|
|
Post by rowan on Mar 9, 2015 1:32:45 GMT -5
You guys make me so thankful I don't live up there.
|
|
|
|
Post by Al on Mar 9, 2015 2:09:15 GMT -5
Tomatoes are usually about the quickest to germinate for me. I sow about 9 seeds in a 8cm square pot (one variety per pot), stick them in a really hot towel closet in a plastic bag & check often. First seedlings show after 3 days, the pot is immediately moved to a heated propagator under grow lights.
|
|
|
|
Post by reed on Mar 15, 2015 5:24:46 GMT -5
So it's day 15 and the peppers and some of the tomatoes have not come up. I'm mostly concerned with the tomatoes. How much longer should I wait before starting more tomatoes to replace the ones that didn't come up? 15 days is a long time I think for tomatoes, have they come up, or did you start new ones? I just started broccoli and cabbage, probably won't do tomatoes for another week or so. Don't know how your season goes but I think you are fine to start more now or even wait a little while. They won't grow until the soil warms up good and having bigger plants to set out doesn't seem to translate to earlier or more in the long run. At least not for us it hasn't. |
|
|
|
Post by kazedwards on Mar 15, 2015 11:19:25 GMT -5
So it's day 15 and the peppers and some of the tomatoes have not come up. I'm mostly concerned with the tomatoes. How much longer should I wait before starting more tomatoes to replace the ones that didn't come up? 15 days is a long time I think for tomatoes, have they come up, or did you start new ones? I just started broccoli and cabbage, probably won't do tomatoes for another week or so. Don't know how your season goes but I think you are fine to start more now or even wait a little while. They won't grow until the soil warms up good and having bigger plants to set out doesn't seem to translate to earlier or more in the long run. At least not for us it hasn't. No they have not. I have peppers coming up now. I was just getting ready to start more. I plan on putting them out in early May. I just did tomatoes when I did peppers and cole crops. I do have enough time to start more if I do it here soon. I might do a few more peppers too. |
|
|
|
Post by robertb on Mar 15, 2015 17:09:22 GMT -5
Depends entirely on the seed. A few flower seeds - Meconopsis for instance - have been in for a couple of months. I've put alliums in already, but I've got more seed if it turns out to be premature. Apart from that, the only thing I've planted is TPS, which is on the windowsill beside me. I could have put broad beans in quite easily, but I did my back in, and it's been really cold the last couple of days. I'm waiting for it to warm up again.
|
|
|
|
Post by templeton on Mar 15, 2015 19:45:31 GMT -5
I start early toms on an unregulated heat bed - this means I have to put chopsticks under the trays to make an air gap so they don't get too hot. Should have paid extra for the thermostat model.
The mat sits on the floor in front of a full height window, but plants still get leggy. To get round this I got a beer carton (I recommend a good imported lager) cardboard box, open the top flaps out, cut down the edge of one side panel, spread those out as reflector wings and lined everything with cheap foil stuck on with cornstarch paste. brush the tops of the seedlings with your hand every day to thicken up the stems. A pic would help, but lost in microsoftland...
|
|
|
|
Post by steev on Mar 15, 2015 20:35:20 GMT -5
28 of 30 tomatoes are up; still waiting for Green Grape and Gregori's Altai; none of 30 peppers are up.
|
|
|
|
Post by mskrieger on Mar 17, 2015 12:40:37 GMT -5
Troubleshooting for Kazedwards: Sometimes my tomatoes/peppers/eggplants don't sprout if the seed mix is too dry. Normally to avoid that I make sure it is just-right moist enough when I plant (it makes a ball when I squeeze it, which crumbles if I press on it lightly), then I wrap the pots in plastic to prevent evaporation. Then I put the pots on top of my furnace. It's well insulated with asbestos (yay for 1950s technology!) so the temperature is always about 75-90F. This is just right for solanums to sprout. Good strong seed sprouts within a week to 10 days. I just start checking after 5 days or so and take the pots up to my south-facing window once seedlings are visible.
