Novice Gardener from maine

Hi my name is Kryztyna & i am new to gardening! I have grown something the last two years &  i plan on having a garden this year. I have ALOT to learn + willing to take advice!!  I actually already have a question: When using peat pots does it matter what size you use, or is it okay to use the small ones for all plants?   I also have to say how excited i am to start growing my garden 

Hi here and welcome to the SFG forum from a fellow New Englander.

Regarding your question, the size of the pot always matters. Additionally, peat pots aren't the best choice. One reason is they dry out very rapidly.

Kryztyna, Welcome to the Forum!   

Do you want to use peat pots for seedlings? That may be okay but be careful they don't dry out. For adult plants? I wouldn't use them. There are too many other options.

I've had poor results with both peat pots and the expandable peat "Jiffy" pellets. They both consistently trapped roots, even when partially torn open. The result was stunted plants.

I also have had very little success with peat pots, and NO success with the Jiffy peat pellets (never had a plant live long enough to pot up)!  I have, however, had decent success with Cow Pots - bought them from Gardener's Supply.  They are pots made from dehydrated composted manure.  I have great success with my tomatoes in the Cow Pots, except when I try to harden them off too fast and they get sunburned, but that is ANOTHER issue completely!   

GG

Thank you all very much for wisdom, & now i think i know why my plants were stunted last year.  Any advice on what i should use & do to start my seeds this year?  Is it a good idea to use the seed starter kits if you are not using peat pots?  Thanks for your time!!                                                                                                                                     

kryzzy124 wrote:Thank you all very much for wisdom, & now i think i know why my plants were stunted last year.  Any advice on what i should use & do to start my seeds this year?  Is it a good idea to use the seed starter kits if you are not using peat pots?  Thanks for your time!!                                                                                                                                     

As a novice this is a good idea. Ocean State Job Lot has some for sale and their seeds are currently 40% off. I don't know if there is a store near you.

There are many good books about beginning gardening. You can find a link in my signature that will take you to other gardening books.

I have used many different pots and kits to start seedlings and I have to agree with GG, cow pots are awesome and they are pretty easy to find (online). Are you starting your seeds already or just getting prepared, I think it may be a little early to start indoors for your area if memory serves me correctly Maine and SD are pretty close in growing seasons. Keep us posted on your progress and the best of luck to you!

I bought 100 2" pots on eBay; the trays at Home Depot and OSH.  They are doubled up because they seem to have a weak spot in the corner.  I cut corrugated cardboard to fit in the bottom trays to add rigidity for when I have to move them around.  The pony packs were saved from prior flower planting; the yogurt cups from our consumption.  I have 2 more trays of yogurt cups, pony packs and 2" pots.  Every individual pot has it's own label so when I plant them, I know for sure what I am planting.  I planted a morning glory in the cucumber areas area and mixed my hot peppers.  I couldn't tell what the chilis were until they produced chilis!!     Ended up buying 200 5" labels on eBay. All of the pots are saved and washed for the next time around.

I guess i have some looking around to do to find the most bang for my buck on those cow pots & other containers & i have some places to start thanks to you very kind people!  Also i am not planting anything just yet although i have already got my seeds & made my garden plans! It is going to be a long month having to wait to be able to plant anything, lol  it's nice to know i can start indoors as early as the end of Feb or beginning of March.  It gives me plenty of time to get the rest of the things i need to grow my veggies!                                                                                                                                       

here are a couple of links for:

DIY: Newspaper Pots for Seed Starting/Cuttings

square type
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dlGQP81yfo

round type....this link has some good advice on how to plant and water these pots as well....also how to transplant them in the garden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dlGQP81yfo

happy gardening
rose

Get a good growing station set up with lights.

Hello fellow Mainer,  I'm in Raymond and I started my cool crops on Feb 19th last year.  Where are you?
You want to find your zone on a garden zone map (try google) and then go to Johnnyseeds.com and look for their seed starting chart.  Its wonderful.  I'm in zone 5b and my last frost date here is anywhere from May 15-30th as a rule.  You just enter your last frost date and the chart will tell you when you should plant what seeds or plants.

If you want to start seeds at home, don't buy an expensive growing light set.  Buy 4' long track lights and put in daylight bulbs.  It'll cost you roughly $25 a set that way as opposed to $80 or more for a specific light set.  You may already even have some track lights in your basement.

An unheated basement is a great place for started young seedlings.  They like temps around the 62*F range and that's pretty common in basements if you have a furnace there. That's the place they will grow once they've germinated with the lights on approx 16 hrs a day.   A heat mat can come in mighty handy for germinating seeds if you keep your home rather cool like I do to save on heating bills.   Some place the ungerminated seed pots on the water heater or on top of the fridge for added heat to germinate seeds.

As a gardener you'll eventually find what works best for you.  We are not all alike in our preferences.  The seed trays as pictured above by sanderson are great ways to begin.  I've also heard wonderful things about cow pots.  On a slow day, go to youtube and enter square foot gardening or starting seeds or starting broccoli and you'll find many films to watch and learn.

If you have any questions, you can PM me or you can ask me to PM you and you'll see the 'PM' flashing when I send you one.....that's above these posts.  Then you just click on it.  I'm always willing to help a fellow gardener.  I'll send you some seeds you might want to try if you PM me your mailing address.  If you have a preference such as cherry tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes or broccoli or cauliflower, let me know.

Tip:  Seeds that don't require too many days to mature are best for Mainers.  Our season is rather short compared to the rest of the country.  On a tomato seed packet when it states 60 Days or 80 Days to maturity, that's from the date you transplant out in the garden, not from when you start your seeds.

Once my plants have a few true leaves, I usually transplant them into air-pruning pots I make myself from 2- and 3-liter soda bottles for the large plants like tomatoes, and solo cups for the smaller ones like broccoli, peppers, etc.  They sit in a tray under the lights and I water from the bottom into the tray.

A view of air-pruner pots under the lights.  Then there's the hardening off process before transplanting outdoors, a matter of a week or two, starting with putting them outdoors in a shady spot at first to acclimate.

One tray of plants hardening off on my garden bench.

Oh, you're going to have fun.  This is the place to learn and ask questions.  There are many fine gardeners on this board much more experienced than me from whom I've learned over the last 5 years.  So don't be afraid to ask questions.

Hope to see you posting again soon.

Wow thank you all so much for all the advice & i am going to look at the book list & videos & keep asking you wonderful people questions, lol. I plan on starting a couple seedlings at the end of Feb. or beginning of March. I live up by Lincoln & that is so sweet of you to offer me some seeds, but i'll have to pass for now because i have already bought some from Pinetree, but again thanks for the generous offer!!  I wish you all a great growing season with whatever you may grow!! oh & thanks about the track lighting idea i think i'm going to do it!!  Have a great all!! 

Hi! I wish I had some gardening advice, but I am new to the SFG way!!  Although my advice would be Smile and keep planting away!!!  I can see clearly now the rain is gone!!  my favorite song.  I grew up going to New Bedford Mass, my family is from there.  One day I hope to make it to Maine.  I bet it is beautiful.  Good luck with you garden and look forward to advice and new news!!!

kryzzy.....You are in a colder zone than me, zone 4 actually, so your last frost date differs from mine.
You could use this site to enter your zip code to get your last frost dates.  I find it pretty darn accurate.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/freeze-frost-dates/