How Early is too early to start seeds?

[My Foot Smells]

welp, and awaaaaay we go. high in the 70's today, so giving them a little sun bath on the front porch.

maters.jpg

[AlittleSalt]

Looks really good. Seeing them like that is special.

[My Foot Smells]

first batch. probably do another batch of mix and match with more varieties in a couple of weeks. i always grow these two each year. i don't have the inside room to do big batches.

rare day with little wind and high temp w/ some sunshine partial (thank the lawd). it has been a drizzling wet mess and 40 for two weeks.

[AlittleSalt]

We have the same kind of day here. The tomato and pepper plants are outside for their first time. It worked out well because it's also watering day.

[My Foot Smells]

got them in a "mist" zone outside today with temp around 58. rain all day today, but figure uv ray still get through and be mo better than the artifical light i got.......

i wonder? do some people use rain water to bottom feed? with all the rain over this month anything that holds water is full, and i got a couple of rain barrels too. city water is just that and has additives.

also, we just barely missed the big blow last night, hope everyone down in missy and bama are o.k. today. saw where a twister got hattisburg.....

[Cole_Robbie]

I think you will want to soak mosquito dunks in the water, or use gnatrol. The water will accumulate fly larvae, including fungus gnat larvae, which hatch out in the soil and eat your roots.

[My Foot Smells]

thanks for the foresight of the rain water application bringing in larvae. didn't think of that problem with it still being winter. i do put dunks in my barrels but not until mid-late spring. will stick to the city governed stuff during seedling stage (just in case). in previous years, i have had problems with gnats in the gh. i live on the creek and we get those "bull gnats" that leave a welp, but think the garden gnat is different species.

[AlittleSalt]

I have used rainwater and tap water left out for 24 hours. I didn't notice any difference. Our tap water is soft.

In town 10 miles away, their tap water is very hard and tastes bad. If I was gardening there - I would use rainwater or boil the tap water.

[Nan_PA_6b]

I'm jealous of you folks who can start seeds already. My last frost date is May 15. Last year I started tomato seeds 3 months prior & had MONSTER plants living in my basement, outgrowing 2 & 3 gallon pots. I was on tiptoe raising the grow lights; Julia Child was growing an inch a day! I've promised my family I won't start seeds till eight weeks prior this year. <sigh>

Nan

[My Foot Smells]

Originally Posted by Nan_PA_6b

I'm jealous of you folks who can start seeds already. My last frost date is May 15. Last year I started tomato seeds 3 months prior & had MONSTER plants living in my basement, outgrowing 2 & 3 gallon pots. I was on tiptoe raising the grow lights; Julia Child was growing an inch a day! I've promised my family I won't start seeds till eight weeks prior this year. <sigh>

Nan

I think they moved the LFD to 4-11 here, but come mid-late march there is usually only a few days that dip down (but not always) and plants can start to bask outside. It seems that it takes approx. 30 days from seed to first true leaf for me, so that will almost put me to the end of February when I transplant to bigger container.

I only have room for 24 full size toms this year, as I am also going to do some ambrosia corn in two beds. I grow cherry separate. So, not like ole' king cole who has 5K worth of goods to handle.

LY put the babies out early and spring weather got violent. Maybe keep in protective custody longer this year and wait until late april for I drop.

In any event, in the dulldrums of winter, it is nice to have a little something going on.

[Black Krim]

You bring up a good point about the violent spring weather.....seems to have become the new norm. At least here in New England where that was always the tendency, but has become worse in recent years. Certainly keeps me guessing the best dates to plant out the transplants.

As for the water, you can also add Braggs apple cider vinegar to the water to stop the bugs. I cant speak to using the water for growing, but I do water the chickens with it. Might be a safer alternative to dunks. Here we empty containers as needed and start fresh to reduce those pesky bugs called mosquitos.

[oakley]

I've been growing all Winter. Micro toms, micro greens and pea shoots for salads, and micro/dwarf sunflowers for no reason but experimenting.
It is our Winter workshop/studio and lights are on anyway.

I started peppers on the 10th and five of ten rows are up. I just use this time to cull and test germination. A full row of each variety. 2-3 per cell. Peppers and eggplants take forever even with a heat mat. Much easier to just buy a few 6-cells but the varieties are limiting.
If anything happens i can just start another smaller 32 cell tray. Seems i need to do that already.

I'll start another 36 cell dwarf/micro next week and my first ind heirlooms. Way too early
but experience shows a good bet for insurance. A few years ago a potting up mix became cement quickly and toasted a couple dozen pots. Fortunately i did notice a difference and made my own mix for the rest of the seedling tray.

I'll start new trays of toms every couple of weeks, (insurance), and will be certain to have way to many and cull the weak. Plenty to give away to friends.

The micros are a good Winter plant. Easy to grow and not much care. Not for the 'pruners'. You would have to hire Barbie to get in there.
This is in a 4" pot. 3" tall and about 5" wide.

[GrowingCoastal]

Very cute!

I am not starting any seeds yet, however, the last Campari I grew, kept since mid October, has sprouted a couple. What to do? I don't really have ideal conditions for the them. Hard to say no to these volunteers that seemed to know when the day length increased though sitting well away from any windows so they are in a pot under a light on the kitchen window sill for now.

[Ricky Shaw]

Originally Posted by oakley

I'll start new trays of toms every couple of weeks, (insurance), and will be certain to have way to many and cull the weak. Plenty to give away to friends.

Such good advice that can save a lot of money on having to buy last minute plants. I stacked it, 3 sets 2wks apart and ended up using all of my back-ups. The first wave got too big waiting to get warm enough to transplant and the second wave got decimated by hail. Nearly all the third wave, Big Beef, Sungold, and Brandy Boy were used and had been intended mostly as giveaways.

[My Foot Smells]

Originally Posted by GrowingCoastal

Very cute!

I am not starting any seeds yet, however, the last Campari I grew, kept since mid October, has sprouted a couple. What to do? I don't really have ideal conditions for the them. Hard to say no to these volunteers that seemed to know when the day length increased though sitting well away from any windows so they are in a pot under a light on the kitchen window sill for now.

Wicked looking picture, (attack of the killer tomatoes!!) Always hard to argue with nature - although man tries - and then sighs.

I rarely get the "timing" right, or so it seems. Maybe it is easier to put on the brakes, than punch the accelerator?

"Nobody puts baby in the corner" - Pat. Swayze, dirty dancing