Dense Planting Illustrated - WARNING - Pic Heavy! Latest video 3/17 - transplanting - Page 22

SharonRossy · April 14, 2013

I have a question regarding arugula. Craig, I watched your videos on transplanting the tomato seeds, thanks a million. I'm doing seed this year for the first time in many years so I had to re-educate myself and your video answered so many questions. However, I live in montreal, and I'm wondering about starting arugula inside. Do I need to cover the cells as well and how many seedlings would you transplant per 4" pot? Is it too soon, because our planting season isn't before the end of May. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Tracydr · April 14, 2013

I would just direct sow arugula. It grows like a weed!

dice · April 14, 2013

Arugula is extremely short season. I direct seeded some in the garden
in early May one year. By the first of July it had bolted and was setting
seed. It has been there ever since, and it comes up as volunteers every
year.

I do not think you need to start it in advance inside to get a crop.

SharonRossy · April 14, 2013

Thanks, that was my thought also. I'll probably plant in a planter. Last year my arugula that I sowed in the ground gotten chewed up by ants, earwigs, etc.

Rideau Rambler · April 15, 2013

I am over in Ottawa and I plant my lettuces in pots because bugs on my greens creep me out. I do start it indoors and then harden off and leave outside. I figure I'll start mine in a couple of weeks, around May 1st. So they'll be living outdoors permanently by the end of May in clean planter soil on my deck away from creepy crawlers. I just wait until they are big enough to eat, to thin them out, don't plant too closely but don't sweat over it. Two weeks more! Start some herbs if you are itching to plant.

Here's hoping that pansys can be tranplanted safely, I way too densely sowed them.

SharonRossy · April 16, 2013

Hi Rideau Rambler, so hopefully you're having better weather than we are? It's so dreary! I agree, I still might start my arugula inside and transplant. I haven't started lettuce from seed but I always put in pots for the same reason. I have had an ant problem over the last couple of years and of course the infamous earwigs, so it's easier to control in pots. Parsley, basil only in pots as well. I'm actually amazed I have seedlings from my toms. Most likely I won't be transplanting outside until end of May. What about Ottawa?
Sharon

Zana · April 16, 2013

HI Sharon and RR,
I'm southwest of you in K-W. I direct sow my arugula and other greens in trough planters about mid May and again in late July/early August. With the planters I can then move them closer to warmer spots in the fall (along the walls of the house or on concrete pads - all of which will reflect heat.) I usually am still harvesting until the end of October and sometimes as late as the end of November, without bringing the planters inside.
I agree about the bugs....usually less hassle with the planters for the greens when it comes to pests. Although rabbits have been known to treat those on the ground as their own personal salad bars....grrrrrr.
I do the dense planting of my greens with all of them and just clip them/thin them as needed. But mostly I don't transplant them from the original troughs. Other veggies/fruit that need more space get transplanted/thinned.
Zana

SharonRossy · April 16, 2013

Hi Zana, so you are probably in a warmer zone than me. The question I have regarding lettuce, if we continually clip the leaves it will continue to grow, right? And will it get bitter? Last year I just ended up yanking them out completely because frankly I got tired of watering. Arugula I will start earlier. I think it actually likes a bit of cool weather.

Sharon

Zana · April 16, 2013

I'm in zone 5...but there are microclimates that can push that to close to a 6 depending.

Hi Sharon,
I continue to clip mine. Although sometimes some gets too leggy and bitter. Those I let go to seed and have been known to grown a third set in a year...or just keep the seed for the following year.

Some arugula will bolt in the summer in the high heat, but will come back gangbusters as the temps cool off.

Zana

SharonRossy · April 16, 2013

I wish something would push montreal into a zone 6. I have a bad feeling its going to be wet this year. Are you guys starting tomatoes as well?

Rideau Rambler · April 17, 2013

Hi,

My tomatoes are well under way. Just potted up some seedlings from their dense cells. It took forever and now I have a zillion baby plants. I had far more germinate than expected, lol. All this talk made me sow some lettuce seeds this morning

Considering I spent all of last summer with a hose attached to me, rain would be nice this year. I am on the outskirts of OT, so I am more like a 4b than a 5a, but at least my garden gets full sun everyday. Last year I really densely planted my lettuce, I don't know if it was just the dry year or if the cramped conditions stunted the leaves.

Zana · April 17, 2013

Probably more the dry conditions, RR. Lettuce really is a water hog.

