goggles when entering the room.

AlittleSalt · February 13, 2015

Looks nice. I like the walls. Gave me a lot of ideas.

paulywog0667 · February 13, 2015

lol! Thanks, a radiation suit is not out of the question. The halide isnt bad, but once in the area, when the 460nm blues are bouncing around.

It is not that big of an area. So it is just a inexpensive emergency space blanket from a first aid kit I have, not mylar. I have a roll of 24" x 50' white window aluminum coil. So that might end up being used somehow. Hopefully the 6500k bulbs knock the blinding spectrum out a bit.

So between new bulbs, white coil, the blanket and I have reflective foam board laying around. I have horticultural corner in my head. My wife has that, my husband has been around the blue light too much in her head. Im thinking indoor water falls for humidity control and shes just like how about a tomatoe here and there? lol We might go to the home and garden center tomorrow. So Im going to hold off on transplanting just to get a plan organized. I'll post more pics by Sunday and try to organize the progress from seed to harvest in the proper threads. She got a rose plant from her aunt, that does not like the fan one bit. Could be a little petal burn from before I put glass over the HQI bulb. Just gotta figure out the setup. The beans, I will probably have to figure out something and just grow them the rest inddors then sow more outside in spring.

crazyoldgooseman · February 14, 2015

Neat! nice set up. When is your plant out date in your part of Ohio? I'm gonna start seeds in 8 days in zone 7A in Md. Hopefully Planting out @ 3 week of April. Thanks for sharing, and keep us posted.
Might wanna wear sunglasses over there!

paulywog0667 · February 14, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyoldgooseman

Neat! nice set up. When is your plant out date in your part of Ohio? I'm gonna start seeds in 8 days in zone 7A in Md. Hopefully Planting out @ 3 week of April. Thanks for sharing, and keep us posted.
Might wanna wear sunglasses over there!

I'm right in the 6a/5b area of Ohio. Basically have always lived in the snow belt areas. So usually around May it dries out enough to turn soil. Hopefully all the blue spectrums I have hold back flowers on the tomatoes and peppers. I might be good at indoor gardening in 20 years! Lol

paulywog0667 · February 14, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyoldgooseman

Neat! nice set up. When is your plant out date in your part of Ohio? I'm gonna start seeds in 8 days in zone 7A in Md. Hopefully Planting out @ 3 week of April. Thanks for sharing, and keep us posted.
Might wanna wear sunglasses over there!

I'm right in the 6a/5b area of Ohio. Basically have always lived in the snow belt areas. So usually around May it dries out enough to turn soil. Hopefully all the blue spectrums I have hold back flowers on the tomatoes and peppers. I might be good at indoor gardening in 20 years! Lol

paulywog0667 · February 14, 2015

We have a saying. April showers bring May flowers. Unless there is still a foot of snow on the ground, ofcourse. Lol

paulywog0667 · February 20, 2015

A little bit of an update. At day 18 now from planting the tomatoes in the starter trays. They have been transplanted to 3&4" peat cups. What is everyones' opinion on those Myco blast and tea mixes? They seem to just be conditioners as in bacteria and or enzymes to me. To start or maintain a biological break down. What are opinions in relation to organic gardening with them?. I was thinking of using a powdered type nutrients with r.o. water as my ferts. Not bad for planting the seeds on February 2nd.

RayR · February 20, 2015

Your seedlings are looking great. You started way early, you will need to repot them again before the weather permits in May. They'll outgrow those peat pots well before you will be able to transplant them outdoors. As far as using mycorrhizae and bacterial inoculants with organics, yes definitely do that in combination with an organic fertilizer.

paulywog0667 · February 21, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by RayR

Your seedlings are looking great. You started way early, you will need to repot them again before the weather permits in May. They'll outgrow those peat pots well before you will be able to transplant them outdoors. As far as using mycorrhizae and bacterial inoculants with organics, yes definitely do that in combination with an organic fertilizer.

