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Hi,I live near Washington DC and plant a vegetable garden .This year I want to start my pepper,tomatoe and flowers like marigolds indoors,I don't have much outdoor light so I want to try the seeds under flourescent lights,will that be effective,?it isnt a large amount of plants since it is just myself.any advice, are there certin vegetables best started from buying transplants? What about lettuce and cucumbers? I was told by some other gardeners that is best planted directly outdoors and I know lettuce and radish is mainly a cool weather plant and last year in the spring they came up fast outdoors and radish is a root crop so common sense is to plant that outdoors but I know tomatoes and peppers like warm weather and soil a week and a half ago I put 2 pepper seeds in a pot and placed it in my storage room where the furnace is under the light for about 12 hours a day and they sprouted in 5 days so that part worked,same for marigold seeds they are all about 3-4 inches tall now ,just want to know how to care for them properly from here ,I know it is still too early in this climate to put these outdoors in a few weeks but thought I'd experiment.
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Peter, except for lettuce, peas, root crops, and spinach, all of which should be seeded directly in the garden, I start all of my plants by starting seeds indoors.
Starting seeds is actually an easy process, but success only comes through many years of trial and error. I have been starting seeds indoors for the last eight years and thoroughly enjoy it. Since I start over 500 seedlings, including annuals, vegetables, and herbs, it does become a full-time hobby. The obvious advantages are the cost savings and the variety as opposed to purchasing seedlings at the garden center.
Most vegetable and annual flower seeds need to be started 6-8 weeks prior to your last expected frost. The exact timing can be found on the seed packets, but 6 weeks is usually a good rule of thumb.
Seedlings need to be in simulated sunshine for at least 14 hours per day. They also need 8 hours of dormancy for good growth. You either need to invest in fluorescent bulbs called gro-lights which are as close to natural light as anything sold on the market, or substitute these with less expensive bulbs. By using one cool and one warm white fluorescent in combination, you will achieve the same effect.
If given the correct conditions, namely adequate moisture, strong light, and healthy soil, the plants will germinate and grow to maturity with few or any problems. To maintain moisture, seeds should be covered with plastic. I grow my seedlings in seed trays with individual cell packs. After sowing, I cover with a pre-fitted plastic dome. But once the first seedlings sprout, it is important to remove the cover to avoid damping-off disease. This is a fatal fungus disease which only attacks young seedlings, and is caused by inadequate air circulation and non-sterile soil. That is why I advise all those who start seeds indoors to only use sterile, soiless mixes. These mixes can be purchased at any garden center.
Once the seedlings develop their second set of leaves, you can begin supplementing the plants with a diluted solution of fertilizer. Since you want to keep the nitrogen and salt levels low at this stage of growth, I highly recommend staying away from the chemical mixes. Rather, use a seaweed/fish emulsion formula at ?the recommended level. This will help the plants' development and also help ward off disease. You can purchase these organic formulas at most garden centers or through online websites such as Gardens Alive.
Finally, be sure to keep your fluorescent lights no higher than 3?above the seedlings at all times. This is critical to prevent the plants from becoming weak and spindly. As I mentioned earlier, they should be left on 14 hours per day. If fluorescent lighting is not possible, put them in a southwest window and turn them every three days to avoid leaning.
I am attaching a few websites that should prove helpful. I would also advise you to purchase 揟he New Seed-Starters Handbook?by Nancy Bubel. It has many good ideas and techniques that benefit even experienced gardeners.
http://www.gardenguides.com/TipsandTechniques/starting.htm
http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06570.htm
http://echonet.org/shopsite_sc/store/html/SeedStarterHandbook.html
Good luck, and please write again if I can ever be of assistance.
Regards,
Mike thanks,first off the type of soil mix you are refering to ,do you mean pottingor gsrdening soil? Just clarify so I know what to get,I have been leaving the lights 3,maybe 4 inches above the seedlings at the most,they are ordinary flourescent lights with the cool bulbs,now I was leaving them on 12 hours,Also my pepper plants are 2 weeks old now and the stems do look alittle weak is that Ok at this early stage?
