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Got seeds today, now what?

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2005
by Connie Y. on February 03, 2005 01:19 AM
Ok, what do I do with these seeds? I got-

jelly bean tomatos
top sirloin hybrid tomato
pink radish
tendergreen burpless cucumber
danver carrot
mustard, inda
black beauty eggplant
dixie hybrid squash
zucchini elite hybrid squash
parris island cos (romaine) lettuce
and 1 jiffy 72 peat pellets starter.

I have read the back of the packets and most say start indoors but how namy seeds do you put into the pellets or for example 1 tomato seed = 1 plant, does 1 carrot seed = 1 carrot. How big should my pots be and how many plant per pot. I realy need help here.
by Longy on February 03, 2005 01:48 PM
jelly bean tomatos-2 or 3 per peat pot. Thin out later. Plant out after cold weather has passed. 1 bush per seed.

top sirloin hybrid tomato-As above.

pink radish-Should be planted where they will grow. Don't like transplanting. Wait till the soil warms outside or plant in a 6" deep tray and move it outside on warm days. Bring it in if nights are cold. One radish per seed, plant close together. No need to use jiffy pots here, just some seed raising mix on a bed of good soil.

tendergreen burpless cucumber-One or two per peat pot. Thin later, transplanting once cold weather has passed. One plant per seed.

danver carrot-plant where you want them to grow in deep well cultivated soil with no manures in it. Don't like transplanting. One carrot per seed.

mustard, inda-not sure. Is it for salad greens? It's a great green manure crop. I think you can sow the seed outside once the weather warms the soil a bit. I doubt it would transplant well. Probably the same as for the radishes would work ok.

black beauty eggplant- as for tomato

dixie hybrid squash-as for cucumber

zucchini elite hybrid squash- as for cucumber

parris island cos (romaine) lettuce-As for tomato.

and 1 jiffy 72 peat pellets starter- bear in mind that these peat pots have no nutrient value so a very weak brew of liquid fert wiil be required every week-10 days once the plants have their first set of true leaves. If the seedlings get "leggy" they need more light. Keep max sun up to the seedlings to aid their transition from inside to outside. Seeds do not require light to germinate. They require warmth. Over 15 deg Celsius is a good minimum.

This is a pretty rough guide. Good luck. Maybe try a few of each a week or so apart until you get the hang of it.
by Connie Y. on February 03, 2005 03:13 PM
Thank you Longy, between you and Weezie I might just have a garden this year. I am taking the next 6 month off work to take care of my husband and get through my pregnacy. Because I am doing these in containers it should be easy for me to maintain because caring these 4 little ones I am getting tired more often.

My husband is asking me about dandelion greens. Can these be grown in pots as well?
by Longy on February 03, 2005 06:00 PM
I am taking the next 6 month off work to take care of my husband and get through my pregnacy.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Crikey, haven't you got enough to do?
Not sure about the dandy greens. If you're growing everything indoors from start to finish, your biggest problem is going to be light. I just read back thru your other topic and got the jist of what you are trying to do. I thought you were just trying to germinate indoors then moving outside after winter. All my info above re transplanting etc should still work ok. Light is, as suggested, gonna be your biggest challenge. The seeds will germinate ok. I'd suggest again that you start small with just a few plants. Please be sure to do the electrical setup safely and make sure your circuits can handle the load you're going to need to put on them. Don't piggyback double adaptors and such. If in doubt call an electrician before setting up. Some grow lights can pull a lot of current so if they trip your circuit breakers, find out why. Pleeez:)
by Connie Y. on February 03, 2005 06:16 PM
I talked with someone from the Kerr Center in Oklahoma and they told me about the shop lights that you replace the bulbs with GROW lights. I will have 5 in my space. I have stated soaking my pots this morning. I will let you know how things are going. As for the other, I think my real work will come in about 5 months when I have all 4 lined up wanting diapers changed.
by weezie13 on February 03, 2005 06:29 PM
What do you mean
quote:
I think my real work will come in about 5 months when I have all 4 lined up wanting diapers changed.
Are you having Quad's?????????
[shocked] [shocked] [shocked] [shocked]

Yes, I had asked about the lighting system too,
very critical if you are only gardening inside....
Also, don't forget about the tinfoil and mirror's too for light reflection!!!

Weezie

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/
by Connie Y. on February 03, 2005 07:09 PM
Yes there are 4 and what a supprise that was considering that we were not trying to have any. With his health problems, I already had my hands full. We have a 23 year old and a 10 year old both boys. We thought we were finished.

I bought everything you told me about. I spent yesterday covering the walls and I got the lights but I now have to get the GROW bulbs. For some reason I have a lot of energy right now. If you could tell me how to bottle the energy so that I can have IT for later then I could realy call myself a gardener.
by weezie13 on February 03, 2005 07:52 PM
oh, myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
((I THINK))

Alright, we gotta talk seeds first...
Have you done any reading up on the type of seeds and which seeds need lighting and the depth to plant each type of seed and to cover or not to cover with dirt, etc????.
And the hieght of the lights over the plants/seedlings as they grow a bit you have to elevate the lighting...

Weezie

P/S I would love to talk about those babies... but I gotta keep on track of the seeds for you...
(***I get off track so often around here) [Embarrassed]

I do want to say though, I'm sure at some point trying to garden and all those sweet precious wee~one's will be a bit much for you....
Have you thought about the organic foods in the grocery stores/???
Organic's have very strict guidelines they have to adhere to to be able to put "ORGANIC" on their labels... maybe do a little bit of checking into that.... The organic growers put alot of work into growing thier foods, some times they don't always look that great, but you know pretty much with confidence that they are healthy to eat....

