2010 Seed starting in the MA group

critter - Earlier today I heard Mike McGrath (Gardening Guru on WTOP) talking about starting peas. The soil is too cool to germinate peas right now, so he talked about starting them inside now in damp paper towels and plant them when they sprout in a few days. Once germinated they will grow. Great way to get them going early. Link to text of talk:

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=47&pid=0&sid=0&page=2


This message was edited Mar 13, 2010 8:03 PM

Greenthumb,
Thanks so much for sending me over to this thread!
Greetings everyone, I was asking about starting peas inside, and info on this thread and the WTOP info was helpful; and I still have questions. I have one shop light,but already lots of stuff already under it. I have lots of deer and lots of bunnies (not to mention I suspect mice) in my Homeowner's association controlled back yard space. We are not permitted to grow anything on the back. I have a community garden space, but snow and rain, etc., has pushed back the opening of it till at least April 1st. I would like to start the peas now. Can I put a single pea in one of those round peat pot things(I'm not sure what their real name is. They are the ones that expand with water) then after it sprouts place it someplace in the light till its time to transplant? I understood that peas have long roots some I'm hesitant to put them in these peat pot. Does anyone have other ideas for this dilemma?
Thanks In Advance!
Cheers!
Marlene

I've pre-sprouted them before (generally because i was late in planting and wanted to hurry things along), so that's what I'll do.

Marlene, I'm not sure about transplanting peas rather than direct-sowing either sprouted or out-of-the-packet peas. Could you put them in a couple of containers? Even a windowbox style planter might work well if it's a deeper one (one that will hold 6 or 8 inches of potting mix, not just 4), and then you could plonk it along an edge of your garden space.

Isn't it fun how much you can grow under even a single shop light?

I am getting more serious about seed starting, too. I have moved a few more of my houseplants down stairs and am just about ready to clean off the starting tables. Should have everything ready to go in the next couple of days.

Sowed tomatoes tonight... wanted no more than 1 or 2 of each variety... so of course, like Gita said, you have to sow extra seeds... even if I get some not germinating, I may have a few extra seedlings.

Aspen, I sowed a few seeds of 'Pruden's Purple' for you, since I forgot to dig those seeds out the last time you were here. :-)

Well I finally got some tomatoes started last night.

18 of each of these varieties.
pink Brandywine
Couer de Boeaf
Yellow Pear
Goliath Tomato

This is my first time starting tomato inside on a heat mat. not sure how it will go as the heat mat doesn't seem to be warming up? but then it is a first time for using the heat mats as well...LOL

Janet

Unless you have it on a thermostat and the ambient temperature isn't below the temp setting, you should be able to lay your hand on the heat mat and feel warmth.

When using a heat mat for tomatoes, be sure to snatch them off at the first sign of germination and stick them under lights somewhere off the mat.. the heat makes for super-quick sprouting, but after that it makes for remarkably leggy seedlings.

If any of you picked up a packet of the Laurentia Avant Garde Blue that I offered in the 2 seed swaps, you got a really good deal. I ordered seeds, 2 different verities each from a different company to try. When I opened the packets there were very few seeds in each, I was lucky to get a good 6 pack cell out of each.
The seeds were very easy to collect, just watch when the pods start to turn brown and collect before the pod releases the seeds on it's own. There were more seeds in one pod then were in the new packs I bought this year.

Yep that is what I plan on, but thanks Critter for the refresher.

Janet

I was startled the first time I did tomatoes on a heat mat -- wasn't expecting them to reach for the sky!

for me right now it is just getting use to the heat mat. LOL

I sure hope my maters break through quick. I'm bound and determined to have some wonderful tomatoes this year, especially since FL lost their crop. My dad called from FL and was telling me to get started early for I'm not going to have anything to eat if I don't.....LOL

I went out a picked up to shop lights, man I can't believe how cheap they were. $13.00 for the fixture and bulb. Now that is an expense I can handle but really it didn't cost me anything as I used a christmas gift card to purchase the two of them.

Janet

Janet--lucky you!

