Winter/Spring Gardens 2015

We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1372389/#top

Many of us are gearing up for spring by starting peppers and tomatoes indoors while enjoying the harvests of winter crops. It's also time to plant onions and potatoes in Texas!

SELL THEM!

I FINALLY got my ducks in a row, and have an opportunity to sell the surplus at a local gardeners meeting. I have to give 10% back to the facility we use (quite fair, IMHO), so, ya'll help me out with the pricing.

How much would YOU be willing to pay for a single seedling, or for a bundle, say 10 seedlings for $____.

I trust your judgement, guys. And, note, I'm not trying to make ANY kind of killing here. I'm just happy to be able to recoup some of my start up costs, and maybe have enough left over for next seasons seedling mix and fertilizer.

Out of the original 385 seedlings I THOUGHT I counted (there are far more, sheesh!!), I've already taken orders for at least 100. I'll hold on to 15 for myself.

Here's what I have available for sale (so you can advise me on pricing...):
Arkansas Traveler
Black Cherry
Black Krim
Crimson Cherry
Kellogg's Breakfast
Mortgage Lifter
Pruden's Purple
Sioux (these produce like crazy in our Texas heat!!!)

Dwarf Wild Fred (for my personal inventory only -- not for sale)
Momotaro (for my personal inventory only -- not for sale)
Sweet Ozark Orange (for my personal inventory only -- not for sale)

Thanks for any input, guys!

Hugs!

I'm going to try Super Sioux in my garden this year. I'll let you know how it does. As for pricing, I'd check local garden centers and places online and see what they're doing, then price near that.

Steph,
I'm growing straight "Sioux", not SUPER Sioux. They didn't quite work the same for me. The "Sioux" cranked out tomatoes here during our drought, when days were avg. 100°. The vines got ratty toward the end, but those tomatoes were bright red and wonderful!

Where are you guys buying your T8s from?

I need to get a couple 2ft., 4-bulb kits, for additional light stands.

Thanks!

Linda, I got my T8 fixtures from Lowes. No Bulbs included. http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=420867-43921-MXL-103&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=4013485&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

For the bulbs, I went with 1000 bulbs. Spectralux 901616 - Fluorescent Grow Light https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/89124/SUN-901616.html

Jo-Ann

Jo-Ann,
You just saved me about $80!

I was just about to order this 4-bulb unit online, cause my electricity company mailed me a rebate gift card yesterday, and it was burning a hole in my pocket for some T8 lights!

http://www.primelights.com/4-Lamp-T8-Highbay-Fluorescent-Fixture-PL-432T8-HB.htm

I had been on the Lowes' website, but had completely bypassed the 2-bulb unit. I'm already set up, just need the fixtures and bulbs to replace the T12s.

Girl, you are A-OK in my book!

Hugs!

Linda

I always post on Freecycle and the FB garage sale groups in my area before buying anything garden related, except for seeds.

Jo-Ann,
I just ordered light kits and a case of bulbs from 1000 Bulbs!

"LET THERE BE LIGHT!"

I'm feeling accomplished! I got some tomato and pepper seeds planted and under lights.

Tomatoes: Marmande, Pantano Romanesco, Lg. Cherry, Super Sioiux, and Purple Tomatillos
Peppers: Jalapeno, Red Bullnose

Ran out of cups, so will need to pick some up and continue sowing next weekend.

Outside, I planted some garlic that I picked up at the feed store yesterday. Unknown variety and I'm not even sure it'll do well since garlic is usually planted in October, but I thought I'd try.

Stephanie-how many seeds do you sow per cup? Did the purple Jals seeds that I sent you ever germinate?

Depending on how old the seeds are, I do 2 or 3. If they are fresh, just 2. If the seeds are old, I do 3. The purple jal. seeds never did germinate for me.

The 6500K is a good bulb to use

Stephanie- Sorry abt the purple Jals if you want to try again let me know. I got some from a different company and had much better results.

When you sow seeds in cups do you "pot up"? I think the plants are stronger when tomatoes are potted up but not so much with peppers and Eggplant, for these it's more a matter of space, at least for me. Just wondering what your plan is?

