2010 Seed starting in the MA group

So the Bird watching thread is not hijacked, let continue here with seed starting. And now that you have your seeds from the swaps we can include chats and questions here too and show off your babies.

This is my Petunia, Avalanche White.

Villiers asked about fertilizer that I use and the time my lights are on.

I don't fertilize my seedlings. I use a seed germination mix from Gardeners Supply. When I pot up my seeds to 3/4 inch pots, I use Miracle Grow Moisture Control. The Miracle Grow has fertilizer in it. If I don't pot up and the baby plants are in the cells a long time I might give then a watered down general fertilizer. ( I am not good at remembering to fertilize on a regular bases)

My seeds are grown in a cool basement 55º to 60º, started on heat mats and under domes. When the seedlings start getting their true leaves, I move them off the heat mats and prop open the dome, and then remove the dome after a day or 2.

My lights are on a timer, 18 hours on 6 hours off.

I have been growing seeds like this for 15 years the same way. It works for me.

Texas Blue Bonnet

This message was edited Mar 2, 2010 7:54 AM

Teeny tiny Primula vialli starts. Penny for scale. The 'big' ones are over a week old. Note the baby - little black arrow to the right of the penny.

This message was edited Mar 2, 2010 9:28 AM

wow--tiny! Another tiny one is Nicotiana (flowering) Only the Lonely (and maybe others) Dust like seed, tiny babies, become huge monsters by the end of summer!

Foxgloves, Candy Mountain. they are tiny seeds too. I'll have to seperate these babies when they get a little bigger.

Tiny seeds drive my crazy, can't tell how many seeds you drop in a cell.
Has any one tried the seed sower with the needle on the end and a rubber ball on the other, you suck up the seed one by one?

I've never used one, but I have seen a seed sower in use at a production nursery that is essentially the same thing but mechanized with enough needles that it plants an entire flat at one suck and release. Thanks for bringing it to mind, I'll have to get one. If it works so well on a large scale it must work equally well as a single needle unit. My eyes are not getting any younger.

Greenthumb: I saw the P. vialli in bloom for the first time last year. I was so impressed I ordered the seeds from T & M. Haven't started them yet, but yours looks promising. Started in Jiffy cubes Gerberas, Cirsium, Salvia Blue Bedder and Malva Mystic Merlin. All doing very good!

Karidan - I had germination start in 7 or 8 days at 60 F. They are so tiny at first. Lost my early starts to damping off and then added ground up sphagnum which is anti-fungal. That saved the day. I suggest that you dust the surfsce with the sphagnum and sow the seeds on top of it to avoid a similar fate.

Great job everybody!! I'm strictly an outdoor sower.

ladyg- I have the melampodium seeds of yours via stormy. Thanks again. I guess I better be starting those soon.

Hey Sally, I was wondering if you got them. I looked back on my notes from 2008, I started them on March 27th. So since you are 2 zones ahead of me I'd say start your engines!

This message was edited Mar 3, 2010 10:11 AM

Brrr make me some tea. I just came in off the deck, finished making 5 wintersown milk jugs of columbine seed. WOO HOOOOOOOO a reason to be GLAD we still have some cold nights! W/S should be perfect for their germ needs.

greenthumb--

SO? ANY sphagnum moss ground up? What do you use to grind it up? How fine?
I have a bag of fine sphagnum moss. Should i still grind it up? Can I just put a small layer of it on top?

You all are so ahead of me! I have not started any seeds yet--except my Daturas. They take 4 weeks to germinate.

Will be trying to get going on this in a week or so. Of course--I work 3 days next week. Must get more organized here.....:o(...All the free time i have had!

Gita

Gita - the sphagnum moss I used is not baled peat moss. For protecting seeds from damping off I use the dried sphagmum that comes in bags about the size of a 5 pound bag of sugar. It is sold for covering the soil of potted plants and is quite coarse. I pulverize it by rubbing between my hands and screening through a coarse kitchen strainer, using the fines. If iI remember to use it with small seeds I sprinkle a thin coating on the dampened potting medium and let it sit a day to moisten up and disperse it's anti-fungal properties. Sow your tiny seeds on top.

David--

The Sphagnum Peat Moss I have is already fine. I have a half of a HUGE bag of it from several years ago.
It is made by Premier. It does not look like it came from the stringy kind of S. Moss you are mentioning. I know the one you are talking about--in my HD, it is by all the small, potted bags of stuff inside the Greenhouse. It is pale tan and, yes, coarse.
The one I have is dark brown, and fine. Would this be just as effective?

Just went and dug out a bag of the coarse I just KNEW I had somewhere....Thsi coarse moss was "rescued" from 6" Orchid Pots that were being tossed when i still "owned" the G-House at my HD--about 10 years ago.
It is extremely dry--and probably needs sterilizing. How????

Your thoughts???? Thanks, G.

Here is the fine, dark Sph. Peat in my big bag....

