Search
Latest topics
» New to SFG and in Virginaby sanderson Today at 1:38 am
» Bokashi
by sanderson Today at 1:08 am
» Onions. Walk on?
by sanderson Today at 12:46 am
» Compost bins: Open vs. closed
by Scorpio Rising Yesterday at 10:38 am
» Recommended store bought compost - Photos of composts
by sanderson 3/26/2024, 5:56 pm
» 6 metal trellis frames
by docachna 3/25/2024, 4:31 pm
» N & C Midwest: March and April 2024
by Scorpio Rising 3/24/2024, 3:01 pm
» What Have You Picked From Your Garden Today
by OhioGardener 3/24/2024, 1:28 pm
» Senseless Banter...
by OhioGardener 3/23/2024, 6:02 pm
» Joann's fabric bankruptcy
by neefer 3/23/2024, 12:33 am
» New gardener from Santa Fe NM
by CantersVary 3/22/2024, 7:50 pm
» Kiwi's SFG Adventure
by KiwiSFGnewbie 3/22/2024, 5:07 pm
» Heat Mat Temperature Test
by OhioGardener 3/22/2024, 2:09 pm
» Victory Garden Reboot
by Scorpio Rising 3/22/2024, 11:53 am
» Mark's first SFG
by sanderson 3/22/2024, 11:43 am
» Commercial (bagged or bulk) compost question
by Mikesgardn 3/21/2024, 7:09 pm
» Think Spring 2024
by Scorpio Rising 3/20/2024, 10:34 am
» Fire Ring / Round Raised Bed Planter
by sanderson 3/19/2024, 4:51 pm
» Galvanized Fire Ring for Rhubarb Raised Beds?
by OhioGardener 3/18/2024, 10:34 am
» Happy St. Patrick's Day
by Scorpio Rising 3/17/2024, 5:54 pm
» Happy Birthday!!
by Scorpio Rising 3/11/2024, 10:28 am
» What are you eating from your garden today?
by Scorpio Rising 3/10/2024, 8:38 pm
» Why I love Oregano in the garden.
by OhioGardener 3/10/2024, 8:16 am
» Comfrey
by OhioGardener 3/9/2024, 6:07 pm
» Sealing Barrels Flowers Struggling-Need Ideas
by Turan 3/9/2024, 3:09 pm
» Hello again from a slightly different part of Central PA!
by sanderson 3/9/2024, 1:46 pm
» Chicken manure compost
by Oopsiedaisy 3/8/2024, 7:56 pm
» Chinese Broccoli
by sanderson 3/7/2024, 10:28 pm
» Heat Mat Lifespan
by Scorpio Rising 3/7/2024, 9:33 am
» Now is The Time To Take Seed Inventory
by OhioGardener 3/6/2024, 4:36 pm
Google
Okay experienced gardeners..
+7
tabletopper
Goosegirl
GWN
quiltbea
Chopper
camprn
lonewolfrissy
11 posters
Page 1 of 2
Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
Okay experienced gardeners..
What do I do if nothing else sprouts in my little seedling garden?
I have one of those little Jiffy seedling window green house things. I've got mixed hot peppers, spinach, and cucumbers in them. Only like 4 have sprouted so far. Could the others just be taking their sweet time?
In total, I have growing: Cucumbers, spinach, mixed hot peppers, jalapenos, and cherry tomatoes.
I have one of those little Jiffy seedling window green house things. I've got mixed hot peppers, spinach, and cucumbers in them. Only like 4 have sprouted so far. Could the others just be taking their sweet time?
In total, I have growing: Cucumbers, spinach, mixed hot peppers, jalapenos, and cherry tomatoes.
lonewolfrissy- Posts : 150
Join date : 2012-02-27
Age : 35
Location : Joshua Tree, CA (Near Palm Springs, CA)
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
When did you plant them? how warm is it in the house? Have you put the tray on a heat source, like a heat met, or the top of the fridge? Some seeds really like warm conditions to speed up germination. If you can work the garden you could probably just direct sow the spinach right now, unless you have snow on the ground.
43 years a gardener and going strong with SFG.
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3574-the-end-of-july-7-weeks-until-frost
There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance. ~ Henry David Thoreau
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t1306-other-gardening-books
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
They could be. Yes. I find waiting the hardest part. See what it says on the packet, add a few days and if still nothing throw some more seeds in. I do not even question why. There are so many variables from the seed, to temp to water to everything else. If it don't grow, I just go to the next thing or add more seeds and then forget about it. What grows stays and everything else loses.
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
Its probably just the issue of germination time and heat of the soil. Each of your crops likes different heat to start popping.
