These are my tiniest babies. They have just started coming up. These are mixed seed from Dr. Seuss and Insignis Pink.The white stuff is diatomaceous earth to keep any hungry slugs or snails away. They got two of my seedlings from CC.
tiny babies
Cala, I want to ask you question how long it will take seeds to grow out sprout??? Thank You!
RR, it has taken some of my seeds a month to come up, some came up in two weeks, I have a few that came up in a week. It just depends on how fresh the seeds are and what variety.
Calalily - have you ever had problems with fungus gnats on your seed trays? I seem to have the little buggers this time around. Bought a powder for the soil but am unsure if it will damage the seeds/seedlings. Is it true they eat the seeds?
Fungal gnats are a pain in the rear! I've been battling them too. I finally broke down and ordered some Gnatrol. They lay eggs in the potting soil & the little wormy larvae eat the bacteria in the soil. They don’t do much damage to the plants but they can be harmful to little seedlings. http://entowww.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/uc/uc-028.html
The larvae will eat the roots of the plants. I use tea tree oil and drench the soild a couple of times and it doesn't hurt the seeds at all. I also sprinkle diatomaceous earth with a little pyrethrum in it and it will kill them too.
Calalily, I have Tea Tree Oil - bought it for something else. How do I use it for seeds not sprouted and monocot seedlings?? This is a BIG help me - just got Rich's green pods and brown pods. Help!!
Sow the seeds like you always do, mix 2or 3 drops of tea tree oil in 4 oz water and water the seeds in with it. then a couple of weeks later, repeat. if you see fungus gnats, water again with the tea tree mixture. it has worked for me.
Cala, A neighbor that has a commercial greenhouse down the road told me she uses 1/4 cup of Ivory dishwashing liquid in 1 gal. of water to kill soil pests. Do you think this works on the knats?
I use joy dishwashing to me it really work.
Snowhermit, I've used Ivory or dove dishwashing soap to kill aphids and mealybugs. Sometimes it burns the leaves, but the biggest problem is the guys grabbing my dish soap and washing their hands or whatever with it and then I don't have any left. They don't touch the tea tree oil because it stinks!! DH bought something called Perma-gard from a phone solicitor (I know, I gave him stern warnings about talking to those people) and I decided to give it a try. It is silicon dioxide (finely ground diatomaceous earth) and powdered pyrethrins. He thought he was only getting 2 bags, but wound up getting 8 bags. It sat around in the green house all spring and half the summer till I decided to try it. It is supposedly safe to use as a powder or mixed with water to make a spray. I used some of the powder straight on the soil to kill the fungus gnats, and sprinkled it around the seed flats to keep snails away. It worked, but on the big brugs, it burned the leaves a little. Now, I use the powder only on the seedlings and/or seed flats and mix with water to use on the big brugs. It works, and is safe. It's also certified for organic gardeners. The only "problem" I've had with it is the white residue that it leaves on the plants.
diatomaceous earth...One buy that in large amounts from ones pool supply center. I use it as a supplement to bone meal products. Much easier to use and much cheaper.