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Update 4/8/2020: Due to our continued need to Stay Home, Save Lives, this presentation has been cancelled. On Saturday, April 11th, at our regular meeting time, Mikel & I will be on this public forum with you, physically distant, but socially connected! Join us here, if you’d like…
If you are starting garden plants from seeds this spring, and have any questions, please post them here as a reply to this thread. Scroll to the bottom of the page and you’ll see a reply pane. I will be happy to respond as best I can right here in writing.
Until we meet again, please be well and safe and enjoy some good old-fashioned garden therapy!
Yours truly, Aline
Since we have cancelled our March meeting, I’d like to offer my seedy advice to you by way of this forum. My presentation has been rescheduled for our April 11th meeting:
Garden Club member Aline Crehore will discuss her tried and true organic methods for sowing seeds indoors and outdoors. Aline grows and packages flower, herb and edible seeds for home gardeners locally as Green Journey Seeds. She will share tips on enhancing germination, potting up seedlings, hardening off and transplanting out in spring. Learn how to raise your own healthy transplants and get a jump on the season.
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Great idea Aline. Thank you.
My question is – last year I planted your sweet pea seeds and had a great, prolonged summer of sweet pea blossoms. Loved it!!! So do I just wait for the volunteers from last years’ plants to come or should I plant more seeds? Also, can I use the left over seeds in my package from last year?
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Thank you for your question about sweet peas. These are the bi-colored fragrant heirloom flowering vines which I love to grow! Yes, they do volunteer nicely, and are generally up and growing before now. So, if you don’t see any, by all means, sow the remainder of seeds from your 2019 seed packet.
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Thanks for your (first) question about Cliff’s seedlings, Mikel. Here are my impressions, although I am finding it a bit hard to see the green plants under the purple grow light.
It looks like his seedlings have developed 1 or 2 pairs of true leaves and are ready to be transplanted into 3-4 inch pots. The soil should feel moist to the touch. They do seem a little small for their age, but given some more root space in a pot filled with a good organic potting soil, these should catch up.
Water the plants thoroughly after potting up to the larger containers. An application of a couple of ounces of diluted liquid organic fertilizer at that time will give the seedlings a boost. I use fish & kelp combined, at the standard dilution rates of 1 TBS of fish emulsion and 2 TBS of kelp for 1 gallon of water.
About the lights, if they are T12 florescent (standard shop light fixture) they can be 2-4 inches above the leaves. The skinnier T5 fixtures are more efficient and are set 4-6 inches. The seedlings don’t look too leggy from lack of light, but the light will have to be reset after he puts them in bigger pots.
Granular or pelleted dry fertilizers can take time to become bio-available, and the one you are using is high in phosphate. For seedlings, I would recommend getting one with a more balanced NPK ratio of 3-3-3 like Down to Earth’s Starter Mix. This has worked well for me in the past when I am blending my own potting soil.
Nearly all of the packaged organic potting soils have fertilizer already blended into the soil in the right proportions. One bag of Down to Earth All Natural Potting Soil or similar planting medium may be all you need to get these good starts up and growing.
Good Luck!
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This reply was modified 3 years, 5 months ago by
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This reply was modified 3 years, 5 months ago by .
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This reply was modified 3 years, 5 months ago by
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@mikel (2nd question)
Sow Sweet Pea seeds early in spring either by planting the seeds directly in the ground or in pots in a sunny place indoors. If you have a garden spot prepared, sow your seeds just below the soil surface.
In my practice, I sow them indoors in cell trays under a clear dome, which gets them up and growing. I transplant them outside after they are 3-5 inches tall, at which stage they can withstand a little slug damage and they are no longer mice bait.
These were sown March 1st, that’s Oregon Sugar Pod II (edible peas) in the front tray and the sweet pea seedlings in the tray behind. I took this photo yesterday, and put these indoors last night in case of snow. They are hardy plants but probably not stout enough to carry a load!
Give peas a chance!
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Hi Patti, @pdheath2
Thanks for asking. Some people use that approach effectively, but it does mean additional handling of the delicate seedling after germination.
No, I think it is better to sow these seeds directly in the soil and keep moist for 1-2 weeks.
I fill the cell trays loosely with a finely screened soil mix. Then take a same size cell tray and place on top of that and press down firmly to settle the soil mix.
Water well, drop 1-2 seeds in each cell and cover to the top with more soil mix.
I use a clean repurposed squirt bottle (like the one dish soap comes in) with fresh water to moisten the top layer and continue to use that each time it needs to be re-moistened.
This approach tends to keep the seeds where I placed them and prevent over watering.Good luck and happy sowing!
Aline
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This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by .
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This reply was modified 3 years, 5 months ago by . Reason: adding @username
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Here’s a blog post from my wordpress archive which answers some questions on starting seeds. Although I wrote this advice 7 years ago, my method has not changed.
I will add that if homemade compost is not ready to use, I’ll substitute used potting soil mix from last year’s container plantings as the base for the seedling mix.
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Q: What seeds to plant in April?
A: See this latest post from Down to Earth fb page for indoor and outdoor vegetable seed sowing lists.
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Sowing Seeds Outdoors
Seeds of hardy annuals and hardy perennials may be sown directly outdoors March to June, whenever the ground can be easily worked up into a fine seedbed. These will stand some frost and may germinate and grow best at cool temperatures.
Seeds of half-hardy annuals may be sown outdoors in April & May. These need the warmer soil temperatures to germinate. Early volunteer seedlings of sunflowers, and nasturtiums, for example, have emerged in the last couple of days.
Seeds of tender perennials may be sown outdoors in May & June and grown as annuals.
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