Help With Seedlings

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zelda_marie Mar 28, 2010

I didn't know what forum to put this in so I also put it in Beginner Gardening Questions and Beginner Flowers.

I have been starting herbs,veggies, i.e. peppers and tomatoes, and flowers from seed for the last couple of years with pretty good (but not good enough) success. I use Jiffy trays, with peat pellets with a dome cover and this year trying black plastic packs with 9 or 12 cells with a waterproof tray and a dome cover. Never knowing how many seeds will germinate, I usually put 3 or 4 in a cell/pellet. I can’t throw a plant out and the same holds true for seedlings … LOL. I split and transplant after they get 2 or 3 true set of leaves. It seems like I then transplant them 2 or 3 times (my thinking is that they can’t be in a pot that is too big) or put in 4 packs before I harden them off and they can go in the garden (or to a new home), Zone 4. This is getting to seem like more work than it should be.

I have noticed people mentioning that they “pot up their seedlings in solo cups”. I’m not familiar with this practice. Why solo cups and not plastic pots? What about drainage? When do you do this? Would Styrofoam cups work? When can I switch from seed starting formula to potting soil?

I would welcome any suggestions and advice. I need all the help I can get … LOL … too true!

This message was edited Mar 29, 2010 12:44 PM

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dsa2591 Gainesville, FL(Zone 9a) Mar 28, 2010

The plastic bathroom cups work really well. I use them for my African Violets, but I've never used them for veggies. I use styrofoam cups for veggies, so they can get a better root system before I transplant them. I used to work in an office where we had a coffee pot, and I would collect everybody's coffee cups and reuse them. That was long before anyone was "green". I just did it because I loved to grow things, and didn't have much money for pots.

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msrobin Caneyville, KY(Zone 6b) Mar 28, 2010

Zelda, I think the reason so many use solo cups are that they are cheap amd easily attained.

I've heard or read from a number of sources, that some vegetables benefit from potting up a couple of times to a slightly larger pot, to stimulate growth. OTOH, just going straight to large pot doesn't have the same effect. I've not used styrofoam cups, but suspect they might hold the soil temp better.

Most of us use a drill to make 3 or 4 drain holes. It's easy enough to do 3-5 cups at a time.

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zelda_marie Mar 28, 2010

msrobin,

Thanks for the drilling tip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's the kind of info and help I need.

Re: "some vegetables benefit from potting up a couple...", I think that's why I've done it.

Thanks again!

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msrobin Caneyville, KY(Zone 6b) Mar 28, 2010

You're very welcome. Sometimes we don't know exactly why we do things, we just know it works. :)

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