Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2

[ginger2778]

It's likely not to get cooler and dryer until mid to late October. Next year, I suggest starting seeds near the end of the first week September.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by kayrobbins

I have not tried Sustane and look forward to see what you think about it when you use it.I did not have time to look through everything they have since we left early today. I was happy that I could buy $18 lbs of Tomatotone for $13.95, 50 yellow sticky cards for $21.95. I also bought 30 gallon black plastic pots for $2.65. They will work great for my Allspice, Neem and Moringa trees. I don't want to plant those in the ground but they are getting too big for their current pots.

Your tomato seedlings all look healthy and happy. They will really start to take off now that they have been stepped up.

Kay, that's an excellent price on the Tomato Tone, and the sticky cards. Are the Seabright labs brand?

[Barb_FL]

Kay - No Pro-Mix? Envious of those prices; here it is $41 plus tax. Even though I am solarizing my EB, I want to redo between 3-6 with all fresh mix. A bale will fill 3 with some extra.

The thing is lesser quality products such a MG are $14 per bag so that cost is actually more.

Sticky Trap - I sure hope it is the Seabright brand unless you are inside. The best price I've ever had was 30 for $22.

Marsha - It's hard to believe those tiny seedlings will be sun hardened in such a short time.

Thanks for the link for the pots - Did you notice they have white ones too?

I would LOVE to find white/tan seed starting cells. I like the 606 pattern ones - they are basically 2.25 x 2 x 3+ Mine are falling apart; I think meant for one time use, and I've used them multiple times.

Where do you buy the Sustane Fertilizer? is it the 4-6-4 one? Are you switching exclusively to it?

I've been saying this for several seasons now, but am going to compare several fert. including the Masterblend that AKMark, RickyShaw use, the FloraNova products, the Neptune's Harvest stuff, TheUrbanFarm products (TTF / Veg), the Espoma products (blending TT with PlantTone). I got the PH kits, AcidUP/Down, the PPM device, the Salt Removal products....I'm armed and ready.


Forgot to mention, my ICD has the beginning of buds forming.

Here's a pic I took of mine on the 16th.

[efisakov]

Thank you everyone for posting pictures. Your seedlings looking good.

[Fiishergurl]

They all look great! Ive been reading along. I just love all the info shared on this thread.

I am not making the trip to Florida this week. It's just too complicated as next week we have to move out of here and then the following week is hubbys birthday so now I am planning to leave right after that.

Here are the teenagers picture taken last week. We did test them and as of now they still will fit 10 to a case on each bavk seat floorboard and then the rest (shortest ones) on the front seat floorboard.

Good luck to everyone on your beautiful seedlings!



Ginny

[kayrobbins]

I did get Promix and also the Sungro Germinating mix. I like to use that for rooting cuttings and making soil block because it is so fine with no twigs or clumps. The sticky traps were BASF but I do only use them inside. Last year I had such an issue with fungus gnats but so far this year I have not had any problem.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Kay - No Pro-Mix? Envious of those prices; here it is $41 plus tax. Even though I am solarizing my EB, I want to redo between 3-6 with all fresh mix. A bale will fill 3 with some extra.

The thing is lesser quality products such a MG are $14 per bag so that cost is actually more.

Sticky Trap - I sure hope it is the Seabright brand unless you are inside. The best price I've ever had was 30 for $22.

Marsha - It's hard to believe those tiny seedlings will be sun hardened in such a short time.

Thanks for the link for the pots - Did you notice they have white ones too?

I would LOVE to find white/tan seed starting cells. I like the 606 pattern ones - they are basically 2.25 x 2 x 3+ Mine are falling apart; I think meant for one time use, and I've used them multiple times.

Where do you buy the Sustane Fertilizer? is it the 4-6-4 one? Are you switching exclusively to it?

I've been saying this for several seasons now, but am going to compare several fert. including the Masterblend that AKMark, RickyShaw use, the FloraNova products, the Neptune's Harvest stuff, TheUrbanFarm products (TTF / Veg), the Espoma products (blending TT with PlantTone). I got the PH kits, AcidUP/Down, the PPM device, the Salt Removal products....I'm armed and ready.


Forgot to mention, my ICD has the beginning of buds forming.

Here's a pic I took of mine on the 16th.

Barb, yours look so nice. I don't think those pots come in white. For me the darker pots are fine, I only use them for 6 weeks and during that time the weather is getting slightly cooler, and while the babies are sma ll they are kept in a lot of shade.
Sustane, yes I will be using the 4-6-4 at the Garden. I will see how it does there. I am still with Tomato Tone at my house, as you know, I have a lot to use up.
I was worried that the TT didn't give them any magnesium, then I saw that the dolomite lime has 10% in it. So OK I think.
The little guys grew about an inch and thickened noticeably just since Saturday. They really liked the shaded natural light. Even shaded light gives them so much more to work with than grow lights, plus now they have room.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

They all look great! Ive been reading along. I just love all the info shared on this thread.