* * * *
Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/
by Connie Y. on February 03, 2005 08:38 PM
I have already contacted a nanny services, it's being provided for by my company for 2 years or until potty training whichever comes first. As for the store, well when my husband's Dr. said this, my husband was all for it and then he started talking about the whole family benifits, including his pockets when the babies get older. We are big on eating our vegetables, even the boys are big eaters.

OK the seeds. The tomatos, cucumbers, eggplant and squashes are to have the lights approx. 6-8" above until they are put into their pots. The carrots and radishs, I can mix in with any of the plants. I am still not real sure about the romaine and mustard.
by suzydaze on February 03, 2005 08:47 PM
I sure hope you have some volunteers lined up to help with all this.

You might check around and see if someone close by plants a large garden, could be cheaper to buy from them.

Here in the summer all veggies are cheaper than planting and growing them my self, the only thing I plant is some tomatoes, orka and bell pepper. Corn for instance requires alot of water and my water is high, but when corn is in season I can get 12 ears for 1.00. I usually buy about 15.00 to 20.00 dollars worth and put in the freezer at season time.

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I try to take one day at a time -- but sometimes several days attack me at once.
-Jennifer Unlimited-
by obywan59 on February 03, 2005 08:55 PM
Shoplights are great Connie Y., but you don't need to shell out the money for the expensive grow lights, the plain old white flourescents that come with the lights will work just fine. I've been using them to start my seedlings indoors for 10 years and I still have most of the original bulbs.

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Terry

May the force be with you
by weezie13 on February 03, 2005 08:56 PM
Connie,
Will you ever have any access to the outdoors come summer time for the plants???
Just curious????

Also, you're doing the jiffy seed pellets right now, do you have any bigger pots???

And what have you gotten for dirt???
And how much have you gotten for dirt???

I got some very large pots at The Family Dollar store last year....Square, rectangle and round...
*I had to drill holes in them too though*
Got a couple almost reasonable priced at Wally~World too...

But for things like carrots, you want it to be reasonable deep.. *like the length of the carrots in store???*

For one plant of zucchini, you're looking at about 2ft wide at least?????

(I'm an outdoor gardener, I usually put 3 plants to a hill, but don't think you'd have room for that???)

The cucumbers, you need some type of system to be able to climb up.... Did you see the one set of pictures I posted somewhere's of how they grew vertically????

The romaine lettuce can be just grown in a large pot, I grew mine in a window sill type rectangle one for my mom..... The root system on those aren't deep...

Tomatoes *My personal favorites* can get up to 4ft or higher!!! I grew them in 5 gallon pails..
drilled holes in the bottom and found some casters at the dollar store for a buck *although they did bust by the end of the season* but good to wheel around if different lighting is needed..

I have never grown eggplant, so I am not sure about that....

The raddishes your 10 year old should like doing, they sprout fast and grow and produce fast....
The bulb it's self is not deep into the dirt/pot but it will have a deep tap~root...but small or fine in texture, like yard almost..

Weezie

* * * *
Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/
by Connie Y. on February 03, 2005 10:16 PM
I got plastic bins of all sizes including one that is 3'high and 4'wide. This one I am going to use for potatos. It is also the only one that I can but on the balcony. We live on the 24 floor. As for the soil, our flower distric is in midtown. They don't do vegetables but said that they have 3 basic types of soil. A soft, med, and hardy. I have learned that if the plants are inside then I need to use the soft and med. I will use the hardy on the potatos only.
Noor, our 10y/o is going to take care of the potatos for a school project. David our 23y/o, I hope just thinks only about his studies (not the 2 girls next door).

I have been having cravings for sweet potatos lately. Can those be grown in bins and how do you grow them?
by weezie13 on February 03, 2005 10:49 PM
Was thinking about this one on the way home from school just now....
Have you done any reading up on hand~pollenating?
You'll need to know a bit about that too,
for pollenating the flowers to make fruit!!!

I haven't grown sweet pototoes, someone has, I remember them talking about them?? Can't remember.

Now, do you know how to do the potatoes??
You plant them in the dirt, then as the green plant grows out of the ground/dirt, you continuously throw on more dirt over the top...
as the plant keeps coming up the soil, it'll spend out it's potatoes along the way???
You need a really deep pot for those, maybe even a mini barrel...(no light should be exposed to the potato/fruit, as it causes it to turn green and is actually poisonous..... I can't say it's that harmful, we get green potatoes in the store all the time, but with a hubby that's sick, just be sure you peel off alllllllll the green skin on your potato...

Weezie

* * * *
Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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 -

http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/
by Connie Y. on February 04, 2005 12:24 AM
Ok Weezie you've got me on this one. I know nothing about pollenating. As for the containers, I bought clear. I will have to go back and get some that are black. Do all the containers need to be dark?
by suzydaze on February 04, 2005 04:53 PM
when I grew sweet potatoes, I bought a bundle from wal mart and planted plants, not seeds.

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I try to take one day at a time -- but sometimes several days attack me at once.
-Jennifer Unlimited-
by weezie13 on February 05, 2005 09:53 PM
Connie,
I would definately look a dark barrel or something like that... Potatoes need dark...
A barrel would be great, espesially to be adding dirt as the plant grows would be ideal...

I can't say a definate answer on the pots..
but my first reaction and thought was NO to the
clear pots...
My reasoning is; Roots grow in the dark and like the dark *dirt is dark and has no light*
and I would stay with the opaque or dark pots/containers....
But I can't say with any documentation of the absolutely no on the clear pots...

Does that make sense????

I will also go and post some info *of what I know [Embarrassed] * on hand pollenating later tonight...

Weezie

* * * *
Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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 -

http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

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