Spring seed starting (indoors) Part 2

Gita, here is a picture of my Heliotrope babies. I am very happy so far with my first attempt at growing them from seed. If I get the results I want I'm hooked for good.

Lady, did you start those heliotrope seeds in warm or cool conditions? I just sowed some (hopefully not way too late), and I put them on my seedling heat mat (78 degrees), but I wasn't sure about that.... what do you think? Yours look so healthy that I figured you could give me some good tips!

C. Yes, I did use my heat mat, have lights on 16/ off 8 hours. Left them with the dome on till they took off then removed the dome. My basement is on the cold side around 58º sometimes.

I planted lots and lots of seeds last week and I have sprouts in about half of them already. Even the tomatoes are sprouting as well as cabbage, dinosaur kale, red mustard and several of the flower seeds. I didn't use any heat mats.

But, I bought this cheap steel shelf until to hold them Monday and managed to slice my finger on the sharp metal last night while assembling it. I'm such a klutz. $14.95 at Walmart, five shelves, 59 inches high, it's pretty perfect for holding the seed flats. It really doesn't have sharp edges, I somehow managed to get my finger under the rolled edge where the metal is sharp.

I saved all kinds of clear plastic clamshells from baked goods and produce ove the past year. Moistened potting mix in a larger container then mixed in some more dry potting mix so it wouldn't be too soggy. Put that in the clamshells, planted the seeds and the closed the tops, which make a nice greenhouse.

I snipped holes in the bottoms with my kitchen shears for drainage.

owie- sorry about that cut. I hate being a klutz. it happens to me too.
Sounds like a nice seed plan.

I'm still starting seeds and I'm running out of room. I'm going to need another seed table and more space next year. My pansies look wonderful but I'm not sure if I'll get much from them I think I should have started them earlier. I think that they should almost be ready to bloom now and they aren't even close. I probably won't put them outside for at least 2 weeks. Wonder what they will do in the next 2 weeks. I have almost 50 of these.

I moved some of my OSP and the cuttings I took from my house plants yesterday. Took them off the seed table and put them in the window. Gee I really didn't want to do that but I need the room for more seeds.

Hi,
This is my first year for starting indoors and may be my last.LOL I have had good luck with my mators.. ;-) and lord knows my gourds are up and running but have not had good luck with the Coleus but I keep trying... I have had allot of fun trying.. and that is the main idea to me... well some plants would be nice also...LOL I do have two passinflora(sp) coming up and that is a first for me.. I killed two batches before these sooooo...
Susan

Susan- live and learn! I still make mistakes, like watering my Jewel of Opar which thrives on neglect. I think overwatering is my biggest killer of seedlings. Bottom watering works better for me.

Hi Susan, We are in the same RR I get the box after you. Tell us about your coleus, maybe we can help. Have you visited the Coleus forum there are some threads regarding seed starting there too.

Chris

A couple of years ago I bought a bunch of those seed starter flats with the little peat pellets for a buck each on clearance at the local Home Depot. I'm trying to start some seeds--mostly cottage garden types of flowers-- with varying degrees of success. I'm not using any lights or extra heating sources but most of the seeds are germinating. I bought one of those little portable greenhouses at Wal_mart to keep everything in. I keep it in the back-room near the sliding glass doors. Before the weather turned nasty I was rolling it out unto the deck during the day.

So far Blue Fountain mix delphinium, cleome, butterfly weed, tithonia, Prairie Yellow coneflowers, White Swan echinacea, African daisy, foxgloves, larkspur, cosmos, and cosmidium have sprouted and are growing. Bells of Ireland and Himalayan Blue poppies have not germinated yet. I don't have much hope for the poppies. I just planted some sweet peas today.

Here's a couple of pics.

early_bloomer

And one more.........



early_bloomer

I have one of those little house things that you are showing with the plastic... I really think I took the dome off to fast and then I drowned them...poor babies... I have more so I may just try to start again....Once I saw they were coming up I took the domes off for I did not want them to get rot or fungus like people talk about... then they just died ... I have heat underthem now and have maybe four little iddy biddy ones coming up...
I have another question... I have several thing coming up... some were getting to leggy so I repotted into bigger pots and put the soil high up on the stem... I stopped the lights and just have on heat mats is this ok? I do take out into the heat and sun when it is really nice... Is in the 50's with lots of sun ok to put out in? Thank s for all your help...
Chris,
Dont worry I will not put you any colous in the box LOLOLOL
Hugs,
Susan

Susan, stopping the lights will cause them to get leggy, they are reaching for the light, actually I would take them off the heat mat instead. What are you growing?

Chris

really no heat mat... I am growing all types of gourds, zinnia's , tomato, and my half dead coleus and some passionflora and for the first time I have a few coming up... I always kill these also...
I thought they were suppose to have light and heat? I have allot more I wanted to start but dont have room or more heat mats so are you saying just go ahead and grow? do you use the dome or not? I could put in sunny place and on warm day put them out... thanks for any help...
Susan

Ok these are the gourds that are not even a week old.. they are on heat but not light... these follow the light from the window everyday...I have to turn....
Susan
Oh also Hybscus(sp) is coming along nicely.

another Oh and these were just watered they dont stay this wet...
susan

My Hybis.