There have been years where I've densely planted and ended up with way more plants than I could ever use myself. Gave many away....sold some too.

Zana

SharonRossy · April 17, 2013

Well you two are better than me! I don't know what it is about lettuce, but I have a hard time hanging in there with it. I am anxiously waiting to transplant my tomato seedlings. RR you are lucky. I had a lot that didn't germinate although some have taken over 2 weeks! I actually threw a whole batch away.
We're zone 5B here. I am glad to see some sun. Last summer was so hot and dry it was hard to keep up with watering. My cukes up and died on me too. so what are you two growing? I think I am not doing eggplant this year. I usually buy a few plants from the market - but the squirrels had their way with them last year and I dont' really love them, so why bother?
I will have a fair amount of tomato plants hopefully....

kurt · April 17, 2013

I grow arugala all year long here.Tricks that I have found is if you have patience do seed one at a time at 4-5 inches apart in long plastic planting troughs.I do all mine in these long 5 inch by 3ft long 6 inch deep planters and do not go inground cause of the bugs here.I get two rows per planter.They will jump up and then "settle"again about a inch away from where they come out of the ground from.When you see them in the big box they are bunched up and will eventually kill each other off to form 1 plant anyway.Wife cuts the outside young leaves as she needs them(slow bolting down).Grow in two week increment sand you will have arugalas in varying leaf sizes.I always let one or two trays grow larger and give them a haircut(butch style when larger salads are needed)One tray I let go for seeds.If you like pepper grow the roquette arugalas for some intense peppery flavor.We do the same with other "stand up"(non head )greens for constant fresh picked salads when we want/need them.Arugala will last for us up to two-3months per tray.

jnlp33 · February 15, 2014

I tried nctomatoman's dense planting technique and had 100% germination, and then I transplanted them and now I have more plants then I can deal with. I kept cautioning my husband that "lot's of these won't make it" but they all did! My back porch is covered in large, plastic drinking cups filled with tomatoes and peppers. I'm filled with awe and more then a little trepidation that this technique worked so well and now I'll have to gift them to people at church because I don't have planting space for all of them!

April 14, 2013	#318
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	Arugula is extremely short season. I direct seeded some in the garden in early May one year. By the first of July it had bolted and was setting seed. It has been there ever since, and it comes up as volunteers every year. I do not think you need to start it in advance inside to get a crop. __________________ -- alias

April 17, 2013	#329
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,500	I grow arugala all year long here.Tricks that I have found is if you have patience do seed one at a time at 4-5 inches apart in long plastic planting troughs.I do all mine in these long 5 inch by 3ft long 6 inch deep planters and do not go inground cause of the bugs here.I get two rows per planter.They will jump up and then "settle"again about a inch away from where they come out of the ground from.When you see them in the big box they are bunched up and will eventually kill each other off to form 1 plant anyway.Wife cuts the outside young leaves as she needs them(slow bolting down).Grow in two week increment sand you will have arugalas in varying leaf sizes.I always let one or two trays grow larger and give them a haircut(butch style when larger salads are needed)One tray I let go for seeds.If you like pepper grow the roquette arugalas for some intense peppery flavor.We do the same with other "stand up"(non head )greens for constant fresh picked salads when we want/need them.Arugala will last for us up to two-3months per tray. __________________ KURT

February 15, 2014	#330
jnlp33 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: southern california Posts: 3	Dense planting madness! I tried nctomatoman's dense planting technique and had 100% germination, and then I transplanted them and now I have more plants then I can deal with. I kept cautioning my husband that "lot's of these won't make it" but they all did! My back porch is covered in large, plastic drinking cups filled with tomatoes and peppers. I'm filled with awe and more then a little trepidation that this technique worked so well and now I'll have to gift them to people at church because I don't have planting space for all of them!

April 14, 2013	#316
SharonRossy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,140	I have a question regarding arugula. Craig, I watched your videos on transplanting the tomato seeds, thanks a million. I'm doing seed this year for the first time in many years so I had to re-educate myself and your video answered so many questions. However, I live in montreal, and I'm wondering about starting arugula inside. Do I need to cover the cells as well and how many seedlings would you transplant per 4" pot? Is it too soon, because our planting season isn't before the end of May. Any suggestions would be welcome.

April 14, 2013	#317
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	I would just direct sow arugula. It grows like a weed!

