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After seedlings put out their first couple sets of true leaves everything seems to sort of grind to a halt growth-wise; this is normal. You're not seeing much new growth up top because it's putting everything right now into root development. Give them another week or two and they'll start to take off.
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Feb 20, 2011 06:04
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noodlesinabag posted:Taking your plants in and out shocks them which likely caused the droop. You either should keep them in or keep them out, not both. Winter crops will be just fine in the low 40s, even down to freezing. I don't know your exact situation but the lights may also be entirely unnecessary Seedlings, although small, need evenly moist growing medium at all times. With properly draining growing medium, you can't really overwater, the excess will drain off. Edit: A tip if you let containers dry out: set them in a basin of water to soak. Watering them normally would likely cause the water to pool on top or find cracks down the sides and quickly drain off instead of soaking in. Keeping the medium moist, prevents this from happening Edit2: A lot of people also don't grow from seed, they purchase nursery plants. It's 100x more expensive but its a lot easier and takes much less time dwoloz fucked around with this message at 06:42 on Feb 20, 2011 |
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Feb 20, 2011 06:32
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Honestly I think the best first time grower advice around here is the simple reminder that nature has been doing this poo poo for longer than any of us will ever be relevant in the grand scheme of things. Plants grow. You don't need to make a laboratory for it to happen. Relax. Give them water, food, and sunlight and they'll do what eons of evolution have designed them to do.
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Feb 20, 2011 06:34
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dwoloz posted:
Very true. As long as you're not planning a big layout with a dozen plants of everything, what does it matter that you paid $3.50 for one plant versus seeds for 40 plants for the same price? Trying to save money by starting with seeds doesn't make sense if you're just doing a few plants in a container garden. There's definitely no shame in it, especially if you're starting out. You want results, not a summer of frustration.
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Feb 20, 2011 08:56
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Sweet thanks dudes. Good advice I DO think im a little too much  about this whole thing as this whole growing thing is new to me. The red container is my first set this year (I started a dozen beets and radishes yesterday as well that isn't nearly freaking me out as much) and like a first child, I'm definitely coddling it and getting attached to it. I'm hoping that they'll be harvestable before I start an early summer crop in a few weeks or so. But they are so cute  On another note the hubby is trying to start some dragonfruit from cuttings. He just stuck them in dirt but I swear they're not rooting. I told him it's all him but is anyone experienced in stuff like this? I think one is definitely dying. It's got these pink fungus? growing inside of it.. I think. And another seems to be showing signs of stress. Black scar starting to form. In any case it's not my problem but I would like to see it nit die. It just seems like a bad omen or something.
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Feb 20, 2011 16:45
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noodlesinabag posted:On another note the hubby is trying to start some dragonfruit from cuttings. He just stuck them in dirt but I swear they're not rooting. I told him it's all him but is anyone experienced in stuff like this? I think one is definitely dying. It's got these pink fungus? growing inside of it.. I think. And another seems to be showing signs of stress. Black scar starting to form. In any case it's not my problem but I would like to see it nit die. It just seems like a bad omen or something. I've never tried to propagate dragonfruit (not a big fan of it really), but there are a couple things you could be doing wrong. First, are you using a stem cutting of the cactus or just a piece of the fruit? Because I don't think the a cutting of the fruit is going to root without rooting hormone. That's not typically how it's propagated. Second, when you make a stem cutting, you can't just stick it directly into soil. It will just rot like that. You have to let the tissue scar over first, and often it will start pushing out roots in its own during that process. After you cut it, you'd store the cutting in a dry warm area, out of direct sunlight, until it scars over. It would probably take 4-8 days. Then you can pot it. Some people will dip their cuttings in fungicide first, but I've never had the need to do it.
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Feb 20, 2011 18:28
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Ok. No the hubby bought plant cuttings on eBay. He rubbed honey on the bottom before sticking it in soil so I guess that vaguely works as a fungicide. Meh. Maybe they will be ok. My beets and radishes are sprouting!!! I only put them in potting mix 2 days ago so I'm a little surprised. Awesome. I'll stick them out tonight (supposed to be in the 40s to 50s) and bid them good luck. Woot for cold hardy plants.
