myLot Discussions on seed starting vermiculite| Do you use potting soil or soil less seed starting mix? | | I was wondering how you start your seedlings? Do you use potting soil? Potting soil ammended with fertilizers? A seed starting mix without any soil? I used the seed starting mix and found my 3 week old plants under great stress from what appears to be nutrient deficiencies. I know that planting in a soil could cause damping off. What have you used? Did it work or not? Thanks! | |
| | Growing with Artificial Light | | I have started my seeds. Yes, early but I think Spring is going to be here a lot more sooner than we think.
This year I am using a bench with grow lights but I am unsure how long to leave the lights on. I have been leaving them on from 7a.m. to 7p.m. Is that too long? I can't recall the hours that I used a few years back.
In any case, my tropical plants seem to love it, a lot.
I don't have a bench warmer, yet, so to heat the flats from the bottom but will be adding in the next couple of weeks.
Any words of advice, growing with artificial lights?
I am using it mostly to start the seeds and help the seedlings along.
Distance is a no brainer. I am more concerned about the hours.
I recall depending on what you want to do, determines the hours of light vs darkness.
Will enjoy reading all responses for sure and thank you in advance. | |
| | Seeds or Seedlings? | |
What do you do for your vegetable garden?Do you start your own seeds or buy seedling plants already started?I've done both, depending on the particular variety of vegetable.I think I want to try some tomatoes from seed this year. I'm going to try some container gardening since I'm just renting here, and I think I could start seeds now and when it's warm enough to put in a container in the yard, they'd probably be the right size as seedling plants by then.What's worked for you? Any particular 'do' or 'don't do' to pass on?
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| | Where do you purchase your vegetable seeds from? | | What companies have you found to be the best for purchasing herb and vegetable seeds? Good quality? Customer Service? Delivery? I have a large garden plot and enjoy planting MANY different varieties. I have tried Peacful Valley this year for some of my seeds. I was not impressed with the delivery as it took a VERY long time. I have not planted them yet.... | |
| | Starting seeds | | I'm so excited! I just started my vegetable garden. DH thinks I'm nuts, because the only decent window with enough light is the south window in our bedroom. So, now I have tomatoes (Yellow and red plum, bell peppers, onion seeds, egg plant, and spinach. They are all resting on a table in our bedroom happily. I am hoping that this year will be successful. I usually don't have luck starting seeds indoors. I invested some money in one of those Burpee starter kits, (with the self-watering mat, since that is usually my problem!) and am hoping for the best. Wish me luck!!
Yes, I know spinach doesn't take that long to grow, but if I start them now, I can transplant to a larger pot and have fresh spinach a little earlier. We love those fresh greens!! | |
| | Who has seeds started? | | I just got my seed catalog and I am longing to get started. Especially the herbs. So I will send off my order today, and start them as soon as the seeds come. I can't wait for spring and the planting season. | |
| | Oh, Happy, Happy Day! My potatoes are growing!!! | | That may not seem like exciting news to a lot of you but, here where I live it's still way too cold outside to be growing potatoes.Also, I've never tried growing them myself before.But, with all the gardening and seed catalogs coming every day in the mail, I've been itching to get outside and grow my veggies! I decided to try growing potatoes this year for the first time.I decided that I simply could not wait any longer. I chopped up an old potato (one lonely potato left in the bottom of the bag), let it 'heal' over for a few hours, then stuck the pieces in large pots with garden soil. I intentionally planted them about halfway down in the pot because I know I have to 'built up' the soil around the plant as it grows.Well, I just noticed little green things sticking out of the soil! They're growing! The best part is that they're growing right here in my office! LOL I have shelves with fluorescent lights for seed starting right beside me and parked my potato pots right there where I can keep an eye on them, also where they'll get enough light to grow well.I am SOOOOOO excited! Have you ever tried growing potatoes in containers? More specifically, have you ever... | |
| | My Little Greenhouse! | | While I was out buying my little cherry tomato plant, I saw where they had the soil pods in a tray that you drop the seeds in and then cover the top with the lid provided and it's considered a greenhouse. So it reminded me that I had a little veggie tray with lid that would provide the same benefit. So I used 3oz plastic cups and put some seed starting potting soil mix in each of them, and then I planted the seeds in them and watered them and then put the lid on it. I've got it sitting on my bird bath at the moment. I'm going to try to add a picture of it here.
So have you ever had a little green house? Have you ever had a make shift green house like I've done? Have you had any success starting your seeds to grow into plants using this method? Please share! | |
| | Eggplant? | |
No, not real eggplant, but plants started from seeds planted in an egg!I've heard that eggshells are good for tomatoes, that putting several eggshells in the hole that you planting tomatoes in is a big help to them.I also heard that you could start tomato seedlings in an eggshell, so that's what I did this year. It's the first time I've done any from seed, and they've done quite well. Just put a little of the soil/seed starting mix in the shell, pop your seed in there and water as usual. When it gets the second leaves, tap the bottom of the eggshell to break it up just a little, then put the whole thing in the ground. The roots will expand out of the bottom of the eggshell, and the shell will continue to provide nutrients to the soil. Here's a shot of one that is starting in an eggshell, and another larger one that started out that way not too long ago. I think they look pretty good, don't you?Do you start your own seedlings? If you do, have you ever used an unconventional method like eggshells for containers?
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| | A bountiful harvest | | I just wanted to share my tomatoes with everyone. Since I can't snail mail them to everyone, I thought this would be the next best way. LOL!This is the 3rd harvest of 'maters we've made this summer. I have gotten several pints of salsa, and tomato sauce made up already. This batch is going into spaghetti sauce. The yellow makes the sauce turn a sweet orange color, but they are still tasty! I'm not a real big fan of eating them right out of the garden, but I do enjoy those yellow ones. Oh, they are only the size of a silver dollar (about 1" in diameter!)I think my biggest reward from these is that I started them from seeds myself! I usually have no luck with seed starting, but these little guys did me a big service by deciding to survive! | |
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