I don't use grow lights or anything, so my seedlings tend to be a little leggy. Not a problem. Usually fixes itself when I harden them off. And if it doesn't, I just plant them deep enough to cover most of the extra stem--they sprout roots from the stem if it's covered up and seem to do just fine this way.
|
|
|
|
Post by kazedwards on Mar 18, 2015 1:47:55 GMT -5
I think it is too late for the toms. I have some time before its to late to start more. Also figured I would start a few more peppers as well. I started them in egg cartons so I'm thinking that was the problem. I will start the next batch in sterile seed trays. In the mean time I need to pot up the one that did sprout. Thanks for all the advise, I really appreciate it.
|
|
|
|
Post by flowerweaver on Mar 18, 2015 9:46:27 GMT -5
I wonder how much it would cost to overnight some of my extra tomato starts to you? And if they'd survive the trip? Or if they'd survive Priority Mail? Is it still freezing up your way? Some are 28 days old and others 56 days old. I even have an extra of the Italian heirloom tomato from the seeds you sent. Only one of the the Martin's Carrot pepper seeds came up though and it's smallish compared to my other peppers.
|
|
|
|
Post by mskrieger on Mar 18, 2015 13:45:43 GMT -5
Kazedwards, I doubt it's the sterility or not of the egg cartons--if you require sterile seed mix to start those tomatoes, you got some really weak, poor seeds. Egg cartons do, however, dry out fast, especially if they're cardboard. (still following my "too dry to sprout" theory. If you have to water them every day to keep them moist enough, that's not good either b/c it chills the seed and makes them more vulnerable to fungal disease. If you already wrap 'em in plastic and/or know for a fact that they're at the perfect moisture, than disregard my harping on this subject.)
|
|
|
|
Post by flowerweaver on Mar 18, 2015 17:43:20 GMT -5
I agree with mskrieger, seed starting medium should never be allowed to dry out--it's too hard on the emerging radicle. I start all my seeds in a sterile soil-less mix in plastic propagation trays that are sitting in a half inch of water at all times with no ill effect. They are very wet (not soggy), but then I do live in an arid climate. Only after they are potted up to 3" pots are they top watered when they dry out. I keep fungal issues at bay by providing airflow and never use a humidity dome. |
|
|
|
Post by kazedwards on Mar 20, 2015 9:02:51 GMT -5
Kazedwards, I doubt it's the sterility or not of the egg cartons--if you require sterile seed mix to start those tomatoes, you got some really weak, poor seeds. Egg cartons do, however, dry out fast, especially if they're cardboard. (still following my "too dry to sprout" theory. If you have to water them every day to keep them moist enough, that's not good either b/c it chills the seed and makes them more vulnerable to fungal disease. If you already wrap 'em in plastic and/or know for a fact that they're at the perfect moisture, than disregard my harping on this subject.) I think they might have been too soggy. I was having to water them everyday and the egg cartons are very shallow so the seeds would have been just above the water line. The seeds getting chilled from watering was probably it now that you say that. I didn't even think about it. |
|
|
|
Post by kazedwards on Mar 20, 2015 9:10:12 GMT -5
I wonder how much it would cost to overnight some of my extra tomato starts to you? And if they'd survive the trip? Or if they'd survive Priority Mail? Is it still freezing up your way? Some are 28 days old and others 56 days old. I even have an extra of the Italian heirloom tomato from the seeds you sent. Only one of the the Martin's Carrot pepper seeds came up though and it's smallish compared to my other peppers. Thanks flowerweaver for the offer, but I still have some time to start another round. I have decided to try a few more varieties than I originally planned too lol. Martin's Carrot didn't have a strong germ rate for me either. It produce a ton of peppers though. 1 plant gave us a couple handfuls every 3-4 days last year. |
|
|
|
Post by kazedwards on Apr 2, 2015 19:15:05 GMT -5
Well the second set of tatoes and peppers have come up great. Only 2 pepper have not come up yet and it's only been 9 days. This time I put them each in there own bag. It worked great. They mush have been too wet the first time.
|
|