Drdawg,
I ordered the 6500k bulbs. Prayin' the DEA doesn't jump kick my front door...

Lisa,
I took a cue from drthor and sowed my tomato seeds in a community flat, then potted them up to individual 5 oz. paper cups.

They'll be in the cups for 2 weeks, then hardening off, and transplanting out.

Linda

Was it difficult to separate the seedlings from the community flat? I wanted to do this, but was afraid of damaging the seedlings when separating them.
Jo-Ann

No, it is very very easy to separate the seeds.
Picture #1: OMG this are "Sweet Millions" seeds. I did uses a lot because the seed packet was from 2008 and I thought they were not all going to germinate ... but they all did. I just needed 3 plants ! It is a fantastic variety for my area (red cherry)
Picture #2: all my seedlings have been separates and potted on a 4" pot. I think I have more than I need ... but the extra one will be there just in case of emergency ... or they will be gift.
Now it is race with time; grow grow ...

Jo-Ann,

Like drthor said, it's very, very easy to separate the seedlings from the community flats. I start holding back on watering a day or so before, so the soil won't be too wet in the flat. On potting day, I'm armed with a trusty kitchen fork with pointy, sharp tines (it helps with pricking them apart if the tines are sort of pointy, not flat or square-ish).

I have my giant tub filled with equal parts of potting mix, perlite, and vermiculite. This season, I added the perlite and vermiculite to stretch the mix for all those cups/pots that will be sold/given away. I used whatever fairly sterilized potting mix I had on hand, e.g., Roots Organic or some leftover MG potting mix. I also dump the mix from the tray back into the tub, and work it in, adding more perlite & vermiculite to keep the ratios equal, e.g. 1 tray of mix, 1 tray perlite & vermiculite. This process is getting the "second" baby treatment, LOL!

First, I use the fork to lift the potting mix up from the bottom of the flat underneath the seedling. Once I can easily lift the seedling out BY THE LEAVES ONLY, I tap as much of the old potting mix and lose roots off so it'll settle nicely into a divot I make with my finger down in the center of the cup, all the way to the bottom. Set the seedling,ftill in with mix, tap the cup firmly (I don't press down too much on top of the soil), and that's it.

Then, I use the faucet sprayer on gentle, warm water, and water in the cups from the top, just to settle them in (air pockets). I let 'em drain in the tray, then suck out the excess water with a turkey baster. Under the lights they go, and bottom watering from then on.

That's it!

P.S. It takes a minute to get with handling the seedling by the leaves only, but, after awhile you realize they can take it, and you start slinging seedlings everywhere, LOL! But, seriously, there's too much potential for invisible damage to the plant stem, if you hold the stem. I sort of cradle a seedling between my two fingers, at the base of the leaves..

One day, I'm gonna make a YouTube video on this process, LOL!

This message was edited Jan 28, 2015 10:14 AM

I always sow in a community container (Learned that from Countrygardens years ago) bc I start 1000s a season, but I was wondering how Stephanie was doing it bc it could save me a step, at least for Eggplant and Peppers. Thanks

Oh, ok.

I believe I read somewhere that eggplants & peppers don't need to be potted up like tomatoes, so starting them off in individual cups, rather than a community flat, would save you that step -- I think.

i actually took the lazy mans way out concerning the potting mix and bought some pre made stuff, lol. A brand called Pro Mix, that says it has Mycorrhizae mixed into it (seeing as experts say that is such a good thing for plants to come in contact with)

Also grabbed a 15 LB bag of Organic worm castings, so now i will be ready when my turn to start mine finally comes around.

This message was edited Jan 28, 2015 4:38 PM

Thanks GG I may give it a try....then there is the issue of space. I can fit more community containers on a heatmat then 2 1/2", 2 1/2", 3 1/2" pots and they need the heat to germinate. Id like to germinate the seeds on the heat mat then stick them directly in pots and put them in a warm room....going to have to think abt this one.

Lisa, when the tomatoes and peppers get a couple of sets of real leaves, I pot them up to larger cups. I don't continue to add soil up the stalk, but when we plant them out, we bury them deep with only one or two sets of leaves showing.

