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Do roots grow toward the heat?

W

wordwiz

This summer I started a few seeds in a window and was surpried that even four weeks after they had sprouted, the roots were still almost non-existant and only about one inch deep. I have some plants in a heated box that have been up just over a week. One cup had two seeds that sprouted so I pulled up one of them. That root was about three 2.5 inches deep and had even sprouted a few mini roots.

For the most part, I have been misting the soil and not watering it to the point where water drips from the bottom. It seems to work better, as far a germinating goes - in two weeks, 32 of the 41 seeds have came up. But if the roots are that deep, I'm wondering if I ought to be watering a little heavier.

Mike
 
You're eventually going to have to give them a good heavy watering, misting isn't enough. I'd put them in a tray with some water and let them wick up the water, just don't let them sit in water for a long period of time.
 
Word...I agree with Potawie...I stopped misting mine after about 2 weeks and started just watering them by "pouring" water from a bottle in gently in order to not disturb the growing media.
 
Guys,

How much and how often? I have a garden sprayer that I can control the pressure, etc., and it has been a treat to use. The seedlings look great now, though they tend to be a little long in the stem (I have grows lights over top of them) with most being a nice, darker green. A couple are black or maybe purple but they are growing quite nicely.

Any idea of the approximate time from when they sprout in nine ounce cups until they need moved into a larger container (five inches wide, six inches tall)? There's no added fertilizer in the potting soil and I don't like to fertilize plants until they have at least 6-8 leaves on them.

My hope is to have ripe peppers by the middle of June.

Mike
 
Mike:

I don't know how many you have but what I did was take a whiskey spout from the bar, insert it into a 12 oz water bottle and hand water each one. I gave mine about 2 oz twice a day, morning and evening.

And like you, I waited until the seedlings had 4 sets of leaves then fertilized with 3-1.5-4 Pro Pureblend, 1/2 oz to a gallon of water.

As far as transplanting goes transplant when you can see a root or two growing out of the drainage holes on the bottom of the cup. I transplanted mine into 6 inch pots.

I'm thinking ripe peppers by middle April.
 
I bottom water mine. They're all in some kind of tray, and I just add some water to the tray as needed.
 
Pam said:
I bottom water mine. They're all in some kind of tray, and I just add some water to the tray as needed.
Click to expand...

See, she's the smart one......:lol:
 
I like the bottom feeding idea. I have some old swimming pool liner I can line the bottom and sides of the hot box with, then add water.

Pam, do you keep water in it all the time, or do you let it evaporate and then replinish it every so often?

AJ,

Ripe pods in April??? Most of the packs say 75-90 days after transplanting. Are you saying that transplanting from a 5-inch container to a 3-gallon one doesn't restart the clock?

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
I like the bottom feeding idea. I have some old swimming pool liner I can line the bottom and sides of the hot box with, then add water.

Pam, do you keep water in it all the time, or do you let it evaporate and then replinish it every so often?
Click to expand...


The short answer is yes. The long answer is that I monitor the soil at the top of the seed cup. I want it to be moist, not dry and not sodden. You can learn to tell by the color of the potting soil that it's time to water or by touching it with your fingers.
 
wordwiz said:
AJ,

Ripe pods in April??? Most of the packs say 75-90 days after transplanting. Are you saying that transplanting from a 5-inch container to a 3-gallon one doesn't restart the clock?

Mike
Click to expand...

Maybe does but if it has peppers and blooms on it when you transplant won't they still grow to maturity?
 
Pam, do you keep water in it all the time, or do you let it evaporate and then replinish it every so often?
Click to expand...

The short answer is yes. The long answer is that I monitor the soil at the top of the seed cup. I want it to be moist, not dry and not sodden. You can learn to tell by the color of the potting soil that it's time to water or by touching it with your fingers.
Click to expand...

I have come to realize this. But I'm still wondering if you keep water in the trays all the time or if you look and see the top is still wet, if you quit adding water to the trays?

Being new to this, it seems that keeping the roots (or the soil around them) moist is important, but at the same time, one doesn't want them to be wet. Looking at the top of the container wouldn't tell me how the roots are, or is there a correlation?

Mike
 
wordwiz said:
I have come to realize this. But I'm still wondering if you keep water in the trays all the time or if you look and see the top is still wet, if you quit adding water to the trays?
Click to expand...

Yes, I would stop adding water to the trays.


Being new to this, it seems that keeping the roots (or the soil around them) moist is important, but at the same time, one doesn't want them to be wet. Looking at the top of the container wouldn't tell me how the roots are, or is there a correlation?
Click to expand...

The top is generally the driest part of the soil, especially if you're bottom watering.


texas blues said:
Hoots trow gator neat hot.
Click to expand...


Yo! TB! Your dog is posting again!
 
Yes, I would stop adding water to the trays.
Click to expand...

Pam,

Thanks. But a follow-up question.

How many days before you add water?

BTW, I'm referring to seedlings and plants in a container no larger than 5" square.

Mike
 
Let the plants dry out a bit between waterings. You'll eventually be able to tell by the weight of the pot and the look of the soil whether its too wet or dry. How many days betfore watering depends on temps, root size, and type of soil as well as relative humidity.
 
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