today i took a chance...

[tlintx]

Originally Posted by amideutch

Ever since I started using Jump Start peat pellets I never looked back. You can get a 81 pellet unit with plastic tray and dome for $12.00. Once sprouted you bottom water the seedlings until ready to transplant. Then again there may be other reasons why some folks choose this method to sprout there seeds.

Do you prefer the Hydrofarm brand to, say, Jiffy or Burpee? I've used the Burpee pellets and thought they were fine, as long as you remove the membrane around the pellet before planting. Root development was fantastic; I liked that I could see pretty easily if I needed to water. Do you plant the pellet and all even in containers?

[MrBig46]

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

This conversation - and Vladimir's pictures - make me hope it was February already. That's when I'll start with the first tomato seeds (mini varities that can be grown indoors) and perhaps Physalis.
Only two more months to go - yay - and it's gardening season again!!

PS. The whole idea of paper towel sprouting method seems so messy and complicated compared to direct sowing - can't really see any benefits... but I might try with a few seeds just for a learning experience and see if there are any results.. I wonder if seedlings started that way are weaker?

Narnian,
I haven´t good terms for the planting of tomato seedlings. I reside in the flat (3+1) in concrete sectional house. Whole winter we have in all rooms temperature 24 °C, only in the bedroom 18 °C. I plant the seedlings in the bedroom on the north west 120 cm wide window. I begin between 15. and 28. February. I don´t light them, they have only diffussed day light. The seedlings catch sight of the sun even sometime in April when I harden them. I have the long seedlings never, I need not lay them.Because the temperature 18 °C is lowly, I must begin very early about sixty (and more) days befor the transplanting. I mostly transplant tomatoes from 25. April to 10. May (as per the weather prediction), the day of last frog for us is 15.May. I need about 150 seedlings tomatoes (some pepers and salads) and this number I must plant on this one window.
To the pictures: To each pot I put four seeds on the wet substrate, cover by glass or foil. I control it each day (I have in some room with temperature 24 °C). When I can see the seeds germinate, I cover in them by substrate and I give the pots to the bedroom. The pictures are not from February but from July and August.
Vladimír

[NarnianGarden]

Thank you Mr. Vladimir. You're a very dedicated grower. I understood the pictures are from summer, they just made me dream about gardening. Your conditions are not much different than ours in Finland, it is a very short season compared to most Americans. But at least in Finland we have plenty of light in our short summertime, that helps to optimize the photosyntesis.

This year, I planted my seeds in April & next year I'll be earlier. February for the mini varieties (they can be kept indoors) and March 15th for the rest. Transplanting outdoors can usually take place only in the end of May/beginning of June, and even then one has to be prepared for occasional frosts...

At least the cold winters kill most pathogens, that's helpful. I wish most cabbage flies would die too, but usually the are right there ready for ambush when I put my Brassica seeds outside...