Do you do that with your peppers also?

drthor, in the 2nd pic you posted, what's that green, felt-looking basket hanging from the shelf?
Jo-Ann

jomoncon,
it is a little felt basket I bought at the grocery store during Easter time. It holds little things.

Linda, wish I knew on the price for seedlings. I have no idea, and don't really know what size we are talking about. Have you got a ballpark thought on what you might charge?

Not much point in this post, lol, since I have no good suggestion -- I just didn't want you to feel that your post was ignored or forgotten. I hope you get some good input!

LiseP,

Girl, I know you love me, LOL!

I've decided to sell the seedlings for $2.50/per seedling. I have to give 10% of the sales back to the facility we use, so, I'll make $2.25/seedling.

When I consider the love and serious care I've put into growing these seedlings, and the return on a $2.50 investment the growers will get, I think it's a fair price.

I checked online, and live tomato seedlings are going at 4 for $12.99 (excluding shipping charges...)

Last year I charged $2.50 each or 3 for $6.00. Nobody thought it was to high & lots bought in groups of 3. 3, 6, 9 , etc.
I was selling at the Farmers Market, so then all summer, I got lots of feedback how happy they were with their plants. Makes it lots of fun!

Thanks, Bernie!

Lisa, I don't plant the peppers deep like I do the tomatoes, but I do plant them a little deeper than the soil line. Here are a couple of pics from 2013. One shows hubby planting the plant deeply and the other shows how much is above the ground. We do trim off the lower leaves so they don't develop a fungus and share to the rest of the plant. This also gives them good circulation.

Wow Stephanie, those are some beautiful tomato plants. That's how I plant mine too, I misunderstood your post about the pepper plants but I get it now. Supposed to rain all weekend. : (.

But we need the rain, so I'll take it.

I'd been thinking "$2.98" in my mind when I read your original post, so I must have been picturing about the same sized seedling as you're getting ready to sell, and I'm guessing that $2.50 would feel like a pretty good deal to most folks. Bernie's idea on giving a price break for that third plant (3 for $6) also seems like a great idea.

Woot! My first seed germinated!! The winner of this year's eager beaver seed contest is Marmande tomato! What's super exciting is that these are seeds we saved last fall.

one of my other garden savvy pals suggested that i can go ahead and start my seeds over the weekend, so i did just that.

The winner of the "First to germinate" contest is this little calendula. In fact this one was so eager that it's popped up WAY ahead of any of the other calendula seed i started, lol!

Thanks, Stephanie.
Well, as usual, I'm a day late and a dollar short. Been reading what you "experts" have to say about starting veggies early, and I see I've missed the boat on tomatoes, which I thought I would start this week. :( DH and one son each gave me grow lights for Xmas, and I'm sooo excited to get started. It took me three days last week to clean out and reorganize a storage room attached to our workshop. I have a little electric heater, and I'm wondering if that will keep things warm enough in there. I plan to grow tomatoes, summer squash, zukes and spaghetti squash. That's about all my 10 X 20 garden space will accomodate. Grew those same things last year with much success----well, not perect success, because even though I put the tomatoes 4 feet apart, they were just so tall that the ones toward the back didn't get enough sun, and bore poorly. I'll try to arrange them better this time.

So, is now the time for starting the squashes indoors from seed? And when would I start tomatoes from seed for a fall crop? Oh, so much to learn!!

Read more: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1372389/#ixzz3Qdozlv4G

sybram, Unless I'm starting a new variety, I never plant my fall tomatoes from seed. I take a clipping from my currently growing tomatoes & root that in water. Once it has roots, I pot in small pots & in a few weeks, transplant into the garden.
Jo-Ann

This message was edited Feb 4, 2015 5:33 AM

At our garden club's plant sale, we price by the pot size, $1 up to $10. then go down to half-price the last hour when sales are slowing. We do mostly perennials, but your idea of discounts for 3's for annuals is a good one.

Sybil, you can still plant seeds for tomatoes for this spring. I just planted mine last weekend.