Richard's Indoor Propagation - Page 3

falconblack · March 4, 2014

Our plant out date is last week of May this year prob 1st week of June.

falconblack · March 4, 2014

I am 20 minutes North of Winnipeg Manitoba

drew51 · March 4, 2014

Yeah I tend to switch to higher potassium once fruits start to form. Although my soil is usually so rich, not sure it matters? I'm not that far up north either. Summers are long.
Old habits I guess! I do grow in pots, in ground, and raised beds too! So I have three soils to deal with. I tend to give low doses. I play it by ear. if the plant looks poor, I may add more, but most of the time the plants look great so a steady feed at each watering, except when I'm watering every day.

I just got in a peach tree today from California, man last year I could plant at this time, not this year. It's 16 degrees F right now, and it's not changing for the next ten days. In ten days high is 25 low is 11. I guess I have to heal it in, and in the garage, not good!
Monday 2 blueberries, and 1 blackberry are coming in, again from CA. I can treat those as house plants till planting time, no big deal. Although I'm not quite sure what to do with the peach tree? The rest of my orders are from nurseries that can deliver at a better time. The CA ones had to ship now as bare roots are coming out of dormancy. It's actually super late for them. At the time it was the only nursery that had Old Mixon Free. Which is an heirloom peach, one of the oldest cultivars in the USA. Jefferson grew it. I have since found a 2nd nursery with the tree, but already ordered this one.

debles · March 5, 2014

Nice setup Richard. Just enjoyed viewing the photos.

Hermitian · March 11, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by debles

Nice setup Richard. Just enjoyed viewing the photos.

Thanks Deb!

I expect to pot them in 4-inch pots in a week or two. I'll save one of each variety for planting in the garden and give the rest away.

Hermitian · March 13, 2014

The night-time temperatures have warmed up enough that I keep the windows next to the seedlings open 24/7.

Hermitian · March 17, 2014

Preparing for next step:

Hermitian · March 17, 2014

Today I transplanted the seedlings from the plug trays into 4 inch pots. While this was going on, I turned half the bulbs off in the overhead lighting fixture for the day to reduce stress on the plants.

1st step was to wet down about a cubic foot of Pro-Mix and prepare the 4-inch pots. Next, I lifted the seedlings out of the plug tray one-by-one and placed them in the 4" pots. In the picture below, you'll notice I'm using an ordinary steel dining room fork to scoop each plant out of the plug tray and into a prepared hole in a 4" pot.

When this assembly-line process was all done, I made up a 1-gallon mixture of fresh water and 1/4 teaspoon of plant hormone. I use Grow More Jump Start, but for those who prefer something completely natural Seaweed Extract will work about as well. Anyway, I took this very dilute mixture and gave about 1/4 cup to each newly potted plant. With this I completely avoid symptoms of transplant shock.

Worth1 · March 17, 2014

Been following the whole thread Looks good.

Worth

Hermitian · March 23, 2014

Here's a picture of my tomato and pepper plants one month after sowing seeds. Looks like I'd better get busy building the planter beds outside.

falconblack · March 24, 2014

Wow I have a ways to go yet.Mine are still in styrofoam cups.I am just using that fertilizer you sent me so hopefully they will grow better now.

Hermitian · March 25, 2014

Yesterday I took one of each cultivar outdoors to start hardening off. However, now we have rain in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow with 15+ mph winds. So I've brought the juvenilles back indoors for a reprieve.

greenthumbomaha · March 25, 2014

Oh show off ! Your plants are amazing at 4 weeks .. such a broad leaf canopy and nice and fat and green, not like my tall plants with narrow leaves. I may take some of that plant hormone MYSELF. Your hard work really paid off. I'll definitely follow your regimine next growing season.

-L.

greenthumbomaha · March 25, 2014

Just one more question ..

I'm in a very windy area here, no gentle breezes in the plains like you have. 15 mph doesn't seem like much to me as we routinely have 25-35 mph winds, and gusts much higher. What is the wind tolerance at this stage if they are well watered? Am I stressing plants too much, or do they naturally adapt to the harsher environment?

-L.

Hermitian · March 25, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

Oh show off ! Your plants are amazing at 4 weeks .. such a broad leaf canopy and nice and fat and green, not like my tall plants with narrow leaves. I may take some of that plant hormone MYSELF. Your hard work really paid off. I'll definitely follow your regimine next growing season.
-L.

Thank you, although I think it has a lot to do with the amount and kind of lighting I have been using. Beyond that -- yes, the nutrient program is also important.

