Small seeds.

[Leroy]

My first round of seedlings are all still alive.

When I got my second batch they were smaller seeds. I just thought that it was because they were different kinds. They started to sprout on day 7. The first one I pulled. I thought it was grass.



That is a normal tooth pick in the picture. Are they small or is it just in my mind?
If they are small will they catch up?

Another question. I don't have a seed starting mat. So I put the seeds in the oven with the door a tiny bit open and the pilot light keeps it 85% in there. Will the gas hurt the sprouts? I only leave them in there during the night and put them under the shop light during the day.



The second picks are my first seedlings. They are not that colour. I just am having a bit of trouble with my camera. Too many buttons and knobs.

I am so excited that I already went out and looked for blossom bags. All they had at the hobby shop were wedding things. Then I went and found a remnant of something nylon with smallish holes.

I am so excited I can not wait. It is still a month till they can go in the ground.

Thanks.

[MikeH]

In the first pic they do appear a bit small,but are healthy looking....I wouldn't worry about the size at that stage.If all of them have sprouted I would leave them under the lights,however.Tomato's really don't need the extra heat to germinate but it seems to hurry them up a bit.

From the second pic,looks like your doing just fine!Love the color of the stems .

[Leroy]

They are not so wimpy looking today. Oh what a difference a day makes.

There are a few un sprouted seeds. I do have at least one of each except Cabot. I may put in 2 more seeds just to be sure.

The other plants spent their first day with more than an hour of sun yesterday. I would almost swear that the leaves are twice as big today and a darker shade of green. I gave them a little miracle grow 18-18-21 about 3 days back. at about 1/16 strength. One month till they are in the ground. If they make till then I know They will make it.

[carolyn137]

Leroy, some varieties have large seeds and some have small seeds and difrferent varieties can and do grow at different rates.

It's one of the reasons why many folks start their cherry tomatoes a week after all others.

And Riesentraube, for instance, grows quite slowly for most folks.\\So I wouldn't worry about making comparisons as they come up. Just let them do what they want to do.

[Leroy]

Thanks. I think I am just overly excited.

[bcday]

Hi Leroy,

Your seedlings look good. You don't need to put them in the oven any more after they have sprouted.

One problem with using popsicle sticks for labels is that they won't last long and soon will become unreadable. Plastic labels are better, they won't get watersoaked or rot. If you are going to transplant the seedlings into plastic or styrofoam cups, you can write the name right on the cup so there won't be any switched or missing labels.

[Leroy]

I potted them up today. I had my choice at the store. 8 and 1/2 or 16 oz cups. I went with 16.

I will put the names on these with a marker before I lose any tags.

I see your point about the tags. I had the wind blow over 4 pots of peppers yesterday. One was not spilled but the tag came out of it. I I tried to repot the jumble. I can grow a few out. But I will not be able to take any to the swap.
I was trying the dense planting method. So now I have 2 mixed pots and 1 unknown. I will learn to keep them off the porch in the wind.

[the999bbq]

ah, the labelling... I keep shooting myself in the foot over this, on the one hand ordering myself "never ever not label" and on the other hand comforting myself "this entire row is that variety, the row next to it, this variety, I shall and I will label them properly tomorrow" ... lost to many in the anonymiser and still... if I were just a little bit less lazy (nice to have you in my team ;-) )

As for the size of the seeds, I was astonished myself in the difference is size of seeds and especially that my own saved seeds where a lot bigger (in all directions length, width, heigth) than the parent seeds (that I have sown as a backup for my own seeds - which by the way where the first of all to germinate and at 100% so my seed saving technique appeared succesful)...

Is bigger seed better ? When I sow I tend to look for the bigger and better seeds, with nice little downy hairs and all that - what looks attractive in nature usually is good for a reason but is this an objective fact too ??

[Leroy]

I must confess that I took them out side today then brought them back in still the cups are not marked. I did have a full day working in the yard today though. I can rest up at work tomorrow then do it when I get home.

