Help....here are a few bad photo's.....These are my petunia's and I am curious to know if they are big enough to transplant into bigger cups now?
When can I transplants my seedlings?
What about my silver falls?
I even have some snap dragons which I might have started too early? What do you think?
They're all too young to transplant. Patience!!!
Wait another two weeks. Make sure they have at least two full sets of leaves and when you transplant them ONLY hold them by the leaves - never the stems.
Ok ok LOL.....Patience isn't one of my virtues as you can tell LOL LOL I will wait.....sigh......
Yes, a little small to transplant...BUT I would do it before the roots get into that mesh and remove the mesh completely when you transplant them. I am of strong believe that those mesh things hinder plant growth. If you keep the mesh, trim the top as much as you can and slice the sides & bottom.
I have found that the mesh does not decompose and the root system remains very small. Also, over the summer, the soil compacts and the mesh will eventually be above soil level and act as a wick. The roots will remain dry as a bone in the mesh and the rest of the pot will be saturated. All the bedding plants that the nurseries sell have that darn mesh. I trim & slice all of them.
Thanks Joanna...yes I am going to remove the mesh....that was the plan.....it is good to get the input though for sure....I can use all the help I can get...
Oh and Joanna I used that peroxide website you provided and it worked like a charm for that mildew!! So a BIG THANKS!!!
I hate those mesh things and won't use them again.
I know I know but I just find it easier to get them started.
I'm convinced that for me the six pack plastic containers is perfect.
Since I went a nutso with seed orders this year, I went to a wholesaler & bought a case of 72 cell trays and a big bail of professional seed starting mix. I like the trays because I can seed a ton of stuff in one tray & they have a nice size drain hole in each cell that the eraser end of a pencil fits thru to pop out the plug when transplanting. Lee Valley sells a similar tray (deep-root), but they are very expensive. I reuse all my trays.
Years ago I bought a tray of petunias with an enormous amount of holes - probably over 500. I quickly got weary of planting petunias that year but it was a "bargain" for $10.00.
That was one tray we never used again.
Ok guys I'm wading in here too.
I take a deep container and bulk seed my larger seeds and when they spout I move them with a bamboo stick, prick them out, to the 72 or 32 deep root trays from Lee Valley. I had my hubby cut off a large nail so I can use the head to push out the plant when I transplant them to bigger pots..
I too use the pro starting mix and have had great success with it.
DawnLL I'm not sure if you moved your lights up to take your photo's but I have found that by keeping the lights as close to my plants as possible I reduced the "bolting" that can happen. I try for 1 inch above and I am doing 14 hr timers. That may help contain your plants in their current state. After they are all gong I also have a fan to move the air around, not pointing at the plants.
Everyone I have talked to has a suggestion and I try to use what works for me.
Ann
We always keep our lights VERY close to the plants, too.
Yes the lights are normally closer to the plants - I just pushed the light back so I could take the photo.
thanks again for your help!
When do I start fertilizing my seedlings normally...right now they are getting dilluted less than half strenghth every time I water.
I do the same thing I always fertilize with 15-30-15 half strenght till they about half the full grown height and then do the 3/4 strenght work real good and always water from the bottom
DawnLL,
What's your seedlings look like now?
Thanks for asking....they seem to be doing great....the petunia's are growing a lot....they aren't growing up....just more spreading than anything....is this normal?
Here are my snap dragons - I think I should have waited a few weeks later to plant those...they are growing fast....I have already pinched them back.
Thanks for the advice on the fan as well Joanna! I use it everyday on them for several hours...I do believe it makes them stronger!
This message was edited Mar 29, 2009 4:37 PM
They all look terrific, Dawn, and you'll love how the snaps look when they bloom, after the pinching you've done. The petunias are great and they're supposed to look that way.
Thanks pirl :)
I agree with pirl. They do look great, I only pinch when they start to send out the "legs"
You are doing a great job Dawn.
Ann
nice seedlings
They look awesome!!
some of mine are doing great and some are still so so and not sure why since I talk to all of them and treat them all the same hahahah so they dont get upset
Ok I have to ask - what are "the legs"?
when the seedling are getting to tall and leggy by pinching it makes them stronger and send out lateral growth which in return will produce more blooms
yep or when the supertunias send out long shoots , by pinching them off you do make a stronger plant it will also force branching at each leaf site that is still attached to to the plant.
It sure helps with the longer branches being taken off because they get twisted with each other when they are all growing together.
Ann
it give so many more blooms if the plant is kept low and bushy
Yes I agree too.
Ann
my sister told me I was nuts because last year as I was planting my annuals I pinched all of them so she had a bloom ten days before me but I had three times more blooms than her at the end of three weeks lol
Well I do have some longer branches but they are down low at the bottom...do I pinch those back? I don't find there is much height to them but they sure are branching out at the bottom.....not sure what to do....
just leave them alone for now branches at the bottom is good your seedling is healthy leave it for now if it is standing up good and the leaves are a good dark color its fine
Ok will do....thanks. :)
DawnLL,
How's those petunias doing??
in zone four you should not put the petunias out till the first week or second week in june since your frost date is about that time check to make sure since annuals do not do well planted before a week after last frost and perennials can start to go out mid may Im zone 5 and I just started to plant the perennials that are bigger like about six inches tall so a bit of cold wont do much to them now but kept the small ones inside and will not put them out till the end of next month
JUNE!!!, No Way. I can't wait that long. I put them out by (the latest) the 2 week in May. They actually can handle -1ºC if they are hardened off. Been doing that for years. I usually have all my containers planted & placed by Mid-May. Of course I do cover them or haul them into the garage if we get near freezing temps.
with my bad back and fibro that is out for me dragging stuff into the garage I dont mind covering stuff