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

Just one more question ..
I'm in a very windy area here, no gentle breezes in the plains like you have. 15 mph doesn't seem like much to me as we routinely have 25-35 mph winds, and gusts much higher. What is the wind tolerance at this stage if they are well watered? Am I stressing plants too much, or do they naturally adapt to the harsher environment?
-L.

They might naturally snap off at the base

I'd harden them off outdoors with a lot of wind protection and perhaps a pencil-size stake in the pot. Also maybe it's just a daytime activity for you because I'd want the temperatures to be at least 60F.

March 13, 2014	#36
Hermitian BANNED Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vista, CA Posts: 1,112	The night-time temperatures have warmed up enough that I keep the windows next to the seedlings open 24/7. __________________ Richard _<\|\|>_

March 17, 2014	#37
Hermitian BANNED Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vista, CA Posts: 1,112	Preparing for next step: __________________ Richard _<\|\|>_

March 17, 2014	#38
Hermitian BANNED Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vista, CA Posts: 1,112	Today I transplanted the seedlings from the plug trays into 4 inch pots. While this was going on, I turned half the bulbs off in the overhead lighting fixture for the day to reduce stress on the plants. 1st step was to wet down about a cubic foot of Pro-Mix and prepare the 4-inch pots. Next, I lifted the seedlings out of the plug tray one-by-one and placed them in the 4" pots. In the picture below, you'll notice I'm using an ordinary steel dining room fork to scoop each plant out of the plug tray and into a prepared hole in a 4" pot. When this assembly-line process was all done, I made up a 1-gallon mixture of fresh water and 1/4 teaspoon of plant hormone. I use Grow More Jump Start, but for those who prefer something completely natural Seaweed Extract will work about as well. Anyway, I took this very dilute mixture and gave about 1/4 cup to each newly potted plant. With this I completely avoid symptoms of transplant shock. __________________ Richard _<\|\|>_

March 23, 2014	#40
Hermitian BANNED Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vista, CA Posts: 1,112	Here's a picture of my tomato and pepper plants one month after sowing seeds. Looks like I'd better get busy building the planter beds outside. __________________ Richard _<\|\|>_

March 25, 2014	#42
Hermitian BANNED Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vista, CA Posts: 1,112	Yesterday I took one of each cultivar outdoors to start hardening off. However, now we have rain in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow with 15+ mph winds. So I've brought the juvenilles back indoors for a reprieve. __________________ Richard _<\|\|>_

March 4, 2014	#31
falconblack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Canada Posts: 39	Our plant out date is last week of May this year prob 1st week of June.

March 4, 2014	#33
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	Yeah I tend to switch to higher potassium once fruits start to form. Although my soil is usually so rich, not sure it matters? I'm not that far up north either. Summers are long. Old habits I guess! I do grow in pots, in ground, and raised beds too! So I have three soils to deal with. I tend to give low doses. I play it by ear. if the plant looks poor, I may add more, but most of the time the plants look great so a steady feed at each watering, except when I'm watering every day. I just got in a peach tree today from California, man last year I could plant at this time, not this year. It's 16 degrees F right now, and it's not changing for the next ten days. In ten days high is 25 low is 11. I guess I have to heal it in, and in the garage, not good! Monday 2 blueberries, and 1 blackberry are coming in, again from CA. I can treat those as house plants till planting time, no big deal. Although I'm not quite sure what to do with the peach tree? The rest of my orders are from nurseries that can deliver at a better time. The CA ones had to ship now as bare roots are coming out of dormancy. It's actually super late for them. At the time it was the only nursery that had Old Mixon Free. Which is an heirloom peach, one of the oldest cultivars in the USA. Jefferson grew it. I have since found a 2nd nursery with the tree, but already ordered this one.

March 5, 2014	#34
debles Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 40	Nice setup Richard. Just enjoyed viewing the photos.

March 17, 2014	#39
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Been following the whole thread Looks good. Worth

March 24, 2014	#41
falconblack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Canada Posts: 39	Wow I have a ways to go yet.Mine are still in styrofoam cups.I am just using that fertilizer you sent me so hopefully they will grow better now.

March 25, 2014	#43
greenthumbomaha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Omaha Zone 5 Posts: 2,514	Oh show off ! Your plants are amazing at 4 weeks .. such a broad leaf canopy and nice and fat and green, not like my tall plants with narrow leaves. I may take some of that plant hormone MYSELF. Your hard work really paid off. I'll definitely follow your regimine next growing season. -L.