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Feb 20, 2011 20:53
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mischief posted:Honestly I think the best first time grower advice around here is the simple reminder that nature has been doing this poo poo for longer than any of us will ever be relevant in the grand scheme of things. Plants grow. You don't need to make a laboratory for it to happen. Absolutely! I tell people this all the time when they are being overly paranoid and concerned about their gardening endeavors! On another note, I recently read something that indicated you could microwave your old, hard-to-sprout seeds in short bursts (maybe involving damp paper towel layers) to get them to germinate when the usual methods fail. Anyone ever done this? Is it a bad idea (producing less vigorous plants or something)? I'm going to try it on some old hot pepper seeds I am loathe to just throw away, I'll post my results.
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Feb 21, 2011 02:12
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The Iron Fury posted:Absolutely! I tell people this all the time when they are being overly paranoid and concerned about their gardening endeavors! You can try doing what I do with bitchy seeds, I've had good success with it thus far: Take an empty 2-liter and cut the bottom 1/3 off. Poke a small hole in the bottom of each of the bumps on the bottom, just enough so excess water can weep out. Take the top 1/3 and feather the bottom a bit so you can slide it onto the bottom portion. Keep the cap on for now. Mix up some potting soil and sand so you get a nice mushy glop, fill the bottom portion with it, then slide the top on. Stick it in a south-facing windowsill, remove cap once it sprouts and throws up the first leaves. I've had seeds that utterly refused to sprout normally, sprout and throw up their initial leaves in 3 days with this method before, plants seem to love having their own mini-greenhouses. Plus it gives a use to all the 2-liters people have hanging around all the time, recycling trash is always good. e: Oh, and put 1 seed per 2-liter if you're not planning on growing a ton of them, 2 per bottle is acceptable as well; you just have to be vigilant about transplanting them before they twine roots together too much.
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Feb 21, 2011 07:06
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^^^ That's genius!! Thank you so much! I'm really into DIY rather than BUY, I can't believe I had never thought of that! Just ordered my seeds, I'm getting some orange and black pansies!! http://www.botanicalinterests.com/store/search_results_detail.php?seedtype=F&seedid=253 I'm also very excited about growing nasturtiums for the first time! Yay edible flowers!
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Feb 21, 2011 15:03
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noodlesinabag posted:Ok. No the hubby bought plant cuttings on eBay. He rubbed honey on the bottom before sticking it in soil so I guess that vaguely works as a fungicide. Meh. Maybe they will be ok. Mmm radishes. Those will grow really fast in good weather.
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Feb 21, 2011 15:34
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The Iron Fury posted:^^^ Speaking from experience, don't skimp on the soil level, those roots spread out FAST and you can accidentally root-bind your seedling if there isn't enough dirt in the bottom. My favorite thing about these is that you don't have to worry about damaging the seedling by tipping it upside down and trying to get the soil block out, you just stick it in the hole and cut the bottom portion until you can slide it off easily.
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Feb 21, 2011 18:06
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Random question from a guy that has never used seed mats before. I have a setup similar to this little guy: It's some hydrofarm starting trays set in your bog standard seedling trays with a dome to keep the moisture in. I set it up with the seed mat underneath the seed tray and it doesn't seem like it's keeping the peat pots any warmer than ambient temperature. Does it go in the tray between the starts and the seed tray or what?
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Feb 22, 2011 00:59
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mischief posted:Random question from a guy that has never used seed mats before. I have a setup similar to this little guy: I put mine directly under everything, right on top of the table. Tonight I'm starting my first seeds, impatiens, begonias, onions. In the case of the impatiens and begonias, wish me luck. These things are so highly bred now that they are the furthest thing from nature. They really do need at least 12 weeks of pampering indoors. The onions I am confused with. I've read that they benefit from 14 to 16 hours of light like everything else, but other sources say never to give them more than 12 hours or they will think it's the middle of summer and start making miniature bulbs indoors.
