Is anyone else starting seeds?

[canadamike]

Suffice it to say, my dear House, that despite having been graced with the wonderful name of Michelle, your homonym in the friggin snow at minus 25 is asking himself if your not just trying to rub it, you devil ;D

[houseodessey]

Ah, but Michel, you are my adorable homophone, not nym. I'd hate for our new grammar nazi to get on your case about that.

It sucks that you're covered in snow but you should see my garden in late July and August. It's not a pretty sight, while I'm sure yours is just starting to produce delicious maters and melons at that time of year.

What are your opinions on squash transplants? Is it possible?

[canadamike]

Not only possible, usually better. Some bugs have the habit of considering the cotyledons ( 2 false leaves emerging from the ground)
as a delicacy. By-passing them might be a wise thing, don't you think, my dear homophone equiped with some milking apparatus?

[Kelly]

Jan 14, 2009 13:14:48 GMT -5 ottawagardener said:

May I just say to everyone that today we have a HIGH of -29 C.

I am not, repeat, not going outside.

Oh my god. Okay, a high of -29. I certainly have no right to complain then with my temperatures (although I do). It's only right around 0 here. My mom's complaining of the same temperatures as you (in Edmonton). Makes me remember extra hard why I moved.

For those starting tomatoes a little early, fertilizing with fish emulsion and keeping the lights on for 16+ hours a day helps keep them in the vegetative phase until transplanting.

Thanks Johno - that's a great tip! I'll have to be sure to use it .

I must be REALLY excited about starting my seeds - I got my first order int he mail yesterday (from The Cottage Gardener in Ontario) and then proceeded to dream about starting my seeds last night. I'm such a nerd.

[johno]

It is possible to transplant squash and other cucurbits, but in my experience they do better sown in place. That's especially true where you have a long enough season to do so. It's normally not recommended to start them more than two or three weeks early in pots, and in central Texas, I'd say you are pretty safe starting them two weeks early under plastic tunnels or tents in the ground.

I have started them in newspaper pots, and planted them pot and all. The problem is, the newspaper takes longer than you'd think to break down, thus reducing the benefits of an early start. Peat pots take much longer to break down than newspaper... and the roots of most cucurbits really don't like being disturbed. If the roots can start searching in place, they tend to do better in the long run.

Bugs are a problem, however. Unless you plant where eggs are already in the ground ready and waiting, row covers keep them at bay and give the squash a warmer environment to get established in. At some point, the squash will outgrow the row covers (unless you get the big ones), but hopefully that will be after the SVB invasion.

[houseodessey]

Michel: After Sandbar's post you are officially my phone and nym. Ah, what a warm and fuzzy feeling that gives me. And, as I don't have children, I'm of no use in the milking department.

I think I'll play with transplanting and Johno's suggestion with row cover or some sort of mini greenhouse type of thing and see how each work out. J- the vine borers never seem to go away around here. Just when I think they're gone, I find more eggs and larvae. It's very frustrating as I love squash and rarely get more than one fruit per plant before they wither and die. And I do remove them surgically, inject BT, etc. I'll post the results of my experimentation a few months from now. Sigh.

[canadamike]

I am describing a northern reality, Johno a southern one. I do both actually, with my ''teasured ones'' started early, I have no room for pre-seeding all my cucurbits.

Johno's advice not to seed them too early is a very wise one. It also apply to all crops. In our eagerness to see something green, we often make the mistake of doing it. It took me 22 years to rid myself of the darn habit. We get so tired of cold and snow up here, we all have the February blues. In March we are impatient and will often go out under dressed, just to convince ourselves spring is there. the month of colds, as is early April...
As much as technical knowlege tells us not to do so, we just can't take it anymore and act stupid... quite liberating mind you, and better than Prosac

[herbsandedibles]

im going sow some seeds tomorrow. i also usually do a lot of sowing in the winter, as stevil does, but am really late this year. been trying to tidy up around the greenhouse first.
ive been reading masanobu fukuokas book called 'the natural way of farming' and am going to try a few of his methods. going to try , this year , and 'weed out' a big patch of grass with clover, rye, and wheat.
i am also going to just scatter mixed seeds on bare ground, like brassicas, lettuce and support plants such as clover and beans. i did that a bit in the autumn when i coolected seeds from radishes, kale, lettuce and chard. i mixed them all up and just threw them on the ground. they have all been growing over the winter. next month i am going to scatter some annual clover in between the vegetables.

does anybody else sow seeds in this way? and if so has it been successful?

lauren

[stratcat]

I have five Red Robin micro dwarf tomatoes that sprouted this week. ;D

[houseodessey]

In Michigan? Now I definitely don't feel too early, stratcat.

[ottawagardener]

I just ordered Red Robin to see if it really will crop on a windowsill! (I started some tiny tims, just for fun... they have roots...) However, I try, really hard not to start any toms until April 1 but usually start peppers around the middle of March just 'cause the germination can be sooooo sloooooow. And yes, I presprout, use a heating mat but they're just slow sometimes! Oh who am I kidding, I need green in March like Michel said. And I start my first brassica crop with my first tomato crop to be set out three or four weeks later under cloche.

But no I don't start my 'vines' early as by then I have run out of room.

Telsing

[stratcat]

Hi. I'm running late in starting. Couldn't find my saved seed.

Red Robin ripens indoors on the windowsill or under cool fluorescent lights and tastes good.

Caution-the plants get so top heavy with fruit they jump from my window ledge. Gave some to neighbors last year. One dove into the bleached dishwater.

This time I'll use a larger than 4" pot (and heavier). ;D

[johno]

I started some peppers yesterday - Aji Dulce strain 2, Harold St. Baart's, Numex Big Jim, and Rocoto. Now I have to get the lights and soil mix and everything ready!

[canadamike]

herbs, i have undersow with clovewr once, but I ebdedup hoeing it all, weds were taking over before the clover took hold. I was also youger and less patient...

[Kelly]

Jan 17, 2009 17:35:10 GMT -5 johno said:

I started some peppers yesterday - Aji Dulce strain 2, Harold St. Baart's, Numex Big Jim, and Rocoto. Now I have to get the lights and soil mix and everything ready!

Okay Johno - it seems you're right around the same zone as me and I start in Mid-February. I don't feel like I'm totally crazy for starting that early now. It when I always start though, and my plants are always really strong when I give them that much time!