Re: starting vegetable plant indoors Hello All! This is the first forum I have posted to, so please let me know if I do anything wrong! :-) I have started my seeds indoors the last 2 years. Let me also qualify that as saying last year was our first year gardening as we just moved into our first home. I never knew what a joy gardening can be! I feel like I am growing everything. By that I mean, I have a 15' x 30' vegetable garden, and a 17' x 30' Corn and Melon Garden. I have also planted a ton or raspberries and strawberries, as well as assorted fruit trees. (Let's see if my asian pear trees make it.) I love talking about this stuff, so forgive me if I am long-winded. I used the Jiffy 72 pod seed starting trays that you get at Home Depot or Lowes. Last year, we used the trays only, with no light or heating pad. Our plants turned out leggy and most of them did not survive the transition into the garden. I guess I didn't harden off properly. This year, I am hardening off for 2 weeks instead of one, and I have made a few adaptations, please let me know what you think. Last year, we didn't know the difference between cold weather and warm weather crops, what plants to start inside and which to not, so we started everything indoors! Big mistake! I also didn't pot anything up. I have already started my tomato plants (Whopper, Manalucie, and Sweet Cherry), as well as my bell peppers (California Wonder, Maraca Mix, Bulgarian Carrot, and some Mini Bells as well). I know everyone says do not start to soon, but I decided to experiment this year by starting very early and potting up. I used the Jiffy starters again this year, but they had a dandy improvement with a heating pad. I elected to try it. I started my seeds back in January. They sprouted very quickly, well ahead of the germination times listed. When true leaves developed, I potted up into 3" Jiffy Peat Pots. I bought some trays at Home Depot that are meant to hold a single pair of shoes. I can fit 6 peat pots into a single container. I then built a shelf unit in my basement in the furnace room where it stays nice and warm, but cools at night. Then I set out to select a growing light system. Here is where I need your guys' input. I have read that blue light stimulates leaf and foliage growth (supported by the rapid improvement once the lights were in place), and red light promotes flowering. I would guess that the last thing I want my plants inside to do is flower. So I selected T-12 4' 2-bulb flourescent fixtures. The bulb I chose was a cool white, 6500K, 40W bulb to use in all the fixtures. The plants seem to be doing very well. The stalks are healthy, the leaves nice and green and shiny. I mist once or twice a day with a squirt bottle, and the shoe trays let me pour water into the trays to facilitate bottom watering. I potted up a couple weeks ago or so, and some of the roots are already growing through the peat pots. I may need to go bigger before my transplant date of 5/5/07. Farmers Almanac says chance of frost is 50% after that date. Has anyone else started plants this early? I also started my brussels sprouts and brocolli, and celery. They are doing well, but have a much earlier transplant date of 3/15/07. Does the light theory seem reasonable? Blue light, not red. I am also doing the small plot per plant method instead of rows. I had planned on trying that this year, and the book, "Square Foot Gardening" convinced me I was right. I am adapting some of his suggestions. I am not doing raised beds. Please let me know what you guys think, don't be shy! I am new to this and would appreciate any input.
Re: starting vegetable plant indoors Hello GardenerBob, usually starting your own thread with your question in the title will get your thread more attention as opposed to a post within someone else's thread. I know all about getting ansy and wanting to start everything too early, the problem I ran into is that some of the plants grow so big that they take up too much room at the expense of other plants. Instead of starting early, I choose plants that are supposed to be started earlier than others. Personally I use Agrolites, with a light spectrum that is condusive to plant growth, I also know others use the regular florescent light bulbs, I think one white, one blue to emmulate the spectrum of the sun, don't quote me on that, I know what I use works well. If your roots are coming out the bottom of the pot, you will need to transplant to bigger pots, bigger pots take up more room. I start my tomatoes and peppers March 15 and larger stuff like zuccini, melons I start April 1-15 for May 15 -22 plant out. If you planted Tomatoes that early, you should be getting fruit in March. I forgot to ask are you fertilizing your seedlings. Janet
Re: starting vegetable plant indoors Janet- Thanks for getting back to me. I have not fertilized yet. 30 days prior to setting plants out, I was going to try a diluted root stimulator. As far as the plants getting to big, I have plenty of indoor space for big pots. I was also thinking of pinching off the first set of blooms. Can I do this and still get vege's later? Bob
Re: starting vegetable plant indoors You have a large area so the small plot per plant method is probably an error. The pictures look great in the book but the plants get big. I tried that method and now have completely abandoned the technique. It is very difficult to hill around the plants, which is my biggest objection. The argument that the slightly crowded plants retain moisture due to shading the ground to my mind has no merit. Also pulling root crops usually disturbs those remaining. I have a similar size garden to yours and use only the row method. I have many posts with numerous pictures, which was meant to be informative and interesting at least that was my intent. I am in Zone 5. Durgan.