Cucumber takes 3-4 D at soil temp of 80-95
Pepper takes 6-8 D at soil 80-85
Tomato takes 6-8 D at soil around 80
Spinach takes 7-14 D at soil temps of 60-65
It depends on your soil temps for the most part. If the soil is cooler, germination time takes longer for all crops. The spinach takes 1-2 weeks anyway at cooler soil temps. There's also the percentage that won't germinate at all, just because.
So just be a little more patient...... but those that have germinated, I would remove and place them under the lights.
Cucumber takes 3-4 D at soil temp of 80-95
Pepper takes 6-8 D at soil 80-85
Tomato takes 6-8 D at soil around 80
Spinach takes 7-14 D at soil temps of 60-65
It depends on your soil temps for the most part. If the soil is cooler, germination time takes longer for all crops. The spinach takes 1-2 weeks anyway at cooler soil temps. There's also the percentage that won't germinate at all, just because.
So just be a little more patient...... but those that have germinated, I would remove and place them under the lights.
quiltbea- Posts : 4712
Join date : 2010-03-21
Age : 81
Location : Southwestern Maine Zone 5A
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
the Survival of the fittest game, huh Chopper?
I planted them I think a week ago. All the packets give me an average germination date of 7-10 days. My tomatoes started appearing around the 4th. They've been sitting on the dining table. I lack an actual temp gauge for inside the house but I suspect it's an average 50-60 degrees inside.
Just today, I moved a dining chair to just under the windowsill and set them down on the chair. I kind of wondered if maybe the soil just wasn't getting warm enough for the peppers, hence the move.
Also, did I remove the top to the little greenhouse too soon? I've got two sproutlings touching the top of the dome already.
Problem with putting them under lights is I can't afford the heating lamps or pads.
I planted them I think a week ago. All the packets give me an average germination date of 7-10 days. My tomatoes started appearing around the 4th. They've been sitting on the dining table. I lack an actual temp gauge for inside the house but I suspect it's an average 50-60 degrees inside.
Just today, I moved a dining chair to just under the windowsill and set them down on the chair. I kind of wondered if maybe the soil just wasn't getting warm enough for the peppers, hence the move.
Also, did I remove the top to the little greenhouse too soon? I've got two sproutlings touching the top of the dome already.
Problem with putting them under lights is I can't afford the heating lamps or pads.
lonewolfrissy- Posts : 150
Join date : 2012-02-27
Age : 35
Location : Joshua Tree, CA (Near Palm Springs, CA)
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
When you have waited a reasonable amount of time, I replant...
With that small of a number you may have gotten duds.
There is only a certain percentage of seeds that germinate and some of the seed companies list this on the package.
I have planted an entire tray of seeds to have only 2-3 come up.
What you gotta do is to pick yourself up and say...... WELL those might have been duds and try again.
(of course after you have left them long enough)
SOme of the seeds I have suggest that they take 28 days to germinate. GOOOOOD luck
Gardening is ALL ABOUT second chances!!!
With that small of a number you may have gotten duds.
There is only a certain percentage of seeds that germinate and some of the seed companies list this on the package.
I have planted an entire tray of seeds to have only 2-3 come up.
What you gotta do is to pick yourself up and say...... WELL those might have been duds and try again.
(of course after you have left them long enough)
SOme of the seeds I have suggest that they take 28 days to germinate. GOOOOOD luck
Gardening is ALL ABOUT second chances!!!
GWN- Posts : 2804
Join date : 2012-01-14
Age : 67
Location : british columbia zone 5a
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
oh geez! 28 days?! I think the fiance's patience will wear out before mine will! lol!
lonewolfrissy- Posts : 150
Join date : 2012-02-27
Age : 35
Location : Joshua Tree, CA (Near Palm Springs, CA)
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
for some reason this message did not post.
Most seeds germinate in the dark and so I take my seed tray and put it on top of my hot water tank to give extra heat to the seeds....
Most seeds germinate in the dark and so I take my seed tray and put it on top of my hot water tank to give extra heat to the seeds....
GWN- Posts : 2804
Join date : 2012-01-14
Age : 67
Location : british columbia zone 5a
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
hmmm.... maybe the soil really just isn't warm enough for the others...
lonewolfrissy- Posts : 150
Join date : 2012-02-27
Age : 35
Location : Joshua Tree, CA (Near Palm Springs, CA)
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
or perhaps just needs "the tincture of time"
GWN- Posts : 2804
Join date : 2012-01-14
Age : 67
Location : british columbia zone 5a
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
Don't give up on them yet. I planted 12 days ago and my peppers, just this morning, started to have a little sprout trying to poke through the soil. I am still waiting on one of the varieties of tomatoes, while all the other tomatoes are up and some of them are getting their first true leaves. Patience is a 4-letter word!