April 14, 2013	#319
SharonRossy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,140	Thanks, that was my thought also. I'll probably plant in a planter. Last year my arugula that I sowed in the ground gotten chewed up by ants, earwigs, etc.

April 15, 2013	#320
Rideau Rambler Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 69	I am over in Ottawa and I plant my lettuces in pots because bugs on my greens creep me out. I do start it indoors and then harden off and leave outside. I figure I'll start mine in a couple of weeks, around May 1st. So they'll be living outdoors permanently by the end of May in clean planter soil on my deck away from creepy crawlers. I just wait until they are big enough to eat, to thin them out, don't plant too closely but don't sweat over it. Two weeks more! Start some herbs if you are itching to plant. Here's hoping that pansys can be tranplanted safely, I way too densely sowed them.

April 16, 2013	#321
SharonRossy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,140	Hi Rideau Rambler, so hopefully you're having better weather than we are? It's so dreary! I agree, I still might start my arugula inside and transplant. I haven't started lettuce from seed but I always put in pots for the same reason. I have had an ant problem over the last couple of years and of course the infamous earwigs, so it's easier to control in pots. Parsley, basil only in pots as well. I'm actually amazed I have seedlings from my toms. Most likely I won't be transplanting outside until end of May. What about Ottawa? Sharon

April 16, 2013	#322
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	HI Sharon and RR, I'm southwest of you in K-W. I direct sow my arugula and other greens in trough planters about mid May and again in late July/early August. With the planters I can then move them closer to warmer spots in the fall (along the walls of the house or on concrete pads - all of which will reflect heat.) I usually am still harvesting until the end of October and sometimes as late as the end of November, without bringing the planters inside. I agree about the bugs....usually less hassle with the planters for the greens when it comes to pests. Although rabbits have been known to treat those on the ground as their own personal salad bars....grrrrrr. I do the dense planting of my greens with all of them and just clip them/thin them as needed. But mostly I don't transplant them from the original troughs. Other veggies/fruit that need more space get transplanted/thinned. Zana

April 16, 2013	#323
SharonRossy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,140	Hi Zana, so you are probably in a warmer zone than me. The question I have regarding lettuce, if we continually clip the leaves it will continue to grow, right? And will it get bitter? Last year I just ended up yanking them out completely because frankly I got tired of watering. Arugula I will start earlier. I think it actually likes a bit of cool weather. Sharon

April 16, 2013	#324
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	I'm in zone 5...but there are microclimates that can push that to close to a 6 depending. Hi Sharon, I continue to clip mine. Although sometimes some gets too leggy and bitter. Those I let go to seed and have been known to grown a third set in a year...or just keep the seed for the following year. Some arugula will bolt in the summer in the high heat, but will come back gangbusters as the temps cool off. Zana

April 16, 2013	#325
SharonRossy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,140	I wish something would push montreal into a zone 6. I have a bad feeling its going to be wet this year. Are you guys starting tomatoes as well?

April 17, 2013	#326
Rideau Rambler Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 69	Hi, My tomatoes are well under way. Just potted up some seedlings from their dense cells. It took forever and now I have a zillion baby plants. I had far more germinate than expected, lol. All this talk made me sow some lettuce seeds this morning Considering I spent all of last summer with a hose attached to me, rain would be nice this year. I am on the outskirts of OT, so I am more like a 4b than a 5a, but at least my garden gets full sun everyday. Last year I really densely planted my lettuce, I don't know if it was just the dry year or if the cramped conditions stunted the leaves.

April 17, 2013	#327
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	Probably more the dry conditions, RR. Lettuce really is a water hog. There have been years where I've densely planted and ended up with way more plants than I could ever use myself. Gave many away....sold some too. Zana

April 17, 2013	#328
SharonRossy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,140	Well you two are better than me! I don't know what it is about lettuce, but I have a hard time hanging in there with it. I am anxiously waiting to transplant my tomato seedlings. RR you are lucky. I had a lot that didn't germinate although some have taken over 2 weeks! I actually threw a whole batch away. We're zone 5B here. I am glad to see some sun. Last summer was so hot and dry it was hard to keep up with watering. My cukes up and died on me too. so what are you two growing? I think I am not doing eggplant this year. I usually buy a few plants from the market - but the squirrels had their way with them last year and I dont' really love them, so why bother? I will have a fair amount of tomato plants hopefully....