Thank you for the input! I think you are right that I started early. My new light bulbs are supposed to get here tomorrow too. I will hopefully be able to switch things around with the plants. To see if I can slow or speed up growth here and there. It is basically 40 tomatoes and the stripey ones. Are basically the ones wanting to make more work for me. lol I do have around 30-40 pepper plants that need rotated in, as well. Then started some Roma tomatoes yesterday. I am running out of light space and floor space. I am going to have to get my old 400 watt HQI, halide. If I plant any more. Nice thing about the peat pots. If need be I can fill the tub I have them in with more soil. Since supposedly they are biodegradable. Now if I can just stop picking at the basil. lol

Father'sDaughter · February 21, 2015

They do look good! And yes, you did start very early. I think I'm in the same zone as you and my start date is usually the last half of March for plant out in the last half of May. Only advice I would add is to shoot for a cool environment (60-62 is what I keep mine at) to slow down the growth, otherwise you'll have huge plants in no time. And the bigger they get indoors, the harder it will be to keep them healthy or to do things like transplant or even move them without damaging them (been there, done that).

paulywog0667 · February 21, 2015

[TE=Father'sDaughter;452437]They do look good! And yes, you did start very early. I think I'm in the same zone as you and my start date is usually the last half of March for plant out in the last half of May. Only advice I would add is to shoot for a cool environment (60-62 is what I keep mine at) to slow down the growth, otherwise you'll have huge plants in no time. And the bigger they get indoors, the harder it will be to keep them healthy or to do things like transplant or even move them without damaging them (been there, done that).[/QUOTE]

I have some friends that could use some. I don't know how the plants would be on their window sills though. Hopefully the peppers end up being a better timing. I have probably a month to figure it out before having to step up to 6" pots. Next year, I know to wait. lol

February 13, 2015	#1
paulywog0667 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Ohio Posts: 20	Oh what to do? :) Well, here we go! The 10 day point from when I planted my seeds. Forgive my cheezy setup as I have bulbs on order and am experimenting with cost. Basically just tossed some organic fertilizor on them and did a top water. Seems a bit tough to tell if they where a couple falling from too much water or what. So figured, I am at the decide to either trim some out where there are doubles or transplant them, before the roots tangle too much. Basically ordered a new 6500k HQI for the halide. Then two 6500k 24"t5s for a different fixture. I am tearing down a cedar aquarium stand and will make some type of more permanent station for year round herbs, maybe even a tomatoe or pepper or two. If my lights end up good enough. I have an option of a 400 HQI halide setup, but the electric then goes to 30$ compared to 10$ a month. Any advise ofcourse is welcome! I am in Ohio, so these at day 10. I am hopeing by May I can have them looking great. especially with a fresh batch of bulbs coming. P.S. My first post with photos. So I did the preview. They did not show up, but looked like they uploaded. So I will try to figure out the photos if they dont post with this.

February 14, 2015	#7
crazyoldgooseman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Southern Maryland 7a Posts: 200	Neat! nice set up. When is your plant out date in your part of Ohio? I'm gonna start seeds in 8 days in zone 7A in Md. Hopefully Planting out @ 3 week of April. Thanks for sharing, and keep us posted. Might wanna wear sunglasses over there! __________________ Anybody see where I sat my beer? -crazyoldgooseman

February 13, 2015	#4
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Nice job! Keep the pics coming. That's a lot of Mylar. I envision you putting on a radiation suit and thick goggles when entering the room.

February 13, 2015	#5
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Looks nice. I like the walls. Gave me a lot of ideas.

February 20, 2015	#12
RayR Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 2,466	Your seedlings are looking great. You started way early, you will need to repot them again before the weather permits in May. They'll outgrow those peat pots well before you will be able to transplant them outdoors. As far as using mycorrhizae and bacterial inoculants with organics, yes definitely do that in combination with an organic fertilizer.

February 21, 2015	#14
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	They do look good! And yes, you did start very early. I think I'm in the same zone as you and my start date is usually the last half of March for plant out in the last half of May. Only advice I would add is to shoot for a cool environment (60-62 is what I keep mine at) to slow down the growth, otherwise you'll have huge plants in no time. And the bigger they get indoors, the harder it will be to keep them healthy or to do things like transplant or even move them without damaging them (been there, done that).