Which one?

I would use the coarse, as it is probably the same product as I already use. Heating it to sterlize it would probably destroy its effectivrness as an anti damping-off product. The dark peat is decomposing organic matter rather than the dried moss that was living and growing on the top of the bog. Someone else out there probably has experience in this matter, perhaps they will chime in. I'd like to learn more too.
David

Just catching up, wanted to see your cute little babies. LOL
I haven't started any seeds yet. I have been playing with my OSP and a few cutting from my Cuban Oregano.
Thought I would pass on this trick and see if any of you use it or would want to try it. My HGHA meeting was about propagation. One of the guys says he uses vermiculite in the bottom of his trays and perilite (sp?) in the top. The vermiculite holds the water near the roots and the perilite drains so the top near the stems stays dry. It is a sterile mix and they think it keeps plants from drying out and damping off. They also talked about using perilite right around the seed. Using their starting mix and then in the dimple where they put the seed they cover it with perilite instead of soil.

Talking about Oregano-------

I just left my pot of Greek Oregano outside on top of a small table all Winter. It seems to have survived...
It has very tiny new growths at the base. I cut off the old, dead stems--and everything smelled of oregano.

SO! IT LIVES!!!!!!
I think my Italian parsley also made it through the Winter in an 8" pot. Will snip the "bolting stem" off and let it grow again--if possible.

G.

I have this site saved--and I think it is time to post it again. It will help a lot--if you are not faamiliar what newly emerging seedlings actually look like.....This would beoutside--where seeds come up on thir own--not inside--where you know what you have seeded....
This is NOT all-inclusive! But good enough!
Gita

http://theseedsite.co.uk/db1.html

Gita - Thanks for the link, its a very useful site.
David

You are welcome, David!!! I posted this on about 3 sites that had to do with seed growing.

I planted all my seeds between yesterday and today...MAN! WHERE will I ever put all the seedlings once I have to repot them in pots??????

Right now--some are outside--some are in a dark spot inside--covered under plastic domes.etc.....
One of my Daturas is already up--and i though they took 4 weeks to germinate! Mamma Mia!!!! I jut seeded these less than 2 weeks ago!

Some of my Columbine seeds are really old--but I thought--"What the heck?" I have nothing to lose....
Sitting there at my DR table--listening to my favorite CD's--and gently, lovingly planting every seed.....What a relaxing way to spend the day!

OK! Time to get a shower and then go out with some friends to the local VFW for some beer and really good chow. I always get their Chicken Wings--7 of them for $4.50. Big and juicy!
The food is so cheap at these establishments. Same goes for the American legion Posts....

Happy seed-growing Y'All!

Gita

Gita,

I hear you when it comes to wondering what one will do when everything germinates. I got into winter sowing this year and have 118 starts outside right now and probably more to come. I had entertained the idea of attending the seed swap in Berkley Springs, WV next Wednesday, but then I'd come home with more stuff to plant. There are still things I plan to start indoors over the next 30 days or so, and I already have some 50+ items germinating already.

While I don't know what to expect from my experiments in winter sowing, I'm sure I'll be looking at a few thousand seedlings by late spring. My sister and friends will undoubtedly receive some of my excess, and some will go to new homes at plant swaps. It is easier to deal with a single plant than a few dozen seedlings from a packet of seeds. I never can seem to start just 2 or 3 seeds. Guess it is some lack of faith that any will germinate, so I start dozens just to be sure.

Your Columbine seeds will probably do fine despite their age. I've been starting some of my older seeds as experiments, including some that are over 10 years old. If they don't grow, at least they are no longer taking up space in the fridge. Hope you had fun at the VFW.


David

"I never can seem to start just 2 or 3 seeds."

Ain't it the truth!

LOL

I've got some winter sowing underway, and I'm hoping to put out some more containers, guess they are more like "spring sowing" at this point, but they'll work fine. Unless you have something that absolutely needs cold treatment or scarification, you can still "winter" sow anything you forgot to start last month... and you can also "winter" sow half-hardy annuals now.

I've got some little seedlings coming up on the heat mats now too (on the basement light shelf).. 11 kinds of basil, all germinating well except for "Clove Basil," which just put up 1 or 2 sprouts... at least a dozen types of hot peppers, plus sweet peppers (Gypsy and Carmen and Bounty are my main ones again, but I did sow a few bell pepper seeds and some Sweet Pickles peppers).

I'll get some tomatoes started next week. I usually go through such careful selection, deciding which varieties to try... but I think this year I'm going to start a few favorites and then grab a few others almost at random, LOL.

I never sow my peas early enough, but I think it might be about time... anybody else planting peas yet?

Critter,
When living in Iowa I once started peas in a bizarre February thaw. After I planted, the weather turned normal again and the ground re-froze, snows fell, mammoths roamed etc. When the spring thaw finally came the peas sprouted just fine, so its probably not too early to plant peas in Maryland.