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Feb 22, 2011 01:09
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That's what I figured, thanks for the confirmation. They're on wire rack shelves so I just stuck some old shop towels under the mat to see if that improves things. I've got two moisture filled germination trays set up over laminate flooring. 
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Feb 22, 2011 01:28
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diremonk posted:Sorry about that, should have been more clear. The condo to the south blocking the southern exposure. I think it will get some sun, just not all day long. Since I moved in two months ago, I'm still not sure as to what the light is gonna be in the spring/summer. It's fun to just try the stuff you want even if it fails, so might as well do that to see what works for your garden. I can tell you that my yard has a similar situation (3-story building on south side), and anything requiring much sun just doesn't do well. We have tried tomatoes and squash, and while they grow just fine, they produce little to no fruit. The stuff that has done really well are winter vegetables that don't really need a lot of sun, like broccoli, lettuce, spinach, and chard. Also arugula grows like a weed here. Picture for reference (before we planted out):  Click here for the full 720x480 image.
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Feb 22, 2011 19:15
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Papercut posted:
it's so pretty
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Feb 22, 2011 20:17
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noodlesinabag posted:it's so pretty Thanks! It looks a lot better now that we've planted more of the side areas, and I also used leftover pavers to create a path to the lemon tree and more defined planter areas around it. The lawn was actually a concession to our downstairs neighbors, who have small kids. I'd have preferred more garden areas.
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Feb 22, 2011 20:37
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6 weeks of being overseas with my mum looking after the veggie patch and my basil is in full bloom and about 6 feet tall and my tomatoes looking half dead. Boo-urns. I went away before I even got to taste a tomato but apparantly they were all really good so thats a bonus. Theres a few growing now at least...
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Feb 23, 2011 04:39
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Bay Area gardeners: frost and snow advisory for elevations as low as 1000ft. What a weird season we've had
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Feb 24, 2011 04:32
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dwoloz posted:Bay Area gardeners: frost and snow advisory for elevations as low as 1000ft. What a weird season we've had I'm so glad I didn't fall for that early spring two weeks ago. It was in the upper 70s a week and a half ago and now they're talking about snow at sea level?! Crazy.
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Feb 24, 2011 07:23
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Glad my stuff isn't outside yet.. not only would the cold snap suck, but when you're planning a rooftop garden, going out in the rain has a lot of new complications. In better news, the seedlings look great. The herbs are still tiny, but I have a million tomato seedlings, a few peppers coming up, and a zucchini that's like "gently caress you man, I'm growing." I had to find a pot to put it in because its roots were poking through the peat pot it was in. The other zucchinis are being a bit slow, but they're waking their sleepy heads up. I also hate thinning and discarding seedlings so I'm going to have a million loving tomato plants. I'm thinking about giving some to my hippie neighbor or planting them in the community garden down Ashby.. or maybe some Berkeley goons want large cherry tomatoes?
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Feb 24, 2011 20:29
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So glad I found this thread. I'm just gearing up for the season in eastern PA (6b). I'm curious if anyone else who frequents this thread is in the zone and/or grows in a hoophouse. I've got a 500 sq. foot garden with some shade issues on the back side that I've put a 16' hoop house in:  I'm a bit of a techie nerd, so I end up doing barely useful/irrelevant/downright useless things. This year I've put in an old Panasonic Toughbook and 2 temperature and humidity sensors (one inside, one outside) so I can graph my temperatures and humidity:   (yes, that is a live view) I've added an extra layer of plastic which I intend to inflate, so I want to see how much that really helps hold temperatures. I still need to find a small 120v squirrel cage fan to finish that part. I think I'm going to be starting my flowering annuals soon on the heat mat:  That folding table normally isn't in there. I only use it for seed starting. I really need to build something better and get some lights. Most of that spaghetti on the walls up front is drip irrigation valves and a controller as well as a fan controller. I really need a much larger exhaust fan, or at least an additional one. Maybe this year. So many projects. So little time. I just can't wait to get started for the year. Motronic fucked around with this message at 00:41 on Feb 25, 2011 |
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Feb 25, 2011 00:36
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^^ Nice setup. What's the difference between a hoophouse and a hothouse or greenhouse?dwoloz posted:Bay Area gardeners: frost and snow advisory for elevations as low as 1000ft. What a weird season we've had On the radio they said down to 500' by morning. I did fall for that early spring, and all I can think at this point is to cover with black trash bags. It's a raised bed so I can't move things inside.
