My Happy Seedlings...

[vfem]

so nice to watch them this year. Last year I started too early and there were many loses. This year, I think I started just in time, and they are doing great. I also am doing less then last year, but if they survive I will have more then twice as many hardened off this time around when last time I lost 1/2 before they made it outside.

I have a couple more trays of flowers and herbs other then these.

 

[Greenthumb18]

Looks great vfem!
Yeah you dont want to start the seeds too early.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

My first year I had 70 of the best tomatoes ever seen on earth and killed the whole batch because of stupid hardening technique. But because I had started them so early I was able to start a whole new batch and plant them by the 1st week of June. I am doing better now.

I started two dozen of the larger tomatoes last weekend (they started strouting yesterday) and the rest of the tomatoes on wed. I was going to wait until the 25th which I had mark on the calendar but after our 4th day in the 60's I couldn't take it anymore.

I have never grown as beautiful tomatoes again. I think they may have been a little over fertilized which would explain their growth. So they might not have produced as well anyway (this is how I console myself).

 

[vfem]

I have never grown as beautiful tomatoes again. I think they may have been a little over fertilized which would explain their growth. So they might not have produced as well anyway (this is how I console myself).

That is probably very true! You shouldn't be fertilizing starts anyways. What will get you happy healthy HUGE tomato plants is good roots. So plant your tomato plants so they are 80% buried when you transplant them. I was also told you should transplant tomatoes this way TWICE... one transplant into a bigger starter pot and then again into the garden. (80% buried both times will force massive amounts of healthy roots)

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I have never grown as beautiful tomatoes again. I think they may have been a little over fertilized which would explain their growth. So they might not have produced as well anyway (this is how I console myself).

That is probably very true! You shouldn't be fertilizing starts anyways. What will get you happy healthy HUGE tomato plants is good roots. So plant your tomato plants so they are 80% buried when you transplant them. I was also told you should transplant tomatoes this way TWICE... one transplant into a bigger starter pot and then again into the garden. (80% buried both times will force massive amounts of healthy roots)

I do do that, like I said it was my first year with starting seeds. That was 4 or 5 years ago. My brother doesn't bury his deep like this and when our garden's are a week old his looks way better and mine looks puny but after a month mine is caught up and he is talking about spraying mine with round up to even the score. :weight

 

[silkiechicken]

Looking good!

I always start two batches about 2-3 weeks apart. That way if it's a warm spring, they can go out in mid may, but if it's a cold spring, I still have good plants for late may. We're in a cool pocket so random frosts can happen and cool nights is not uncommon.

 

[obsessed]

I think I am getting over starting any seeds myself. Well mostly for like peppers and tomatoes. It seems like I am a horrible seed mother. I planted tomatoes and peppers early in Jan and Feb and have just had the worst time caring for them. It is so easy to kill them. Once my child knocked them over, I let them freeze, I even cooked them on day when I forgot to ventillate, my husband tried to move d the green house and knocked them all over (this weekend, and I am so not speaking to him).


It seems that for all my care/time I might have just as good luck with the nursury starts and with a lot less effort. Anyway anything at the nursury is way bigger and healthier than what I can produce.

Up until this weekend everything was going great. I did plant cukes, squash, and tomatillos \this weekend.

 

[wifezilla]

Yeah you dont want to start the seeds too early

Too early isn't a problem with proper lighting. My tomatoes are over a foot tall and not spindly. Now I just have to be patient during the hardening off process

 

[vfem]

Imy husband tried to move d the green house and knocked them all over (this weekend, and I am so not speaking to him).

Oh honey, I am so sorry. I'm sure he is sorry too! My husband and child have killed a great many of my seedlings this year and last year. No big deal, I will start them over... and if it happens again.... well I will break down and just buy some.

It's the animals outside IN the garden once everything is out I won't forgive! I have chased a good many chickens yelling I was sending them to KFC to finish off their lives!!!!!!!!!

 

[obsessed]

Thanks vfem. I put up a fence this year to keep out the ducks and dogs. I don't want to lose any more. But I can't keep life from happening so I was thinking about just ordering plants. Like from Abundant acres they grow a ton of stuff and I get a shipment from them in early April. So if their stuff looks good then I will order speciality stuff from them and then just get my jalapenos from the nursury. This will save me on a ton of work.