Answer -
Peter, you need to use a soiless starting mix. This product can only be purchased in garden centers or nurseries. It is sterilized and is composed mainly of vertimiculite and perlite. It holds the moisture well, and will help prevent disease.
I would not worry about the stems of the pepper plants at this point. They usually recover once they form their fourth set of leaves. I do think you started them a little too early. I do not start mine until early April since my last frost date is right around May 15th. When plants are started too early, they often become spindly and weak. You can prevent this by transplanting them into larger pots at least twice prior to tranplanting them to the garden.
Good luck.
Mike Thanks again,Where do you live? The last frost date here is early April.Maybe you are more into this as a hobby then I am If it is going to cost me more to start the seeds indoors than it would to buy the plants it may not be worth it I only intend to plant 6 pepper and 4 tomatoe plants plus the lettuce,spinach,cucumber and radish seeds and last year this amount produced plenty for 1 person,Also what types of tomatoes I believe determinate is the term will produce fruit earliest in the season? Last season the plants wer Beefmaster and Sweet 100 cherry and it took untill almost August to get tomatoes although after that wow they produced hundreds! I want one plant to give some fruit earlier although I know the weather has much to do with it it waS a cold spring last year,just thought that by July 4 I should have some ripe tomatoes,Also my cucumber plants got,I was told bacterial wilt are the disease-resistant varieties able to defend themselves against the cucumber beetle or do I need to do more myself? I love cucumbers so I would be willing to try anything?
Answer -
Peter, you're absolutely correct that based on where you live, it is not too early to start your pepper and tomato seeds. I envy the fact your spring in right around the corner. There is nothing like the cherry blossoms in Washington during spring. I live in Cleveland, so I have to wait at least another 4 weeks before starting mine.
In regards to your cucumbers, they are highly susceptible to a number of diseases and pests. But the most common problem stems from Bacterial Wilt. This is a disease
spread by cucumber beetles. Once contracted, there is no cure. The only answer is prevention, and that means controlling the cucumber beetle before they do damage to the plants.
There are two different types of cucumber beetles: the striped beetle and the spotted beetle. The spotted beetle is yellowish-green with black spots. They primarily infest all members of the squash family including cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, and squash. Many are carriers of a deadly bacteria which results in bacterial wilt. This disease causes the plant to slowly wither and eventually die. As I stated earlier, once contracted, it is always fatal. Make sure you remove the plants and discard them to prevent the disease from spreading to healthy plants.
To control this pest, or any other beetle, you should start early in the year by protecting young plants. I use floating row covers, otherwise known as reemay, to cover my squash plants. Reemay is a lightweight, fleece-like material that protects plants from light frosts and pests,
while still letting in light and water. Just be sure to remove the covering once the plants blossom for pollination.
If the plants come under attack later in the year, you can use pyrethrum or rotenone according to directions. Both of these products are considered organic since they are non-toxic to humans and the environment. Both can be applied right up until harvest.
One other preventive measure is to plant resistant varieties. Although most varieties lacking the "bitter" gene are less susceptible than those that have the gene, the only variety which is absolutely resistant to wilt is "County Fair". It can be purchased through Park Seed. You can request a free catalog through them on their website: http//www.parkseed.com
Have a great day.
Mike Thanks again that's what happened to the cucumbers but at the time I simply thought they were getting too much water as it was a very wet year and I didn't discard the bad plants,it's a shame gardeners always have to contend with some type of pest,the year before it was the tomato hornworms I had,although they didn't affect my crop too much,I almost daily pulled them off the plants along with the leaves they were on,Does this type of beetle go into the root system?
AnswerPeter, the cucumber beetle passes the disease through the foliage. The only pest that attacks roots is the nematode. Fortunately, these do not affect cucumbers. They are very rare, and only attack members of the cucurbit family; i.e. broccoli and cabbage. They can be controlled with chemicals or by planting marigolds in the general area.
Regards,
Mike