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Feb 25, 2011 01:01
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hepscat posted:^^ Nice setup. What's the difference between a hoophouse and a hothouse or greenhouse? Thanks. A hoop house is sheet plastic over bent EMT tubing or PVC bows (typically) with some sort of end structure, where a greenhouse is more of a "real building", often with a foundation and glass or hard plastic panels rather than sheet plastic. A greenhouse would be a nicer thing to have, but a hoophouse is MUCH more inexpensive, can be built out of plumbing/painting supplies and a bit of lumber, and doesn't require a foundation (read: most places don't require building permits for things without foundations - they consider them "temporary membrane structures" - although I'm really pushing it with plumbing, electric, and internet access). You can also easily pull the plastic off of it during the warmest part of the season if things are getting too hot. The only consistant definition of houthouse that I've heard is a heated greenhouse (actively heated, not just solar).
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Feb 25, 2011 01:33
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Motronic posted:hoop house Does enough light penetrate that translucent plastic to grow plants well?
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Feb 25, 2011 05:11
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Freak weather patterns are bringing 2" of snow this Friday to the central valley of California. I'm going to have to figure out a way protect all of my week-old lettuce sprouts! 
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Feb 25, 2011 05:38
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Less than a week in the ground and my poor abused cayenne is already fruiting and flowering, and the thai bird+congo birdseye chiles are sprouting leaves like it's going out of style. Hell yes Florida.
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Feb 25, 2011 05:54
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jovial_cynic posted:Freak weather patterns are bringing 2" of snow this Friday to the central valley of California. I'm going to have to figure out a way protect all of my week-old lettuce sprouts! It's not that complicated. You Californians are spoiled. In New England we cover our things with blankets and tarps the evening before and take them off the next morning. But they are only a week old? Honestly, I would do nothing. You are looking at very wet snow, which is less damaging than the killing frosts we get where the temperatures plunge into the 20's on cold clear nights. They will probably make it and if they don't it's not like you have invested that much time in them. It would be a different story if you had some hard to find heirloom tomatoes that you started 8 weeks ago.
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Feb 25, 2011 06:04
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Tropicals and subtropicals should be protected (covered or brought inside), the other stuff is indeed likely to get by just fine
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Feb 25, 2011 07:21
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Planted some early snapdragons, chilis, sweet peas. Caught a raccoon furiously digging in the pots last night, eating every seed and root. 
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Feb 25, 2011 13:12
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Costello Jello posted:Does enough light penetrate that translucent plastic to grow plants well? Absolutely. Each layer transmits 88% of the light and diffuses 52% (for the film I just put on). Right now, the main portion has 2 layers on it for overwintering and propagation. In the spring, one layer comes off and it looks almost as clear as the "windows" in the end gable (which is 85% with much less diffusion). One of the reasons it looks so opaque is because of the high diffusion rate on the film I chose. It makes for a very nice even light inside, rather than harsh and shadowy. Tomatoes (especially Bandywine Pinks, which were bred to be grown in high tunnels/hoophouses in this area) grow like gangbusters in there throughout the summer and go an extra month to 6 weeks into the end of the season. Most varieties of hot peppers love it. It works great without any additional light for propagation, although I bet I could get even hardier seedlings with some additional artificial light run on either side of the brightest part of the day. Sometimes it works so well that things get away from me. I grew vine cucumbers in there several years ago - I did 2 hills. What a mistake. They took over 1/3 of the back, and started climbing up the rakes and shovels hung on the wall. I planned to manage them better, but I went away for a week and they had taken off so much and had so many flowers I couldn't bear to do anything to them. I had the most productive 2 cucumbers vines I've ever grown, outproducing the 5 that were outside (in hills that were literally on the other side of the plastic). It makes me want to put at least a high tunnel over the rest of the outside space.
