wynnebaer 9 months, 2 weeks ago said: Beginner Gardener I have been going to the nursery for years and buying plants for our garden and this year we have decided to try planting our garden from seeds...Help!!!!! I don't necessarily think I'm gonna go totally organic until I get to know what I'm doing so maybe this is not the group to ask but I would appreciate any suggestions....Thanks so much.
trigger 9 months, 2 weeks ago said: Beginner Gardener Pick up a seed starting tray or trays and follow the instructions . I use Jiffy professional greenhouse from Wal-Mart they hold 72 plants each. I also have a heating mat with a timer. Set that to the temperature best for germinating the plants you intend to grow or the average if you are planting different seedlings.
You will need overhead lighting about 6 inches off the plants once they germinate. and water no fertilizer at this stage of the game until the first true leaves appear.
When it comes time to plant them out choose a site that has full sun if possible. Add as much organic mater as you can. ground up leaves , peat mos and garden lime.
Remember toharden of your plants befor transplanting them out. "Hardening off" =Gradually get them use to the temperature and mind a little each day for a two week period then plant them out. I plant mine after Memorial day just to be safe last year my neighbor planted his out April 19. and got away with it.
I have several post here on all sorts of step by step instructions. I will forward you a recipe with more growing tips.
wynnebaer 9 months, 2 weeks ago said: RE: Beginner Gardener Thanks so much Michael.....Such great info and I really appreciate it.....Also got your PM's directing me to some posts and have printed them out to share with Les....Again, thanks so much
jrt_mom 8 months, 3 weeks ago said: RE: Beginner Gardener Hey Michael. I'm here, thanks for the link. I'm reading and learning! I live in a townhouse with no garden, just a carport so I'm doing containers. Tomatoes, peppers and lime over here grow in abundance because of the climate. You can just scatter the seeds anywhere and you'll see it grow. Things is, it doesn't give you a good harvest. Oregano is almost like weed, very prolific. Sunshine plays an important role which we have a lot of so just do the watering. I can always buy from nurseries but what's really neat about this is the challenge involved. So I started my seeds yesterday on garden soil and compost. On overhead lighting, how long do I need it once they germinate? Is it 24 hrs until they harden and ready for partial sunlight?
jrt_mom 8 months, 3 weeks ago said: RE: Beginner Gardener I forgot to mention that I planted tomato, bell pepper, basil, rosemary, leek and zucchini seeds. The bell pepper is on a heating mat (no timer). Some on top of the fridge and the rest in a box in a dark, warm place inside the house. The starter soil fairly moist on top.
pointsevenout 8 months, 3 weeks ago said: RE: Beginner Gardener Bell peppers need 80 degrees to germinate. Use a spray bottle to keep the soil moist until germination. And if you can, a lid to encapsulate the environment in the germination boxes until germination. Once the seedlings start pushing up through the soil they will be looking and growing for light. Keep the grow lights very close to the seedlings or they will get leggy. A leggy plant is an overall weaker plant because a shorter thicker plant stem helps support the mature plant weight better. The first pair of leaves you see are really not leaves but the seed that has split and is pushing up through the soil as the roots are pushing down through the soil. They are called false leaves. When the tomatoes and peppers start showing their second pair of true leaves it is time to start hardening off the plants. When the plants start putting out their true leaves it is a good idea to brush or rake the plant tops gently with your hand to stimulate the stems into growing thicker. It mimics the wind. An oscillating fan works well also. Hardening off the plants will take a week. Fifteen minutes the first day outside in a protected place from the wind. Increase the time outside every day until the seventh day in which they can be left outside overnight. Tomatoes and peppers will need a vertical support system as they grow. Peppers need a very rich soil. Be careful of a condition called "damping off". It is caused by keeping the soil too moist and lets a fungus grow on top of the soil which chokes off the plant causing the plant stem to thin at the soil surface and die. I hear rosemary is very difficult to grow from seed. More difficult than bell peppers.