GG
GG
Goosegirl- Posts : 3435
Join date : 2011-02-16
Age : 59
Location : Zone 4A - NE SD
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
lol indeed! I jsut got done checking them and the soil seems so cold to my touch. But I've got no way to keep it warmer outside of the sun. So I guess it is just the waiting game.
lonewolfrissy- Posts : 150
Join date : 2012-02-27
Age : 35
Location : Joshua Tree, CA (Near Palm Springs, CA)
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
how bout on your fridge?
GWN- Posts : 2804
Join date : 2012-01-14
Age : 67
Location : british columbia zone 5a
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
Why don't you just take them outside. I just checked and your outside temp today is supposed to be higher than 70F and in the 50s tonight... Just take them outside for a while...
43 years a gardener and going strong with SFG.
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3574-the-end-of-july-7-weeks-until-frost
There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance. ~ Henry David Thoreau
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t1306-other-gardening-books
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
I can't reach the top of the fridge.... I measure the avg 5'5 but I'm shorter then I look. lol
and as for taking them outside, I have to deal with things like rabbits and birds that want to eat them and I have nothing to protect them with.
and as for taking them outside, I have to deal with things like rabbits and birds that want to eat them and I have nothing to protect them with.
lonewolfrissy- Posts : 150
Join date : 2012-02-27
Age : 35
Location : Joshua Tree, CA (Near Palm Springs, CA)
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
lonewolfrissy wrote:I can't reach the top of the fridge.... I measure the avg 5'5 but I'm shorter then I look. lol
and as for taking them outside, I have to deal with things like rabbits and birds that want to eat them and I have nothing to protect them with.
Step stool - just remember to use the steps getting down instead of walking straight off the top of it (don't ask, there is a cast involved [and no alcohol involved])
GG @ 4'11"
Goosegirl- Posts : 3435
Join date : 2011-02-16
Age : 59
Location : Zone 4A - NE SD
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
You may have to resort to buying your seedlings at the local Home Depot, Lowe's or Walmart. They can be very reasonable. I did that my first year and was glad of the experience. I didn't have a heating mat or light set up at that time.
This weekend (3/29-4/1) Home Dept has a half-off sale on all their veggie and herb seedlings. A great way to save.
This weekend (3/29-4/1) Home Dept has a half-off sale on all their veggie and herb seedlings. A great way to save.
quiltbea- Posts : 4712
Join date : 2010-03-21
Age : 81
Location : Southwestern Maine Zone 5A
Re: Okay experienced gardners....
I get anxious also to see the sprouts...so now I make a second plastic label and figure the germanation date forward and choose the higher number and put the expected date on the label...with a lil drawing of happy face......it helps me......Ruth
.... 4/10....example
.... 4/10....example
tabletopper- Posts : 235
Join date : 2011-02-19
Age : 99
Location : Chula Vista,Ca
Re: Okay experienced Gardners...
A comment on Home Depot....now they seem to only carry one companys plants....Bonnies....at $3 plus.....also at Walmart...so I dont buy......they should be half off.....Ruth
tabletopper- Posts : 235
Join date : 2011-02-19
Age : 99
Location : Chula Vista,Ca
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
tabletopper wrote:A comment on Home Depot....now they seem to only carry one companys plants....Bonnies....at $3 plus.....also at Walmart...so I dont buy......they should be half off.....Ruth
Bonnie Plants has a greenhouse operation about a mile from my house. But no retain outlet.
Kay
A WEED IS A FLOWER GROWING IN THE WRONG PLACE
Elizabeth City, NC
Click for weather forecast
walshevak
Certified SFG Instructor- Posts : 4374
Join date : 2010-10-17
Age : 81
Location : wilmington, nc zone 8
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
If you purchased a green house, it should have a lid to it. Put it on a table in the sun. I keep all my seedlings outdoors, uncovered on a table and nothing has bothered them. And if you can't reach the top of the fridge, can't you use a chair to stand on? Also, I'll pass on some information that I wish i would have known. Tomatoes, even after sprouting need warm conditions. My seedlings all started turning purple b/c they were cold even inside. So I set them outside in the warm sun, bringing them in at night. After a few days, they started greening back up
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
tabletopper......The Bonnie plants should be half off this weekend at Home Depot. Its across the country from 3/29 to 4/1. Only on herbs and veggies tho, not the flower plants.
quiltbea- Posts : 4712
Join date : 2010-03-21
Age : 81
Location : Southwestern Maine Zone 5A
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
Hey lonewolfrissy!
I missed where you said when you planted them. Do you know what day you planted your seeds?
Do you have any spot in front of a really warm sunny window you can set them during the day?
There have been many times I've been VERY impatient and almost given up on mine, and then one day I look and a teeny tiny sprout comes up....