I am not making the trip to Florida this week. It's just too complicated as next week we have to move out of here and then the following week is hubbys birthday so now I am planning to leave right after that.

Here are the teenagers picture taken last week. We did test them and as of now they still will fit 10 to a case on each bavk seat floorboard and then the rest (shortest ones) on the front seat floorboard.

Good luck to everyone on your beautiful seedlings!



Ginny

Ginn, I have a farmer friend who took 60 of my seedlings at 1.5 feet tall a few years ago. He just simply laid them in a box on their side over each other, and was careful taking them apart. They were fine. I know yours will be taller, but I bet you could lean them against each other. In 2 weeks they are going to be another foot tall.
You must be a determined gardener to do all That!

[ginger2778]

Kay, this is my new Fungus Gnat insurance. Each granule has thousands if not millions of BT in it, the granules are colony forming units (CFU). I googled "buy Gnatrol", got 2 jars for about $33, I just use a tiny pinch in each seed starting cell, and in each 4" transplant pot. For 8 -72 cell starting trays, and around 400 pots I used up about 2/3 of one of the jars. A little goes a long ways, so it's very cheap.

[Fiishergurl]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Ginn, I have a farmer friend who took 60 of my seedlings at 1.5 feet tall a few years ago. He just simply laid them in a box on their side over each other, and was careful taking them apart. They were fine. I know yours will be taller, but I bet you could lean them against each other. In 2 weeks they are going to be another foot tall.
You must be a determined gardener to do all That!

Thats a good idea. They are already a week taller than in the picture. Maybe i could lay them in the trunk that way and just stack them carefully. I already resigned myself to the fact that if they dont make it, they dont make it.

Also with them sticking up in the back seat, my husband and i both figured I would probably be pulled over a time or two because they look so much like marijuana plants theough the window... lol. Im sure the police would see them and wonder who would go to all the trouble to drive around tomato plants like that.

Ginny

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

Thats a good idea. They are already a week taller than in the picture. Maybe i could lay them in the trunk that way and just stack them carefully. I already resigned myself to the fact that if they dont make it, they dont make it.

Also with them sticking up in the back seat, my husband and i both figured I would probably be pulled over a time or two because they look so much like marijuana plants theough the window... lol. Im sure the police would see them and wonder who would go to all the trouble to drive around tomato plants like that.

Ginny

The trunk is cooler too. No glass so no greenhouse effect!

I would put a tarp under them for dirt spillage.

I suppose you could also just start a few more seeds maybe 2 days before leaving, so they are just coming up when you get home, just for insurance.

[kayrobbins]

Marsha, where did you buy that size container? That sounds like something I need to add to my growing regime.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by kayrobbins

Marsha, where did you buy that size container? That sounds like something I need to add to my growing regime.

I got it on eBay putting Gnatrol 16 0z in the search bar. Got 2 jars like that shown for $33 free shipping. It was the very first one on the page, it shipped in hours, was here 2 days later.

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by AudreyFL

Quick question for folks in South Florida - I sowed seeds8/13 and 8/20...the seedlings have been doing great and have potted them up to 4" pots, some to larger pots already. They are outside on pool patio and within the past week, many are developing leaf spot. I trimmed off a few really bad lower leaves but am afraid to prune too much more.

We have been hammered by either searing heat/sun or rain daily (just as leaves dry rain starts again) and humidity hasn't gone below 80%.

Did I start too early? Should I be starting copper or milk spray or something now? I just brought a bunch into the house hoping to keep them dry and in lower humidity until I figure out what to do next. My dwarf orange cream, dwarf extreme, and NBDs are getting the worst if it. Maglia Rosa and the two UF seedlings I started seem to be doing Ok. My micros haven't been potted up yet, started them 3 weeks ago and they're fine so far.
I just forget how relentless the heat and humidity still are this far into September!
Thanks!

From what I can deduce from NOAA's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) forecasts the Temperature for all of Florida for Oct, Nov and Dec 2016 is for normal temperatures. For the same period Precipitation for South FL is forecast as normal, Central FL slightly less precipitation than normal and North FL less precipitation than normal. However, these forecasts will probably continue to change but for me I like what they are projected at this time.
Larry

[Barb_FL]

Audrey - Rereading your post, it sounds like the only varieties causing you problems are the dwarfs. Are they exposed 100% to the elements?
I grow on my pool deck also, but bring the seedlings under the porch at night just in case it rains.

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Ginny - I'm sure lying the plants flat will do no harm. In these big wind/thunderstorms, my plants have been knocked over and after awhile I think it is just better for the plant to leave it down and wait until the storm is over.

Just in case, do you have room in the car if you started some seeds now?