Planting Seeds inside

Part One:

When do you all start planting seeds inside?

Part Two:

What do you start first?

Part Three:

If planting Blueberry of Blackberry Plants when do you stick those in the ground?

3) Spring or Fall would be optimum times to plant, imo. I planted my blue and blackberries in early Spring, but frankly, if I can dig a hole (not frozen ground), I'll plant just about anything that is hardy.

1) I started sowing my seeds under lights in my cellar in late December, a bit early by some standards (but not all! lol)

2) I'm not terribly picky about what I start first, but lots of others begin by starting those plants that take much longer to germinate. That requires a bit of research and/or organizational skills. lol

Pt 1, 2, & 3....utterly clueless looking forward to responses...

Dang Chantell...... You have more experience then I do!

ahhhh wishful thinking...so sad...

Chatell

How many house plants do you have?

LOL Tryin' to get me in trouble..eh? Honestly I have no idea...scared what number I'd come up with if I counted. I like to think of it as keeping the air healthy for the family (sounds good at least eh?) and many aren't "really" house plants but plants that are vacationing indoors till the temps go back up in spring. :) How about you?

This message was edited Jan 19, 2008 10:22 PM

I have 4 and a 1/2. I bought two today... I have had two for six months and for some reason I have not killed them yet. I have one calla lilly plant that I am not sure if it is alive or dead. I figured since I have not killed the first two I could get two more. lmao They are now planted in orange pots!

You out do me! HAHAHAHA

Ahhhhh....welcome to the world of plant obsessions...we'll have you up to double digits before you can count to ten.

Anyone want to help save the calla lilly if it can be saved? I wish I could get back some of the plants I have killed over the years.

I really do not know what to do with the calla lilly though. I thought I was watering it to much so I stopped that. It has not helped the issue at all. I just noticed the other little house plant all the leaves are falling off. I just moved them to the front window. I am praying that will help..

Can you post a photo of it?

The calla lily is fine. It's just gone dormant for the winter. Stop watering it until late spring or it starts to sprout again, whichever comes first.

I think when they start losing leaves, either they need more humidity or you're over or under watering. Might try adjusting your watering or misting it with a spray bottle of water. It's awfully dry inside in the winter.

I will take one tomorrow and post it.

It would be nice if I could save the darn thing. It is my olderst plant. It was given to me last mother's day.

List your seeds too. You might get specific suggestions, for example, I did a plant last year that grew really fast, so I'll do them later this year. (nicotiana) but some you might want to start early, likewrightie, cuz they can take a long time to bloom -annual vinca seemed that way for me.
and watch the articles- critterlogist is doing a series, apparently, and she knows her stuff!

I am still buying seeds.. I have sent a list to my hubby, including a blue poppy, which I hope I will get for V-day.. :)

Right now I have:

Kale (curled scotch)
Autumn Beauty Sunflowers
Carrots :)
Bright Lights swiss chard
dark red detroit red beets
arugula 'roquette"
Evergree buching onions
Red Burgundy Onion
Oriental Poppy
Chioggia Beet
Lucullus Swiss Chard
Butternut Squash
Rutger Tomato
Sweett Spanish Yellow Onions
Little Marvel Pea
Walla Walla Onion
Long standing spinach
zinnia "llilliput"
Autum Beauty Sunflowers
Natural nesting birdhouse gourds
State Fair Mix Zinnia
American Flag Leeks
Mesclun
Bush Zucchini
Radicchio
Sparkler white Tip Radish
Royal Red lettuce
Long Red Cayene pepper
Ballerina Mix Poppy
Painted daisy


I also order the 50 pack of herbs... I have no clue what is in it, but I figured it might be fun

This message was edited Jan 19, 2008 11:25 PM

Great list! Be warned, Himalayan blues do not like our hot & humid climate -- they like the Very cold climates. That won't stop me from continuing to try, but it's highly unlikely that I'll see a bloom this far South...

Oh well pooh.. It said it was a blue poppy.. No other name given.. I wonder if I should have him to get them..

This message was edited Jan 19, 2008 11:32 PM

LOL "this far south" - as I pray over my "cold hardy" Gardenias b/c of being this far north

chards, beets, spinach, radish, squash, zucchini, gourds, peas- I would say these will all go directly into ground but not now LOL..wait a while! probably lettuce and salad greens too, but I have done them inside, mid March.
what a list! you went for it bigtime!

