Mid-Atl - Feb 2018 - Anyone starting seed indoors yet?

I know this post is a little early, but I'll probably be busy on the 1st getting ready for a SFG talk for a garden club.

Wanted to know if anyone has started seeds indoors yet. If so, what? How are you doing it?

A couple days ago I started rosemary and stevia in plastic egg cartons. I thickly seeded a bunch of different lettuces, greens and broccoli in a 10" x 20" seed flat, covered with a clear dome and sitting on a warming mat.

Today I started: basil, flat-leaf and curly parsley, 2 cabbages, cardoons, a few different leaf lettuces, black seed, kale and arugula which is in a seed flat, covered and on the warming mat. I also started turmeric in a pot and on the seed mat.

As things sprout, I put the seed flats onto a shoe tower where I've removed every other shelf. I can also tilt flower pots on the tower. It's on wheels and sits in front of a South-facing glass door. When the grandkids come over, it's quickly moved to the spare bedroom out of their way. It's also easy to pull away from the window and turn around to water.

I've been having trouble posting pictures, so here's a link to the shoe tower: SHOE TOWER

If you're on Facebook, you can see a photo at: SHOE TOWER WITH SEED TRAYS

I don't start my own seedlings indoors.  With a working wife, and a small house, I don't have the time or space to do it.   I direct seed outside what will grow here in Maryland.  For those veggies that can't be grown from seed outside in MD,  I am lucky to have a nice green house a couple miles away that does it for me!  Franks Produce and Greenhouse, Elkridge, MD.

Not early, right on time... I'm supposed to bring the light stand up from the basement today so I can start the onions and leeks this week. But there's obstacles ...and I'm feeling whiny.  

Indoors: I have a wire shelf with T5 hanging fluorescent lights on a timer, and a JumpStart T5 light system on the top shelf. I've been putting it in front of the bathtub/show in the guest bath. It's awkward, but I have CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) anyhow. I'll start the onions and leeks in 128-cell trays with clear plastic dome covers, using commercial seed starting mix. I use the 36-cell trays or 9-cell packs to start my lettuces, endive, radiccchio, arugula, herbs, and beets, depending on how long they'll be inside for (the slugs and such get em before they have a chance when I direct sow several of those.) I use 4 to 6-cell packs for starting the 1-per-square brassicas, and the peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes. Those usually get transplanted up once or twice before going out. I used toilet paper tubes for the okra and parsley root last year. It worked ok for the okra, but the parsley root seemed stunted. I haven't figured out a method I like for nasturtiums - they have very adventurous roots. I use the jiffy pods (and the plastic lid) for the seeds that seem to, in my experience, need high humidity: celeriac, ground cherries, and tomatillos. I have an LED light string set up to provide bottom heat.

Outdoors: I direct sow my mustard, radishes, and carrots. I did some winter sowing last year, with plastic and/or Agfabric over zebra-grass hoops. I may do that again this year - it depends on the weather and my enthusiasm. I'm going to try to direct winter sow some of my flower/wild seeds this year, i.e. milk jug cloche over the planted seeds. I haven't planned that yet, but I should have fewer to worry about since some of the perennials and re-seeding annuals were successful last year and I can cross them off the list.  I germinate (just so there's visible root) my peas, favas, beans and spinach indoors before sowing/planting. Undecided on how to do cukes/squash/melons this year.

I planted Maypops January 12th in 4" pots
Cabbage, Broccoli, Rosemary and Artichokes will be started this weekend.

Rosemary will be broadcast seeded into a 5" pot, cabbage and broccoli will most likely go in the smaller cell packs
Artichokes will go three seeds in 4" pots, will be attempting "Imperial Star" and "Globe" Artichokes.

Nothing else scheduled till the 17th

January 12th, Maypop seeds were soaked in two different liquids for 3 days, one was water and the other orange juice.
4 seeds of each were transferred to 4" pots with standard potting soil and set on a germination heat mat with a humidity dome @ 78°

• January 24th more Maypops were direct sowed outdoors and 6 or so were placed in soil under refrigeration.
  

• Got one sprout January 27th and it was removed from the germination tray.
  

• A fan was set to cycle three times a day averaging 20 minutes each time. This is the 29th.
  

