Starting seeds for 2020 spring crop

[imp]

I use trays, as I lucked out a couple years ago and a fellow was going out of the nursery business gave me a LOT of them, so I use them to start many things. Tomatoes and peppers and any heat loving starts are a bit off yet for me, as we may have a very cold, maybe dry too, January. I am itching to start some peas and lettuces though.Fresh peas picked and cooked within minutes are such a treat.

[Shule]

@Shule-
Husky Red has always been Rugose for me. Perhaps you saved seeds from an F1 plant? And the height has typically been about 4ft. Might get taller if they lived longer
-GG

I haven't grown any seeds that I've saved from this variety, yet. The seeds I got that grew RL foliage were directly from totallytomatoes.com (purchased in Feb 2018). I suspect when they (whoever makes the hybrid) were trying to make the F1 hybrid that the flower self-pollinated by mistake (such that a hybrid wasn't created). But, it could instead be a mutant, or it could be an accidental cross on the company's part.

[SpookyShoe]

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No lights and lights on...the lights on photo is the blue one.

Donna

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[Nan6b]

I'm getting a message that "the selected attachment doesn't exist anymore"

[SpookyShoe]

It looks like the pictures got lost in the move from Tomatovillians. Just like losing your baggage at the airport, lol.


There photos are from this morning. When should I thin the seedlings? Should I pull up the ones I cull, or should I cut them off with a scissors?

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[MissS]

It looks like the pictures got lost in the move from Tomatolvillains. Just like losing your baggage at the airport, lol.


There photos are from this morning. When should I thin the seedlings? Should I pull up the ones I cull, or should I cut them off with a scissors?

I absolutely love your description about losing your baggage. It's so true!

I thin my seedlings once that they have their first true leaves by separating the roots. This I do if I want to be saving all of the seedlings. For culling I just cut them off so as not to disturb the roots of the chosen seedling. Again I wait until they have their first true leaf so that I can judge which I think is the strongest plant.
It will be interesting to see what others do.

[SpookyShoe]

When do you all pot up to a larger container? I read in Carolyn's book that she did it when the seedlings got their first true set of leaves. Remember, my seedlings are in an egg carton so they don't have very much "soil" to begin with. I started the seedlings in a soilless mix.

[pondgardener]

I often start seeds in soilless mix using the intensive method that was popularized on another site. So after the seedlings get to that true leaf stage, I delicately separate them and put them in their own container of potting mix. I do the same with pepper seedlings as well, with no problems.

[MissS]

Most of us do this when we thin our plants or cull which normally is at the first true leaf stage, just as dear Carolyn has taught us all.

[PlainJane]

2 weeks to go until seed starting! List as it stands now:

Absinthe
Agi F1
Aker’s West Virginia
Alice’s Dream
Atomic Fusion
Atomic Sunset
Beauty King
Big Cheef
Blush 2.0
Captain Lucky
Cascade Lava
Claude Brown’s Yellow Giant
Clear Lake Heirloom
Daniel Burson
Dester
Dr. Lyle
Dr. Wychee’s Yellow
Emerald Evergreen
Green Bee
Green Gables
Grub’s Mystery Green
GWR Wild Thyme
Indian Stripe
Jazz
KARMA Pink, Peach, Purple
KBX
Lucky Cross
Madera F1
Martha Logan
Negrillo de Almoguera
Negro de Artizkuren
Paul Robeson
Pierce’s Pride
Pink Saphire
Polaris
Ron’s Carbon Copy
Russian 117
Solar Flare
Taste Patio
Thorburns Terracotta
Wild Thyme Purple

[PlainJane]

When do you all pot up to a larger container? I read in Carolyn's book that she did it when the seedlings got their first true set of leaves. Remember, my seedlings are in an egg carton so they don't have very much "soil" to begin with. I started the seedlings in a soilless mix.

I start in little 2 inch pots not much bigger than an egg carton cell, but that bit of extra depth gives me flexibility as to potting on. I start 2 or 3 seeds in each 2 inch pot. I move them up to larger pots once that first set of true leaves is well along.
- Joyce

[peebee]

I have to go thru my seed stash to figure out what to grow next year but at this time of year I'm pretty busy with other things so it will have to wait till after Christmas. I'm planning though to grow mostly seeds from Marsha's past offerings, as usual, so I will grow some favorites like GGWT & new ones I never got to planting cuz I just don't have the room.
Cukes & beans, I can't grow well anymore cuz of the spider mites. So just tomatoes (plant very early, that helps), Japanese eggplants, zucchinis, & a shishito variety (hope this site doesn't edit out this name as the "other" site does ha ha). Goshdarnoodely pepper!

[SpookyShoe]

When do you all pot up to a larger container? I read in Carolyn's book that she did it when the seedlings got their first true set of leaves. Remember, my seedlings are in an egg carton so they don't have very much "soil" to begin with. I started the seedlings in a soilless mix.

I'll be thinning the seedlings to one plant per cell and moving them up to

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larger pots....but not too big pots.

[MissS]

Beautiful little babies. They are so nice to see. It looks like you had great germination too. Well done.

[SpookyShoe]

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Today I thinned the seedlings in my egg cartons to 1 per cell and transferred them to larger ( but not too big) containers. I'll probably have to pot-up another size once more before I harden them off and plant them outside.

[MissS]

I am envious, you had some fun today getting your hands into the dirt. I have months and months to go before I can do that.

[Paquebot]

Have not started tomatoes indoors since 2002. They are all sown outside and I tried to make it before 21 March. They are started in a cold frame. No worry about them getting too cold but rather too hot. I start in 4-packs using Jiffy Mix Plus. Result is sturdier plants than can be obtained with the best indoor lighting.

Martin

[SpookyShoe]

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I just finished potting up the spring crop of seedlings from their smaller cells up into clear plastic drinking cups. Of course I punched a hole in the bottom of the cups. I hope these don't grow too fast as I plan on setting them out in the ground on March 1st.

[PlainJane]

Donna, your seedlings are looking great!

[EdieJ]

Normally in our area plant-out is middle of April but I plan on growing some of my tomatoes in SWC's that I can cover with row covers and add light bulbs for additional warmth if I have to, the beginning of April. Right now I am doing germination trials on some older seeds I found in the bottom of the seed box.