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wynnebaer 9 months, 2 weeks ago said:
Beginner Gardener
I have been going to the nursery for years and buying plants for our garden and this year we have decided to try planting our garden from seeds...Help!!!!! I don't necessarily think I'm gonna go totally organic until I get to know what I'm doing so maybe this is not the group to ask but I would appreciate any suggestions....Thanks so much.
trigger 9 months, 2 weeks ago said:
Beginner Gardener
Pick up a seed starting tray or trays and follow the instructions . I use Jiffy professional
greenhouse from Wal-Mart they hold 72 plants each. I also have a heating mat with a timer.
Set that to the temperature best for germinating the plants you intend to grow or the average if you are planting different seedlings.
You will need overhead lighting about 6 inches off the plants once they germinate. and water no fertilizer at this stage of the game until the first true leaves appear.
When it comes time to plant them out choose a site that has full sun if possible.
Add as much organic mater as you can. ground up leaves , peat mos and garden lime.
Remember toharden of your plants befor transplanting them out.
"Hardening off" =Gradually get them use to the temperature and mind a little each day for a two week period then plant them out.
I plant mine after Memorial day just to be safe last year my neighbor planted his out April 19.
and got away with it.
I have several post here on all sorts of step by step instructions.
I will forward you a recipe with more growing tips.
wynnebaer 9 months, 2 weeks ago said:
RE: Beginner Gardener
Thanks so much Michael.....Such great info and I really appreciate it.....Also got your PM's directing me to some posts and have printed them out to share with Les....Again, thanks so much
jrt_mom 8 months, 3 weeks ago said:
RE: Beginner Gardener
Hey Michael. I'm here, thanks for the link. I'm reading and learning! I live in a townhouse with no garden, just a carport so I'm doing containers. Tomatoes, peppers and lime over here grow in abundance because of the climate. You can just scatter the seeds anywhere and you'll see it grow. Things is, it doesn't give you a good harvest. Oregano is almost like weed, very prolific. Sunshine plays an important role which we have a lot of so just do the watering. I can always buy from nurseries but what's really neat about this is the challenge involved. So I started my seeds yesterday on garden soil and compost. On overhead lighting, how long do I need it once they germinate? Is it 24 hrs until they harden and ready for partial sunlight?
jrt_mom 8 months, 3 weeks ago said:
RE: Beginner Gardener
I forgot to mention that I planted tomato, bell pepper, basil, rosemary, leek and zucchini seeds. The bell pepper is on a heating mat (no timer). Some on top of the fridge and the rest in a box in a dark, warm place inside the house. The starter soil fairly moist on top.
pointsevenout 8 months, 3 weeks ago said:
RE: Beginner Gardener
Bell peppers need 80 degrees to germinate. Use a spray bottle to keep the soil moist until germination. And if you can, a lid to encapsulate the environment in the germination boxes until germination. Once the seedlings start pushing up through the soil they will be looking and growing for light.
Keep the grow lights very close to the seedlings or they will get leggy. A leggy plant is an overall weaker plant because a shorter thicker plant stem helps support the mature plant weight better. The first pair of leaves you see are really not leaves but the seed that has split and is pushing up through the soil as the roots are pushing down through the soil. They are called false leaves.
When the tomatoes and peppers start showing their second pair of true leaves it is time to start hardening off the plants. When the plants start putting out their true leaves it is a good idea to brush or rake the plant tops gently with your hand to stimulate the stems into growing thicker. It mimics the wind. An oscillating fan works well also. Hardening off the plants will take a week. Fifteen minutes the first day outside in a protected place from the wind. Increase the time outside every day until the seventh day in which they can be left outside overnight. Tomatoes and peppers will need a vertical support system as they grow. Peppers need a very rich soil.
Be careful of a condition called "damping off". It is caused by keeping the soil too moist and lets a fungus grow on top of the soil which chokes off the plant causing the plant stem to thin at the soil surface and die.
I hear rosemary is very difficult to grow from seed. More difficult than bell peppers.