This is a journal of my vegetable gardens. Skippy was my first dog and he thought the garden was his, even though I did all the work. Now Suzie and Charley follow in his footsteps. We're located near Boston (USDA zone 6A). I have a community plot, a backyard vegetable garden, fruit trees, berry bushes, chickens, and bees. I use sustainable organic methods and do my best to grow all of my family's vegetables myself.
They are all looking good Kathy. The basil have interesting seed leaves, they almost form a complete circle. I was on a ladies blog from England, Vegetable Heaven. One of her seedlings spouted three seed leaves, a tricotyledon!
I didn't realize beets could be transplanted...any tips on how to do that? Our beets were planted by seed and came out pretty small, but I think it may have been bc our soil has so much clay and rock in it! Thanks!
Impressive! Sometimes I like a little reassurance that I'm on track as well. BTW - thanks for the seedling shelf idea - couldn't imagine doing it any other way!
I have the same question as Amelia, above. I sowed 2-4 seeds in each cell before I knew that my germination rate would be so high. Now I need to thin out some tomato and pepper seedlings and I am not sure how to go about doing this. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks, Kathy. And btw, your seedlings look amazing.
re: thinning---when i thin, i pick the stockiest looking plant. strongest, thickest stem. and i am careful not to pull the rest of the seedlings. i use a pair of small scissors and snip the extra seedlings off at the soil line, so as not to disturb the delicate roots of the remaining plants. see this my post on the subject, here, with pictures.
I usually keep the biggest ones, unless I want to keep several in a pot and then I choose ones that are growing at good spacing.
I'm very bad at thinning. I'm hoping I can keep most of what's sprouted here. I'll need to transplant the tomatoes soon into bigger pots. I'm going to try to set up a little hoop house outside so I can have space and use the nice sunlight we're getting now.
I thin my just pulling them out, but Suzanne has a good approach too - to cut them so you don't disturb the roots of others.
My seedlings are getting light from about 9 to 7 or 8 pm. Many hours. No timer. Just when I remember them. They seem happy.
My real tomato seeding will be next week (week of March 24). These tomatoes were meant to be just a few planted really early. I didn't mean to end up with so many. I have 9 seedlings. (But as I know from last year, tomatoes seedlings are easy to find good homes for.) They will need to go to bigger pots next week.
About those onions, guess I should trim the tops. I've never done this - never got onions to grow more than a week or two. As I remember, I should just take scissors and trim off an inch. Don't know if this is better for the plants or just makes then look better.... Since I have so many, I may do half and compare....
Kathy, I am wondering, are you leaving your grow lights on all the time or just during your waking hours? It seems that everyone has a different philosophy about that. Are you using a heating mat?
My lights are on from about 9 am to about 8 or 9 pm.
I keep them very close to the plants.
No heat mat. The house temp is pretty warm. Ave about 68*F, I think. Peppers are only seed that I grow that needs it warmer for germination. They go under my fish tank - at 78*F until they sprout.
What kind of grow lights to do you use? I've looked online for inexpensive options but haven't been able to figure out if I need to buy the expensive ones or not.
They all look good skippy.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I can't believe how big your tomato seedlings already are! That's great. Next year I'll have to sow mine earlier.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: when you thin seedlings because too many germinated, how do you choose which ones to get rid of? Just keep the biggest?
They are all looking good Kathy. The basil have interesting seed leaves, they almost form a complete circle. I was on a ladies blog from England, Vegetable Heaven. One of her seedlings spouted three seed leaves, a tricotyledon!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize beets could be transplanted...any tips on how to do that? Our beets were planted by seed and came out pretty small, but I think it may have been bc our soil has so much clay and rock in it!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Oh this is so lovely to imagine as I sit in my grey gardenless office. It's nice to know there is growing going on.
ReplyDeleteImpressive! Sometimes I like a little reassurance that I'm on track as well. BTW - thanks for the seedling shelf idea - couldn't imagine doing it any other way!
ReplyDeleteI have the same question as Amelia, above. I sowed 2-4 seeds in each cell before I knew that my germination rate would be so high. Now I need to thin out some tomato and pepper seedlings and I am not sure how to go about doing this. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks, Kathy. And btw, your seedlings look amazing.
ReplyDeleteAh... it's lovely! When I'm looking at your seedlings I see my veranda :-) same, same but different.
ReplyDeleteKathy do you cut your leek and onion seedlings?
Take Care/ Tyra
re: thinning---when i thin, i pick the stockiest looking plant. strongest, thickest stem. and i am careful not to pull the rest of the seedlings. i use a pair of small scissors and snip the extra seedlings off at the soil line, so as not to disturb the delicate roots of the remaining plants. see this my post on the subject, here, with pictures.
ReplyDeleteVERY nice Kathy! Your thyme is doing a lot better than mine; yours are only 8 days older. I think mine need more hours of daylight.
ReplyDeleteI always feel bad thinning seedlings.
ReplyDeleteI usually keep the biggest ones, unless I want to keep several in a pot and then I choose ones that are growing at good spacing.
I'm very bad at thinning. I'm hoping I can keep most of what's sprouted here. I'll need to transplant the tomatoes soon into bigger pots. I'm going to try to set up a little hoop house outside so I can have space and use the nice sunlight we're getting now.
I thin my just pulling them out, but Suzanne has a good approach too - to cut them so you don't disturb the roots of others.
My seedlings are getting light from about 9 to 7 or 8 pm. Many hours. No timer. Just when I remember them. They seem happy.
My real tomato seeding will be next week (week of March 24). These tomatoes were meant to be just a few planted really early. I didn't mean to end up with so many. I have 9 seedlings. (But as I know from last year, tomatoes seedlings are easy to find good homes for.) They will need to go to bigger pots next week.
ReplyDeleteAbout those onions, guess I should trim the tops. I've never done this - never got onions to grow more than a week or two. As I remember, I should just take scissors and trim off an inch. Don't know if this is better for the plants or just makes then look better.... Since I have so many, I may do half and compare....
ReplyDeleteThose tomatoes look great! I just put my beets in the ground the day before yesterday
ReplyDeleteKathy, I am wondering, are you leaving your grow lights on all the time or just during your waking hours? It seems that everyone has a different philosophy about that. Are you using a heating mat?
ReplyDeleteSally, another zone 6er
Wow. I never heard of lights on all the time.
ReplyDeleteMy lights are on from about 9 am to about 8 or 9 pm.
I keep them very close to the plants.
No heat mat. The house temp is pretty warm. Ave about 68*F, I think. Peppers are only seed that I grow that needs it warmer for germination. They go under my fish tank - at 78*F until they sprout.
Hi Kathy,
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of grow lights to do you use? I've looked online for inexpensive options but haven't been able to figure out if I need to buy the expensive ones or not.
Thanks!
Jill