Since I only had space for a 3'shelf ($25 at Target) and, that means also just 3' shop-lights--they cost a fortune!
Like--$23 for just the fixture (times two) and about $5 for each bulb (times four). Besides--the 3'ers are only 30 Watts each bulb. And that was between HD and Lowes! I got all these in 2008.

Yes! The 4' sets are VERY cheap! WHY????? Seems smaller should be cheaper. NO?

Gita

Same reason as lights and everything else are cheaper for 55 gallon fish tanks... it's the most common size, so there's an economy of scale... there's purchase power in numbers! I think the 8 foot fixtures might be cheaper yet in terms of square feet of light shelf space, LOL.

We are finding the 48" fixtures at Lowes and Home Depot for about $12.00. We use the full spectrum (ordinary tubes) and they have worked fine every year.

Here is a link I found this morning, I was looking for more on pea planting, and per sprouting seeds. http://www.amishlandseeds.com/garden_tips.htm

I am so far behind on seeds! a couple things I ORDERED this year I have not planted! just gotta get moving or save them for next year.. And things are needing to be done outside too.

Meadowyk,

Good luck with those "Yellow Pear"s. My experience has been that they germinate before you turn the light on the next day! Did mine 2 weeks ago, and they already have their second set of leaves. Have to transplant this week, luckily my youngest is moving out so I have another place to set up a shop light and flats. I got a shop light from WalMart for under $10, better price than Lowe's. I always use plain old 40w bulbs. They work just fine. Best of luck to all you seed-starters.

pamspace

it has been several days and still nothing on the maters.... didn't take time to look this morning so hopefully when I get home I'll see something...teee heeee


Janet

yeah.. first babies from my WS'ed seeds today!!! and thank you to who ever gave me the seeds at the swap... shirley poppy "diane's mix"

http://www.dianeseeds.com/papaver-rhoeas.html

I finally started sowing today! Got one flat done & ready to go under lights ^_^ Now I need to update my "sowing list"

The Gerbera seeds were large and marigold-like. I got excellent germination, and now they are happily growing in 3' pots. If you like Gerberas, try them from seeds. I have some wild pure yellow gallardia from the Montana mountains, and they germinated very nicely. I tried Blue Salvia with great results. Tonight I sowed red Salvia and Impatiens. In general, I've stopped buying cell-packs not only because of the expense, but it's so darn easy growing them from seeds. (and fun, and therapuetic)
I have some seed trades, and a blog, if you're interested (or nosy)

Melampodium ( Butter Daisies - cute name) came up yesterday, and I planted snapdragons and evening stock. Had a little stress over the snapdragons--one baggie had Snapdragons on the outside and a paper inside with Antirrhinum directions-----finally a dim bulb lit and yes Antirrhinum IS snapdragons...

Melampodium ( Butter Daisies - cute name) Sally I call mine pond daisies as I always grow some near the water garden and Pond is easier to spell when I am out collection seeds. LOL
More seeds starting is in my furtue today. Thanks for reminding me about the snaps, and I also have toadflax to start which look like mini snaps.

Sowed a few more this morning... Sanvitalia (creeping zinnia -- some old seeds I saved that I'm hoping will germinate, and some "creepy zinnia" seeds from a swap LOL), Lobelia 'Crystal Palace Blue' (an oldie but a goodie; my grandma had a little pot of it every year), a few more sweet peppers (will have at least a dozen more 'Big Red' than I need if all germinate, but I figure I can find homes for them), and Polka Dot Plant (planning to combine it in railing boxes with caladiums, achimenes, and begonias for my mom's shady porch).

I went down to the basement with them & realized I'm out of space on the heat mat... OK, the tomatoes have had 2 days of heat and will probably pop soon, so they can move... and I took the lid/dome off the basils a few days ago, so they can probably go on a "regular" shelf... Hot Peppers are looking good, mostly up, some touching the lid, so that dome came off also.

critter

sounds like you are in full swing of the shuffling game on seedlings....LOL

I can't wait till that is my problem....

Janet

I've been doing the 6 pack shuffel dance too!
Moved my white petunias into 3 inch pots this morning.

LOL My petunias are only dreaming about larger pots... they're still at the tiny cotyledon stage! Yours will be blooming when you plant them out -- good going!