I dug through a brush pile that I started about 5 years back. I found lots of big chunks. But 5 wheel barrow loads if nice black compost with a few lumps. I threw the biggest chunks in a new pilw.It covered almost half of my patch 4 inches deep. It looks like I might get a couple more loads. It should mellow out that goat manure I put in there. I have my eye on another couple of brush piles close by.

[Leroy]

Well I did mark all my cups. It looks like all my plants spread out in there new digs. I think they are just I bit darker green too.

Now I have a fear of over watering them. It will take longer for the bigger cups to dry out.

I have a moisture tester. It says dry. But if I stick my finger in there it feels moist. I think I will wait till morning. Then water if there is no frost and I can put them out.? We have been haveing wind all week. That should dry them a little.

I can find some plastic tags to clip on the cages when I put them in the ground.

[Leroy]

Last night was the first night that I was brave enough to leave them outside all night. We live in a frost pocket. I figure to bring them in if the weatherman says low of 40.

How cold does the weatherman have to say it is going to get before you take frost precautions? Or do you just bring them in every night?

[Leroy]

I am picking up a lot of helpful hints from this site. Thank you to you all.

We are in for a cold week. There was frost this morning. The weather man said 49% I just had a feeling and brought them in. Problem is that I leave for work in the dark. I have to leave then under the lights. Should I leave them under the lights for the 16 hours or put them outside for a couple of hours when I get home? Then back under the lights? The room with the lights stay down to 55% on cold days. There is not a lot of sun cloudy cold and rain.

The moisture tester must be worthless. I wiggle my finger down a few inches and it feels wet. The plants still look great. I will keep the finger and toss the meter.

I will also use a lot smaller cups next time. I have even been looking online for pots and trays. I figure I can wash them and use them over. The best part would be ease of use. It is a worry to carry out a tray full of cups full of dirt and plants. I have to deal with two doors and a set of stairs. I would hate to loose a tray of plants that are this far along.

The small seedlings mostly caught up. I couple could not get the seed leaves out of the outer shell. I kind of helped them off. Some croaked anyway. Some fell over. I poked a hole on the dirt and stuck them back in. They are very small. Out of 9 different kinds of plants 2 were complete duds. One was one for two one was three for two. I must have dropped an extra. All the rest were 2 for 2.That leaves me with 11 new flavors to savor for this year.

I will swear off peat starter pots too. They were fine when I had a whole tray full but with just a single 10 pack the pots in the corner dry out a lot faster.


At a big box store Saturday I found some plastic six packs with individual trays. I don't see myself starting more than ??? different kinds of seeds at one time so a few of these should get me through the seedling stage just fine. I did scrounge up one more shop light. So my limit on plants is no more flats than what will fit under three shop lights. How far apart do you put the shop lights? My table is 3 ft X 5 ft that will be my limit I swear.

If I wind up with to many plants my wife will make me stand on the corner with a tray and a sign that says
(I will grow for food). Or I could plant a few flowers.

[Worth1]

Leroy your plants look great.
About watering, if you let the soil stay too moist they wont grow as fast and they wont grow roots very well.
It is better to let the soil dry out a little before watering again.

I have plants from the same seed stock and some were allowed to stay moist and the others were allowed to dry out.
The plants that were allowed to dry out a little are much bigger and healthier with a whole mess of roots.

Worth

[Leroy]

The soil is only dry down to about two inches. Can I assume that the roots will make it to the bottom of the cup in a weeks time? I planted them as deep as I dared. I will dare a little deeper next year. Or we can do a fall crop here.

I an defiantly going to buy small pots next year. I would like to find some 4 inch pots that are taller. I don't guess it would be not be fair if I get every thing I want though.

[dice]

I am defiantly going to buy small pots next year.

One good online vendor:
http://www.novoselenterprises.com/products/specials.asp