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Post by mountaindweller on Aug 29, 2012 23:54:56 GMT -5
I start some seeds indoors like tomatos, but didn't start melons so far. The problem is the temperature. The bloke in the local nursery said that he uses a heating blanket on the lowest setting, but I have my safety concerns here. I would maybe not let a made in China heating blanket run all the time, even when I'm out.
I guess our room temperatures are too low to start melon or chilli seeds indoors, tomato seedlings did well so far.
What do you do or do you wait until you can sow directly outdoors?
If I would start some stuff in the white styrofoam boxes you get from the greengrocer and put something on the top at night, does this make a difference (but for melons that would maybe be too cold at night we're still getting light frosts).
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Post by rowan on Aug 30, 2012 0:05:55 GMT -5
I've always found that waiting and sowing outdoors when it is warm enough is better, and they quickly catch up with the indoor sown seeds so there is no real benefit with indoor sowing. I don't bother with indoor sowing any more, we don't get the short seasons here in Australia that require it. I am in the far south of vic and I can still get two harvests of many of my melons.
The heating mats made for sowing indoors work well but are a bit of a drain on the power.
I don't sow my melons till the 1st of October and then if I am willing to lose a few to late frosts - we always get a light frost after that time, but the outdoor sown melons are usually strong enough to cope with a light one.
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Post by steev on Aug 30, 2012 0:57:56 GMT -5
Top of the fridge, in a plastic box, with something for insulation on top?
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Post by templeton on Aug 30, 2012 4:17:27 GMT -5
I used to do seeds in a strip of damp paper towel, rolled up and placed in a film canister, then carry it round in my pocket for a few days. I've got a heat pad now.
I started cucumbers two weeks ago on the pad, moved the to foam boxes in the green house last week - not moving a real lot.
T
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Post by mountaindweller on Aug 30, 2012 5:43:12 GMT -5
If you sow directly outdoors - do you do that with the tomatos too? How do you tell your tomato seedlings apart from those which sprout up anyway and usually give only very small and not so tasty tomatos? I think I have to wait more for the melons, at least mid Oct. or so, that is were people plant tomatos out. Unfortunately modern fridges aren't very warm on the top.
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coppice
gardener
gardening curmudgeon
Posts: 149
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Post by coppice on Aug 30, 2012 6:19:47 GMT -5
I start some seeds indoors like tomatos, but didn't start melons so far. Starting squash mellons cucumbers in flats, indoors, don't work. Has never worked after many trials. If soil is too cold to field, look to a hoop house. |
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Post by oxbowfarm on Aug 30, 2012 6:24:27 GMT -5
It certainly does work for cucumbers, have you tried using individual plug flats? The roots are disturbed much less that way.
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Post by steev on Aug 30, 2012 20:52:41 GMT -5
I always start melons, squash, cukes, and most other veggies indoors. I seed them in numbers in 4" pots, transplant them individually into 3" or 4" pots when they have two or so leaves, then set them out when they have good roots and weather permits.
I got a lot of coir blocks, which I intend to use for melons and squash next year.
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Post by littleminnie on Aug 30, 2012 21:21:51 GMT -5
I also start melons and squash indoors and I use a heat mat/pads. Generally by then the house is warm enough without it. Peppers and tomatoes definitely need it in my house.
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Post by mountaindweller on Aug 31, 2012 1:48:28 GMT -5
How many degrees is warm enough? I think I should take a thermometer inside but I usually wear two jumpers inside.
I started cucumbers etc inside but with advertisement print paper pots. So there is no root disturbance but you have to make them.
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Post by raymondo on Aug 31, 2012 3:10:11 GMT -5
I direct sow melons, cukes, squash etc., usually early November but sometimes late October. For the melons, I pile up grass clippings, sometimes mixed with a little sheep manure, let the pile settle for a few days, make pockets in the mound, fill with compost and sow. They love the heat coming up from the rotting grass. The others just get sown in the soil. Like Rowan, I used to sow indoors then plant out. Waste of time for me. The direct sown ones always catch up and usually do better in the long run.
I still sow tomatoes, eggplants and chillies indoors (I've just sown my eggplants). I have a small heat mat for them but they are only on the mat until they show themselves. After that they just have to cope with whatever temperature it is in the room.
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Post by richardw on Aug 31, 2012 5:36:24 GMT -5
I used to start many of the frost tender plants indoors and then plant mostly in Nov,but the transition between been inside and then suddenly been stuck outside knocks them around to much and like you say Ray the direct sown ones will in the end catch up,so what i do these days is to still leave them in there pots while been put outside to harden up,but on really cold nights put them back inside till the next days,for me this works well.
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Post by steev on Aug 31, 2012 20:10:44 GMT -5
The main reason I start so many transplants is that where I live last frost is around Feb 15th, but where I grow it's mostly May 15th, so I sprout in a hot-box, set out to harden, pot up, grow on, transport and transplant. I eagerly look to the day when I have the greenhouse up on the farm; probably soon after hell freezes over; shouldn't be long now, what with climate change and all.
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Post by richardw on Sept 1, 2012 0:46:13 GMT -5
I'd be lost with out my greenhouse in this climate,most summers there's often light frosts.
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Post by mountaindweller on Sept 12, 2012 22:08:46 GMT -5
I started too many plants inside, our house is not huge. We have got an electrically heated bathroom floor, but to start seeds I would have to run it each day or at least at night that would be crazy.
I wonder if I had a box with an old window on the top outside, would that make a difference in the night temperatures - it would have the same effect than an unheated greenhouse? The box could be even covered at night.
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