What I sometimes do is start seeds and then if there is something I really really want, I also go to the store and buy a small plant or transplant of it. Then I can have two squares - one with my seedling plant and one with the transplant.
Do you have your garden ready for the seedlings yet? Is it on the ground or a tabletop? Is it an SFG? How many squares will you have?
I missed where you said when you planted them. Do you know what day you planted your seeds?
Do you have any spot in front of a really warm sunny window you can set them during the day?
There have been many times I've been VERY impatient and almost given up on mine, and then one day I look and a teeny tiny sprout comes up....
What I sometimes do is start seeds and then if there is something I really really want, I also go to the store and buy a small plant or transplant of it. Then I can have two squares - one with my seedling plant and one with the transplant.
Do you have your garden ready for the seedlings yet? Is it on the ground or a tabletop? Is it an SFG? How many squares will you have?
UnderTheBlackWalnut- Posts : 559
Join date : 2011-04-18
Age : 57
Location : Springfield (central), IL, on the line between 5b and 6a
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
You may want to consider direct seeding of those cucumbers, they don't like to be transplanted(that and they get big quickly, at least in my location). Seeds should generally germinate at a rate of 75%(I think) with dependencies on temperature and age of seed. Most seed will still have good germination(50% or better) being 1 year old. That's just a general rule of thumb. Some seeds can last up to 5 years with a 50% germination rate, while others have a 25% rate after year 2.
And speaking about being patient, I'm germinating some kiwi seed...1-2 months to sprout.
Here is a pdf from Nebraska U stating the age of seed before it goes south and also germination information. http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/live/g2090/build/g2090.pdf
And speaking about being patient, I'm germinating some kiwi seed...1-2 months to sprout.
Here is a pdf from Nebraska U stating the age of seed before it goes south and also germination information. http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/live/g2090/build/g2090.pdf
Unmutual
Certified SFG Instructor- Posts : 396
Join date : 2011-04-23
Age : 51
Location : Greater New Orleans Area Westbank(Zone 9b)
Re: Okay experienced gardeners..
GG: lol that sounds like something I would do!
Quiltbea: Home depot is where I'd have to go. They have a bigger selection then Walmart. Otherwise, closest stores and actual garden center is a drive down a hill.
tabletopper: I actually wanted to make little notes of what seeds I'd planted.. Then the fiance caught me and asked me if I really needed to label them to remember. I went through a series of yes, no, maybe, I dunno, no.... I should have just for the patience thing. lol
lisa: o.o I'll try that and see if that helps my tomatoes. Although I think something took a nibble out of one of the seedlings... not sure what, seeing as they're inside!!! I'll try get them on the top of the fridge. I just want the poor things to die on me is all.
BlackWalnut: Sadly, I don't remember the actual date I planted them. I think it's been a week or maybe a little over it. No SFG. I haven't quite convinced the fiance of it. So for the time being, we're sticking them in containers so we can bring them outside during the day and hopefully bring them back in at night. We live in the desert with the temps get extreme at times. I'd love a sfg in a green house though. I'd feel better about it but it's not my property even though the landlord has no problem with me sticking stuff in the ground. It's a bit of a 3 ring circus here.
Unmutual: Wow! 1-2 months for kiwis? I never thought of directly planting for cucumbers....now if I can remember exactly what's growing I might be a little better off...
Quiltbea: Home depot is where I'd have to go. They have a bigger selection then Walmart. Otherwise, closest stores and actual garden center is a drive down a hill.
tabletopper: I actually wanted to make little notes of what seeds I'd planted.. Then the fiance caught me and asked me if I really needed to label them to remember. I went through a series of yes, no, maybe, I dunno, no.... I should have just for the patience thing. lol
lisa: o.o I'll try that and see if that helps my tomatoes. Although I think something took a nibble out of one of the seedlings... not sure what, seeing as they're inside!!! I'll try get them on the top of the fridge. I just want the poor things to die on me is all.
BlackWalnut: Sadly, I don't remember the actual date I planted them. I think it's been a week or maybe a little over it. No SFG. I haven't quite convinced the fiance of it. So for the time being, we're sticking them in containers so we can bring them outside during the day and hopefully bring them back in at night. We live in the desert with the temps get extreme at times. I'd love a sfg in a green house though. I'd feel better about it but it's not my property even though the landlord has no problem with me sticking stuff in the ground. It's a bit of a 3 ring circus here.
Unmutual: Wow! 1-2 months for kiwis? I never thought of directly planting for cucumbers....now if I can remember exactly what's growing I might be a little better off...
lonewolfrissy- Posts : 150
Join date : 2012-02-27
Age : 35
Location : Joshua Tree, CA (Near Palm Springs, CA)
Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
Page 1 of 2
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|