Starting Seeds General Info

hardwaterbob · March 2, 2011

Here is a brief overview that I found on a university web site. I hope this answers questions about temps and when to fertilize and transplant.

Starting from Seed
1. Make sure seed starting tray, pots, mixing bowl, and trowel are clean. If necessary, rinse with 10% bleach solution.

2. Pour dry seed starting mix into large mixing bowl and moisten until just damp. Soil should clump when squeezed, but not be sopping wet.

3. Loosely transfer moist soil mix into seed starting tray or pots.

4. Drop tomato seeds onto surface of soil and then plant as shallow as humanly possible. You may use a toothpick or other tool to push seed slightly under the surface of the soil. Alternately, sprinkle a fine layer of dry seed starting mix and then mist with a clean spray bottle full of water until moist.

5. Cover surface of seed starting tray with clear plastic lid (if provided) or loosely tent with plastic wrap and set in a warm (not hot) place with a temperature from 55-75 degrees. Plastic cover should not be airtight.

6. When seeds begin to germinate, remove plastic cover and move tray/pots under fluorescent lights at a distance of no more than 1-2 inches from bulbs for 16 hours a day. There is no danger of your seedlings being burned if they touch the bulbs.

7. Every day, raise lights or lower pots/tray as needed to maintain a distance of no more than 1-2 inches between leaves and light bulbs.

8. When seedlings have their second set of true leaves, apply liquid fertilizer at half strength mixed in a clean chemical-free spray bottle (ie 1/2 tsp in a 20 oz spray bottle full of water).

9. If your seedlings are in trays, then you will need to transplant at 3-4 weeks into pots. This should happen when seedlings have their third set of true leaves , and are approximately 3-5″ tall. When transplanting, retain some extra plants as “backups” in case a frost damages your initial planting.

10. Once seedlings are 5-7 weeks old, they should be approximately 8-10″ tall. At this point, it is now 1-2 weeks prior to the scheduled planting time. You should begin “hardening off” your seedlings by gradually exposing them to sunlight, first with full shade, then a few minutes of sunlight a day, gradually increasing their exposure until on the 7th or 8th day, they are experiencing full sun even in the hottest part of the day (11am-1pm).

11. When weather forecasts are predicting no upcoming nights below 40°F, transplant tomato seedlings outside into your garden as deep as possible, removing any leaves that will be buried. This should take place on a cloudy day, or in the mid-to-late afternoon to allow plants 1 day to acclimate. In case of full sun, a sheet or row cover may be draped over sticks, cages, or other framework to shield the plants from full sun for a few days.

Bob

March 2, 2011	#1
hardwaterbob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Elgin, Illinois Posts: 108	Starting Seeds General Info Here is a brief overview that I found on a university web site. I hope this answers questions about temps and when to fertilize and transplant. Starting from Seed 1. Make sure seed starting tray, pots, mixing bowl, and trowel are clean. If necessary, rinse with 10% bleach solution. 2. Pour dry seed starting mix into large mixing bowl and moisten until just damp. Soil should clump when squeezed, but not be sopping wet. 3. Loosely transfer moist soil mix into seed starting tray or pots. 4. Drop tomato seeds onto surface of soil and then plant as shallow as humanly possible. You may use a toothpick or other tool to push seed slightly under the surface of the soil. Alternately, sprinkle a fine layer of dry seed starting mix and then mist with a clean spray bottle full of water until moist. 5. Cover surface of seed starting tray with clear plastic lid (if provided) or loosely tent with plastic wrap and set in a warm (not hot) place with a temperature from 55-75 degrees. Plastic cover should not be airtight. 6. When seeds begin to germinate, remove plastic cover and move tray/pots under fluorescent lights at a distance of no more than 1-2 inches from bulbs for 16 hours a day. There is no danger of your seedlings being burned if they touch the bulbs. 7. Every day, raise lights or lower pots/tray as needed to maintain a distance of no more than 1-2 inches between leaves and light bulbs. 8. When seedlings have their second set of true leaves, apply liquid fertilizer at half strength mixed in a clean chemical-free spray bottle (ie 1/2 tsp in a 20 oz spray bottle full of water). 9. If your seedlings are in trays, then you will need to transplant at 3-4 weeks into pots. This should happen when seedlings have their third set of true leaves , and are approximately 3-5″ tall. When transplanting, retain some extra plants as “backups” in case a frost damages your initial planting. 10. Once seedlings are 5-7 weeks old, they should be approximately 8-10″ tall. At this point, it is now 1-2 weeks prior to the scheduled planting time. You should begin “hardening off” your seedlings by gradually exposing them to sunlight, first with full shade, then a few minutes of sunlight a day, gradually increasing their exposure until on the 7th or 8th day, they are experiencing full sun even in the hottest part of the day (11am-1pm). 11. When weather forecasts are predicting no upcoming nights below 40°F, transplant tomato seedlings outside into your garden as deep as possible, removing any leaves that will be buried. This should take place on a cloudy day, or in the mid-to-late afternoon to allow plants 1 day to acclimate. In case of full sun, a sheet or row cover may be draped over sticks, cages, or other framework to shield the plants from full sun for a few days. Bob