• This is my setup (pics from last year)
  

Mikesgardn wrote:I don't start my own seedlings indoors.  With a working wife, and a small house, I don't have the time or space to do it.   I direct seed outside what will grow here in Maryland.  For those veggies that can't be grown from seed outside in MD,  I am lucky to have a nice green house a couple miles away that does it for me!  Franks Produce and Greenhouse, Elkridge, MD.

You are lucky, Mike!  I agree completely!  I do Seeds indoors, but also use my local nursery for stuff too!

I plan to start some Tomatoes and Jalapenos this weekend. The rest of my spring garden, I will purchase plants from my local nursery.
 
I am so ready for Spring!

Ryan

I got my onions/shallots/leeks/scallions, my first brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts), and my celeriac/celery started this past weekend. A few of the brassicas came up today. It's always so fun watching new seedlings appear!   My replacement Aerogarden basils are visible today, too - fingers crossed, I killed off the thrips and they'll keep growing.

Today I set up milk-jug winter sowing of blue flag iris and cardinal flower (to transplant out by the creek.)
This weekend I should start my parsley and cocona -- maybe some direct winter sowing (i.e. milk jug cloches) of flowers and greens, and fridge-cold-stratification of some of the other flower seeds (milkweed!)

I started growing indoors on February 1, 2018 in cell packs the following vegetables:
  Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage.

On March 4, 2018 I transplanted all of the above to pots.

Hi!  This is my first year trying SFG.  In the past I've played with tomatoes and peppers, which I always bought already started.  I've planted peas from seed for several years.  Today I started broccoli, red pepper, zinnia, scabiosa and dianthus seeds.  I have a tray with peat pods and a lid, with a warming mat.  Fingers crossed!

skidmoca wrote:Hi!  This is my first year trying SFG.  In the past I've played with tomatoes and peppers, which I always bought already started.  I've planted peas from seed for several years.  Today I started broccoli, red pepper, zinnia, scabiosa and dianthus seeds.  I have a tray with peat pods and a lid, with a warming mat.  Fingers crossed!

Good for you!  Do you have a light source, when they germinate?  South facing window is great, east not bad...

What kind of pepper are you growing?

Scorpio Rising wrote:

skidmoca wrote:Hi!  This is my first year trying SFG.  In the past I've played with tomatoes and peppers, which I always bought already started.  I've planted peas from seed for several years.  Today I started broccoli, red pepper, zinnia, scabiosa and dianthus seeds.  I have a tray with peat pods and a lid, with a warming mat.  Fingers crossed!

Good for you!  Do you have a light source, when they germinate?  South facing window is great, east not bad...

What kind of pepper are you growing?

Hi, not sure what specific kind, just red bell peppers.  Your question raises a questions I have.  My seeds are in a room with lots of windows and is southwest facing, but I got a grow light, just a small one.  Some broccoli seeds have germinated, but not the peppers.  Should I keep the lid on for the seeds and the light on for the plants?  I've opened the vents because there is condensation and I worry about their being too much moisture.  I could attach a picture of my little set up.

Thanks!

skidmoca, I placed 6-cell trays on a heat mat and set the thermostat to 78 degrees F.  Peppers sprouted in one week.  I kept the lids on for a couple of days even though there was a lot of condensation but offset them to circulate some air.

I then took the trays off the heat mat and removed the lids, placing the trays on a shelving unit in a south facing window.  I taped aluminum foil on the back side of the shelving unit (farthest from windows) to better reflect the sunlight (I crinkled the foil and then flattened it to create facets for a more reflective surface).  Before I added aluminum foil, the plants were getting a bit leggy because they were reading toward the sunlight. 

I've been taking the trays outside for about 30 minutes each week to get them accustomed to sunlight.  I understand that the wind strengthens the trunk of the plant.  After they set their first set of true leaves, I fed them with diluted liquid fertilizer (1/4 strength) which I'll continue to do every 10 days.  Temperatures here in Arkansas have been in the 40-50 degree range.

Best wishes!

farmersgranddaughter wrote:skidmoca, I placed 6-cell trays on a heat mat and set the thermostat to 78 degrees F.  Peppers sprouted in one week.  I kept the lids on for a couple of days even though there was a lot of condensation but offset them to circulate some air.