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Feb 25, 2011 16:02
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Apologies if this has been answered, I read back a few pages but haven't had time to make it all the way through the thread yet (though plan to). The area where we are planting our garden is quite fertile, was completely overgrown, and we got it down, but over the winter a good few weeds overtook it). Will digging it up and then mulching suppress weed growth enough / will what we plant push through the mulch? If it won't push through the mulch, I am guessing we should clear out an area around the seed to let it sprout and then mulch the cleared out area in? Sorry for the dumb questions, but the amount of weeds that are where we want to plant seems completely unmanageable at the moment, though I am sure it won't be so bad once I get past the just getting started fears.
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Feb 25, 2011 17:47
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We had a patch of about 30'x 5' when we bought this house a couple of years ago that had completely gone to weeds. I can't remember if I got the advice here but this worked really well: 1) cut the weeds down with a weed wacker, but leave the cuttings 2) cover the entire area with carboard and newpaper, making a solid barrier 3) layer compost generously 4) top with mulch 5) water regularly After about 3 weeks we went ahead and planted what we wanted and set up drip irrigation. However, we were just putting a few biggish plants in like rosemary shrubs, not tilling for a vegetable garden. It's been over a year and I've only had to weed at the edge where things are coming in from the neighbor's yard. Also, when we put in the new plants, you kind of have to cut through the newspaper layer with your shovel.
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Feb 25, 2011 18:03
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^ That up there just about sums it up You can also search for "sheet mulch" and "lasagna gardening" for lots more information
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Feb 25, 2011 18:09
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hepscat posted:We had a patch of about 30'x 5' when we bought this house a couple of years ago that had completely gone to weeds. I can't remember if I got the advice here but this worked really well: Thanks for the tips!
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Feb 25, 2011 18:18
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I didn't notice many south-west USA gardeners so far, looking for some advice on what to grow for early spring outdoors in Tucson AZ besides peppers. Any tips?
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Feb 28, 2011 02:00
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So my girlfriend and I got a lot done this weekend! Last year, we planted the normal directly-in-dirt garden. There were more than a few rabbits that would hang out in the yard, so I put up a 100 foot long 2 foot chicken wire fence to keep them out. This worked wonderfully... until one night the deer decided 'gently caress that midget fence' and stripped the whole garden. Out of a 100 sq ft garden with 20 different kinds of veggies/fruits planted in it, we got a few carrots and a few handfulls of suger snap peas. The soy beans were stripped down to the central stalk, the melon vines were trampled and they took bites out of every single growing tomato. This year, I'm putting up one of those 6 foot mesh deer fences from Home Depot. So this weekend we planted two apple trees, a blueberry bush, a raspberry bush and built three 8'x4'x10" raised beds. I spoke to our local garden center about using the possibly contaminated free compost from the county landfill and they think it'll be ok, so I'm set for inexpensive fill. One of the trees:  The two fruit bushes and cut-off raised bed frames:  Edit: Melons are going to on mounds in the open area inside the L shape. A flying piece of fucked around with this message at 17:02 on Feb 28, 2011 |
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Feb 28, 2011 16:54
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A flying piece of posted:the deer decided 'gently caress that midget fence' and stripped the whole garden. I swear by my scarecrow. One battery lasts you the season, and it not only scares the crap out of deer, but pretty much everything else. You still need the fence, but if you add one of these too you'll likely be golden. I made the mistake of leaving mine off for a couple of days and returned to find significant bird damage, as well as something that burgled my loving corn.
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Feb 28, 2011 19:14
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Motronic posted:I swear by my scarecrow. This product seems pretty hilarious, but the yard is on top of a hill that gets pretty windy some days. I expect it'd be spraying all the plants when the wind moves them.
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Feb 28, 2011 19:22
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