Folks, I need some input. I started impatiens 2.5 wks ago, since the package they came in said 14-21 days to germination. I now have 3 plants out of 18, two are bigger, one just sprouted last week. These were new seeds from Burpee. Should I wait (oh man!) or overplant with something else that I couldn't plant earlier because I ran out of room? Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

What temperature are they in? I think impatiens like warmth to sprout... if you do have them in a warm spot or on a heat mat, then I think you just got a bum batch of seeds (complain to Burpees & they should replace the pack).

Pamspace

since you did have one come up later I would say if you can wait another 4 or 5 days then wait. If not overplant.

I'm getting ready to over plant some shasta daisies that had a terrible germ rate. I paid 20 bucks for those stinking things and out of 60 seeds I had 10 germ.

Janet

that's why I always start my impatiens in foil loaf pans.. hate wasting a space with a flat.. if they don't germinate

I have always started Impatiens in Jiffy cubes. The plants can remain in the Jiffys 'til it is time to set them out, they even grew flower buds in the Jiffys. You can get them pelleted as well. I planted a pack of pelleted Wave Petunias, and they came up fast. First time for petunias. I got 36 plants for the price of 1 in the nursery. Liatris (Blazing star), also another first, germinated very fast. I bought a pack of Alstroemeria from Thompson and Morgan, the pack said 35 seeds but there were over 100 in it. I have always been pleased with T & M. Veggie growers: Remember, tomato seeds last at least 3 years, if you don't plant an entire pack, save them for future years! Squash seeds last at least 6 years. The stars of last year's garden were 2 year old California Giants zinnias. They topped out at 5 - 6 feet! So now I buy the large size packs, and save any extra for the next season. 2 year old Shasta, Rudbeckia and Sweet Williams all germinated very well also. Morning Glories of course can last 20 years or so, and Lotus, well 2000 years.

I didn't know that about Morning Glories, and I'm glad... I have some JMG's from last year, not sure if I'll be able to start them this year, was hopign they'd still be good next year! (It's not so much a question of starting space as a matter of needing to fix up a spot for them where they can climb.)

Critter, your articles are marvelous! (and informative!)

Since I have morning glories growing everywhere each year (I actually need to pull most of them out) I would assume that you can just drop the seed outside and have great success in a very short time. I did start some Japanese morning glories indoors this year, but I'm expecting all the other varieties to show up again without any help from me.

Thanks, Karldan. I've been on hiatus since DG changed hands, but hopefully I'll soon have an official copy of my new contract, and then I can get back at it.. I've got several new articles in development. :-)

Roses, I've heard the JMGs need that indoor start to get in a good blooming season before frost... but I have the same situation with MGs in one bed, they come back in abundance every year! I'm don't think I'd have much luck planting the JMGs in that spot (my best place for multiple climbers at present), unless I could be super-diligent about weeding (hah).

I wonder if JMG's reseed? I'm guessing most of them produce seeds less abundantly than their cousins, since most of my seed packets have just 3 or so seeds in them.

If anybody needs a lot of regular (mixed) MG's, let me know. I may spread them along the back of my neighbor's fence... Every time mine bloom (along the fence separating us), they tell me how much they love them, and they wish they'd grow along the whole fence line, but when it's actually time to sow the seeds and I offer them, they aren't sure. I think they're afraid the plants will need tending or that they'll have to till up along the fence line to plant them... so I may just do it... they can always apply round-up! (There's nothing choice along that fence line, in fact I'll be tossing the seeds in rather than sowing them in order to avoid the poison ivy.)

onewish 1, have you had trouble germinating impatiens before. This is my first time with them and everything else has been doing great. I'm sure Burpees will make good on those seeds. I have been starting seeds in the $19.99 Burpees grow thingy with the wicking mat for the last couple of years. I guess I can wait a few more days, plenty to do outside in the mean time.

yeah some of them are picky.. I was reading on the other site that someone uses blue film to cover the flats & it gives the right light waves to germinate them... I always start them in foil loaf pans because they are usually hit or miss for me

Took a picture of my petunia babies, and 2 dwarf red cannas in the front.