Shoot Sally.. this is not the half it. I still have flower to buy and more veggies. Right now in my front flower garden I have 1 lilac and two azaleas. I have 3 Daisy plants which looked bad last year, and I have 3 of those green/white plants the sprout purple flowers. All of my bulbs had to be moved last year because of my front lawn being regraded. The front of my house is sad. I have all of my bulbs in a corner, ( I am going to have to dig them up and replant this this full) squished together. I also need to figure out if I want to pull out this funky grass that I have in the flower beds and replace it. My Roses are a mess, but that is for a different day...

You'll have fun with the 'Chiogga' beets and the 'Bright Lights' chard! I've used the chard as a border in my front bed... used plugs of burgundy leaf lettuce one year, also... I get into the "edible ornamental" thing!

I've got a pretty good selection of chile peppers and tomatoes, so anybody wanting to try a couple of plants of this and a couple of that... you're welcome to make a run through my stash. Unfortunately, I'm way behind on updating my lists...

A friend of mine starts onions from seed each year, and I think she gets them going pretty early.

If anyone wants any seeds out of that list please let me know.

I will update the herbs when they come in..

My calla lily is dead.. My daughters decided to dig it up and destroy it... I have had a great day....

I am post a pic of the plant that is loosing all of its leafs..

I'm afraid it's going to the great Compost Heap in the Sky...(or your yard....)
I will step aside and let Dr Critter in to see the patient. Maybe she'll have you take cuttings to put in water and toss the roots. Stems look like some Impatiens type thing.

I do not know how I am killing this one... I have been careful with water and soil... The only thing I did was move it to a table when we put up our Christmas tree. I have moved it back to the window, but it looks sick...

Is that a coleus?

I do not know what it is... I thought it was cute and I bought it about 7 months ago.. I think May.

If it's a coleus, they are annuals here. That being said, I've never brought one in to try to over-winter; it may just be that it's reached the end of the road... so, this would be a "natural death" so-to-speak, and not due to your causing. lol

does look coleus-y. I brought a couple in from the yard but they couldn't take the low light and being unceremoniously dumped in a scuffle between a dog and a cat.

I think it is one of those Exotic Angel Plants

I just looked it up and figured out that one of the plants I bought this weekend I will probably end up killing. I need to look up plants befoer I buy them. The Pink Vein Fittonia might be a little much for me to keep alive, but it was so pretty.

When I looked at the website I could not find the plant I have that is dying. Maybe I should bring it to the swap to see if someone can fix it...

I wish I could grow swiss chard...the bunnies eat them .

Mean Bunnies!!!

I tried to grow some climbing spinach, too. It never even made it up the pole. Lunch!

they don't like parsley, though.

My neighbor traps the bunnies and takes them across the water.. :) My neighbor also steals my peppers and tomatoes. HA

I trap the bunnies when I start seeing more than a dozen in the yard. I take them for a long ride in the country. Mostly, they stick to eating the clover -- and then we don't have an issue. They don't like spearmint, so anything planted in the bed by the deck is safe! I also sprinkle mint, scented geranium, and other herb clippings all over the veggie bed. I think it confuses their bunny noses.

Jenn, your plant might revive with more light. It does have the look of something that could root well in water... you might consider chopping off the three biggest stems... I'd take cuttings just below a "node" where you can see one of those little blips where a leaf used to be attached, because sometimes roots develop at the bottom of a cutting and sometimes they come out of one of those nodes. Put the cuttings in a glass of water, making sure no leaves are in the water. Put them where they get some light (bright indirect is best, like just to one side of the window), and change the water every day or two to keep it fresh.

I will work on that tomorrow.

Thanks..

I tried starting seeds in the basement last year and the flats got white mold on them. I scraped it off but the seeds took forever to germinate. Usually I set up my flats and lights in our bedroom, but I'm wondering if I can start them in our greenhouse instead, since it's a pain to get everything set up for only the couple of weeks before the plants get their first true leaves. After that I switch them to the greenhouse anyway. However, I'm not sure how well that would work if I planted them as early as I usually do, which is in late March.

My greenhouse is an 8' square Rion, and has a small heater to prevent plants from freezing, but I'd hate to think of my electric bills if I tried to keep it at 70 overnight.

I like to start my tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant in flats. This year I have a lot of French vegetable varieties that I'm trying.

Has anyone used a greenhouse in this zone to start seeds?

I think there's a greenhouse forum where folks could probably answer that question in a New York (or a New Jersey) minute... I don't have a greenhouse (*sniff* *pout* LOL), but I am guessing that bottom heat could be your solution. I've got an article scheduled for next Thursday on seedling heat mats & DIY alternatives that might be useful to you.

I start in mid-Feb. Starting earlier in the past has not gotten me any further ahead in planting or hardening off - so not worth it.