I then took the trays off the heat mat and removed the lids, placing the trays on a shelving unit in a south facing window.  I taped aluminum foil on the back side of the shelving unit (farthest from windows) to better reflect the sunlight (I crinkled the foil and then flattened it to create facets for a more reflective surface).  Before I added aluminum foil, the plants were getting a bit leggy because they were reading toward the sunlight. 

I've been taking the trays outside for about 30 minutes each week to get them accustomed to sunlight.  I understand that the wind strengthens the trunk of the plant.  After they set their first set of true leaves, I fed them with diluted liquid fertilizer (1/4 strength) which I'll continue to do every 10 days.  Temperatures here in Arkansas have been in the 40-50 degree range.

Best wishes!

I think your tip about 6-cell trays is good.  The tray I have holds around 36 pellets and doesn't really fit well in the bottom tray.  I think that I may cut it so that I can plant seeds with similar germination time in a smaller tray so that it can be removed.  At what point do you replant seedlings to a bigger pot, or don't you do that?  I'm going to start a few lima bean seeds tonight along with some green beans and green onions (scallions).  Hoping to do some succession planting with them.  Not sure of the spelling but think you know what I mean.

cs

skidmoca, I'll transplant the pepper plants after they have two sets of true leaves (in addition to the set they developed when they sprouted).  I planted two seeds per cell and cut the stem of the weakest plant, leaving one plant per cell.  I'll transplant them into styrofoam cups or Solo cups (depending on what I have on hand), making holes in the bottoms of the cups so that I can continue to water from the bottom.  I should be able to keep the seedlings in the cups until I'm ready to transplant them into the SFG beds.

I'll seed squash, zucchini, cantaloupe, and watermelon indoors in a week or two.  I'm going to direct sow peas, radishes, spinach, lettuce, and bunching onions next week.  I'm not sure about the weather, so may have to put a covering over the SFG bed if we get another cold wave.

I haven't considered starting lima or green beans indoors.  I'd like to know how that turns out. 

Happy gardening!

farmersgranddaughter wrote:skidmoca, I'll transplant the pepper plants after they have two sets of true leaves (in addition to the set they developed when they sprouted).  I planted two seeds per cell and cut the stem of the weakest plant, leaving one plant per cell.  I'll transplant them into styrofoam cups or Solo cups (depending on what I have on hand), making holes in the bottoms of the cups so that I can continue to water from the bottom.  I should be able to keep the seedlings in the cups until I'm ready to transplant them into the SFG beds.

I'll seed squash, zucchini, cantaloupe, and watermelon indoors in a week or two.  I'm going to direct sow peas, radishes, spinach, lettuce, and bunching onions next week.  I'm not sure about the weather, so may have to put a covering over the SFG bed if we get another cold wave.

I haven't considered starting lima or green beans indoors.  I'd like to know how that turns out. 

Happy gardening!

No sign of pepper seeds germinating yet, will be a week tomorrow.  But there is still time!  I'm also planning to start canteloupe seeds in a couple of weeks.  Want to grow zucchini too but haven't decided on seed or purchase plant.  Plan to buy tomato plants.  Also plan to direct sow peas and lettuce.  I started half of what I want in green beans so that I can spread out the harvest.  Nice to meet you, I see we are the same age.  Peas - that what got me started with planting vegetables.  I started planting them when my kids were little so that they could pick them and eat them in the garden.  My parents didn't have a vegetable garden that I remember.

Here's to spring!

It varies...gotta wait it out.  I have things that haven’t germinated.  To me?  That is “someone” saying DONT GROW THIS.

Point taken.

When should I plant my transplants outside. I live in Zone 6. Broccoli

floyd1440 wrote:When should I plant my transplants outside. I live in Zone 6. Broccoli

If you look at the planting charts in the back of the ANSFG books it shows that you can plant transplants outdoors about 5 weeks before your last frost date.

YAY! I was about to give up on my culantro (not cilantro) seeds - it's been about 3 weeks since I planted them and used a heating mat which was suggested.

Thanks. Using the block method they came up and have their second set of leaves