Susan, not sure about the gourds and passionfloura but I started zinnia's with out the heat and when I do tomatoes and my other seeds as soon as they sprout I remove them from the heat and leave the dome on for a few day so the soil doesn't dry out, if the seedling is touching the dome I go domeless.

Some seeds don't need heat to germinate. I sometimes check the Thompson & Morgan web site if I have questions about a seed. I'll do some looking and get back to you.

one more and I believe that is that.. this is for a little humor..ha
hahah
Susan and once again thanks

You are so good to me... I cant thank you enough... I kinda told my husband this is worse then babies... I said maybe next year only the tomato and gourds...
Susan

Susan Here is a link to what T&M has to say about passionfloura
http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/us/en/product/7221/1

The gourds need heat also.

Glad to be of help, gardeners are my favorite people.

Chris

Thank you for the URL... I now have a total of almost 3 up... that is allot for me.. after this one really comes up I will put them in baggies... I do have the gourds on heat but no lamps is this ok?
Susan

Susan are the gourds getting any light? I have all my seedlings in the basement, so it is dark down there, no natural light to speek of, I keep my lights on 16 hours a day and off 8 hours.

It depends on where you are growing your seeds.

Chris

They are getting some light from my french doors in that room and they are on heat mats but I also have lights but the lights are not really on them.. Yesterday we were out all day and when I came home all of the gourds that are popping were facing the same way... towards the door.. They had no extra light...LOL it was so cute... So are you saying they need light?
Susan

I thought seeds only needed the heat mats until they sprout? And unless they're in a dark room and you have seeds that need light to germinate, don't need the lights until after they germinate.

Chris is absolutely right about the seedlings becoming leggy because they're stretching to reach the light. That's why they're all leaning toward the door.

So what you are saying is now that they are up I should take the bottom heat away and put lights on them for 16 hours?
Susan

Yep! You got it : )

Shoot I was hoping it was going to be the other way around... I only have like lamps that hold my lights ... May I ask what will the heat do if I leave them on there? I will figure something out with the lights...
Thank you as always for the info.
Susan

I wrote out a bunch of info on what I do for starting seeds on this thread, http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/589725/

For anybody starting tomatoes from seed, I don't think you can go wrong with Carolyn's methods... you can find a link to her directions in the resource sticky at the top of the tomato forum.

I've about filled up my light shelves... need to go out to HD and pick up a couple more shop lights (I "borrowed" a couple of fixtures for some plant shelves upstairs)... I had 6 shelves (space for 24 flats) set up last year, and it's amazing how quickly that space fills up!

I have a few more flowers I want to start inside, should've started them this past week, but with the cold it just hasn't seemed like the right time regardless of what the calendar says! I'll get right on it tomorrow, though...

These are Polianthes seedlings (tuberose). I got the seeds from the mid atlantic gardening Hardy Plant Society seed bank. Aren't they as cute as Christmas? I love tropicals & for the most part, that is what I start from seeds.

This message was edited Apr 13, 2007 11:29 PM

Here are some more seeds I got from the HPS/MAG society. These are Hibiscus coccinea. Unfortunately, they are starting to wilt from damping off, so I hurriedly put milled spaghnum moss around & started praying. And they looked so good when they came up.

This message was edited Apr 17, 2007 8:01 PM

What is the HPS/MAG society, Buttoneer? Sounds right up our alleys.

It is the Hardy Plant Society Mid Atlantic Group.
http://www.hardyplant.org/
I first learned about it (and Davesgarden) at a plant swap in Lancaster County and immediately joined both with no regrets except that I have not gone to their annual plant sale in Chester County yet but hopefully this year???? I do receive their newsletter & participate actively in their seed bank every year.

This message was edited Apr 14, 2007 7:46 AM

What a nice organization. The seed bank and plant sale look like great resources. They have some nice tours and lectures too. Thanks for the link.

You're very welcome. Maybe some new members will be able to donate some different seeds, but their list is very large. Here are 1-year seedlings of Veltheima bracteata that I grew last year from seeds from their seed bank. Pretty cool, huh.

Here is a updated picture of the coleus I'm growing, what a verity.

Moonflowers and Morning glories. Maybe I should have waited on these. WOW they really took off I only planted them a couple of days ago and they have to stay inside for about 3 more weeks. Love seeing the Moon flowers working to break out of their hard shell

these Tithonia and Nicotiana are dying to go out...I play with them to try and encourage stronger stems.

but I underestimated the germination on these guys! Jewel of Opar, which has a habit of dying on me a few weeks after sprouting. I think I figured out I must not over water these, or even WATER them...last year's sole survivor made it to the deck and then TOOK OFF