I don't currently have a deer-free, sunny place to grow veggies, which is what I really enjoy most. One year I grew 40 types of tomatoes with some 20 kinds of basil interplanted with them, but my mozzerella seeds wouldn't germinate. Oh how I miss a good kitchen garden!

"snows fell, mammoths roamed"

ROFLOL! David, you crack me up. OK, I will try to get a row hoed up along one edge of the garden so I can start some peas!

I could probably start 20 kinds of basil from my stash (at least), but I'd have no chance then of isolating any of them for seed saving.

I'm going to try to limit myself to a dozen types of tomatoes, 2 of each, since I really only have room for 24 along the back of the veggie bed. I always manage to sneak a few extra plants into other garden areas, though. :-)

funny

gee, isn't this just a little early for tomatos? but what do I know, havne't done tomato starts since,...well since going to plant swaps! We aren't big tomato eaters here, I will just do a couple CHerokee Purples Gita passed along.
the only rowing I'm gonna do in the garden for a while is with an oar, with this rain!!!

You gays and cracking me up this morning. ROFLMBO "mozzerella seeds" "the only rowing I'm gonna do in the garden for a while is with an oar, with this rain!!!" to funny.

Last year I planted peas March Ist, this year it might be St. Patty's day, if I can get out and get a spot ready in the garden. I have a nice bin of compost that is ready to spread. I move the bin every year to a different spot near the veggie garden.

here are my Oregon Sugar Snap Peas from last year. They were yummy raw.

Holly Ann, You stated :
"One of the guys says he uses vermiculite in the bottom of his trays and perilite (sp?) in the top. The vermiculite holds the water near the roots and the perilite drains so the top near the stems stays dry."

Had heard about the above way before & tried it when I started in sowing in January (celery). My mix must have too much perlite cause the bottoms of my peat pods are really wet and the top is so dry the seedling are drying up.

{I've just got to find out how to do that box thingee.}

[quote="ladygardener1"]

Cris, It's the quote on the left side, click on it and just delete the parts you don't want to quote.

WOW! I never knew that!!!! Ahaaaa......
Thanks bunches, Chris!

Gita

How come it didn't work?????

This weekend I'm actually going to get serious and start some seeds - since the only thing I can do outside is hold a fishing festival in the backyard (or a mudwrestling competition) I figured I'd get going on the stuff inside! I ordered some seedstarting boxes from Burpee's that's supposedly are excellent so I'm tossing my hat into the group of "let's start seeds this year and save some money" - Tomatoes, herbs and annuals - wish me luck - they could end up as Samson fodder or fall victim to his "tail of mass destruction" when he comes barreling inside in true Marmadukish fashion!

LOL... I don't think I saved any $ initially -- even cheap shop lights add up -- and I probably don't save $ now, but I do start a whole lot more plants than I would if I had to buy each one! That means more for my garden and more to share. :-)

I'm doing less this year though, mostly veggies & basil... but I did start some vinca, some petunias, and I think I want to sow enough white alyssum for a flat or two (it's such fun to tuck in everywhere!).

I spent the last 2 days working on sowing all the seeds I had planned to sow--plus a couple I had not.....:o(
It was a nice, relaxing time---had my favorite CD's on--and I used my whole DR table for this job.
Nice music--bright area--nothing else pressing to do---just SO relaxing!

trying to do just a couple seeds of this and that seems a lost cause! How can you put just ONE seed in each of the cells? surely, there is always room for TWO! :o).....and so it goes.
I did try to stay in moderation----especially with the Tomatoes I had a list of who wanted one or two--and that is all I did.
I sowed my Daturas 2 weeks ago--as they seem to take their sweet time to germinate. SO? One of them is already up---must be the eager-beaver. They usyally take about 4 weeks.

I dread the time when all these seedlings have to be moved under lights--as I still have all my Coleus cuttings under them. They are big enough that I can find a spot somewhere on a couple TV trays/tables to let them grow further.

I am starting, mentally, to figure out where what will go to make room....

Gita

Look to your local African Violet society for used plantstands. I bought mine from a member. It is a commercial 4 shelf unit with 8 48" bulbs. Look in the catalogs at the retail...$1000-$1200. I bought it for $175. You better believe I save money. One little 3 pak or 6 pak of veggies or annuals nowadays $2.00...I enjoy the challange of growing new things I've never grown from seeds before. From one pack of Rainbow Coleus last year I got over 200 plants! I gave them away a 6 pak at a time to delighted friends and co-workers. One thing I've learned, the seedlings grow FAST. I never start tomatoes or peppers more than 5 weeks ahead. Here's the bottom shelf of my stand, 10 minutes ago.

Oh, I can definitely grow plants more cheaply than I can purchase them... but I don't think I actually spend less money, I just end up with way more plants!

I might buy one or two little packs of alyssum for my railing planters... but if I start my own, I'll plant one or two flats "while I'm at it" LOL.