Spring seed starting (indoors)

Update- been taking some out of little individual pots and puttingthem up to their ears, or seed leaves, in Miracle Gro Moisture control mix in six packs. Looking good. Bottom left is a mystery that came up in armeria. Think its something in the mint fam, but smells skunky. Above- two packs of nicotiana, one has biggerplants cuz I did them a few days before the other. Growing fast now! Pack of petunia,some pots, and a pack of carnations. Tithonia not in this picture, planted deep, also happy.
Someone replied in perennial forum do not put perennial seedlings deep- That probably makes sense when you think that many perennials probably have a crown that has to live yr to yr.

But if you plant deep with the cotyledon just above the surface, would that work for a perennial? I would think that the cotyledon constitutes the crown, so (maybe) so long as the cotyledon remains above the surface, planting deep is still ok.

In your experiment, did you bury the cotyledon?

I've been digging in the dirt today too. I just re-potted my Bunny Tails I have 22 of them I had started them out in a small Chinese take out tin and just moved them to individual cell packs and I did the same with 24 of my Pansies. I think I may have 100 Pansies. None of my other seeds have done anything yet. I'm going to start more seeds this afternoon. I hope they do well.

I only have annuals, and I try to get the cotyledons just above the soil. I have extra plants- maybe I'll go abuse a couple with more soil and see ~~

Sally, the plant on the bottom left reminds me of Lantana, What do you think?

All your plants look good!

Just a suggestion, but this thread is getting mighty long for those who have dialup. Might want to start a new thread.

I am new to DG...just found this forum after a few weeks of being here.

I did not get to read every entry of your thread, but I had to say that I made the PVC stand for the grow lights and I love it very much.
This is a great group of gardeners...Glad to be here.

Welcome to DG and to our little corner of DG, Rather.

So nice to be here...in the Mid-Atlantic. Looking forward to learning from all of you and I hope I can help you as well.

Hi RBDig, I had some puter problems, like DEAD! So I just hooked up a new one! Glad you like the PVC light stand, did you just make it? I really like mine.

Welcome to DG and post often!

Hey, Ladygardener:
Thank you for the warm welcome! Yes, I did make it. I am so happy with it. The only other thing I would like to add on to it, is to cut some plexigrass to fit over the areas that hold the trays. I think it would hold the trays even better. I also thought, at one point, I would like to make another, but make the bottom leg pieces longer to give more stability and then adapt the plan to make it three tiers high. Then it would hold 6 trays.

Previous to the time that I found this grow light plan, I was looking at the expensive ones in the garden magazines. I just did not want to spend that much. This one cost me less than fifty dollars, and I even purchased the flourescent tubes for plants that were more expensive.

How do you like yours? Has anyone else made this growlight?

I have been using mine for a long time, I'd say 9 years. My basement is damp so metal ones would be rusted out by now. The plexiglass is a good idea. I tied strings across mine when I had a flat that was a bit heavy in the middle. I also have a piece of fiber board for under my heat mat. I'd like the plexiglass better.

The end of winter!