May have started too early...

Mallory

Mallory

Soooo.... has anyone started their seeds 16-18 weeks before transplanting outside (final frost date)?
 
I realize advice is usually 8-10 weeks. I don't know where my head was at, I guess I was counting back from March instead of MAY lol.
 
The earliest seeds I started were Jan 21st, and many sprouted within a week. Most seedlings have one or two sets of true leaves. My oldest seedling has 3 sets of true leaves, and overall it will spend 4.5 months growing indoors before transplant outside in late May. I just moved some of them up from 3oz cups to 9oz cups.
 
I am growing under regular shoplights, T8 daylight bulbs I think. Nothing fancy. The seedlings also get a lot of sunlight from the window.
 
I am scared to ask, but how big could these get by May? Usually I don't need to grow in anything bigger than 16oz cups before they go in the ground, wondering if that will cut it this time or if I should go find larger pots now, which I am sure won't be cheap...
 
Will they even be alright that long without 'real' grow lights? Did I mention there are 70 plants? Ha.
 
 
 
There is no such thing as "too early". They will do fine in the cups what you have now. Maybe they would grow faster in bigger ones, but you do no harm to them. You will have cool plants by May! :party:
 
Sounds like normal for hot peppers.  I only transplant once into 20 oz. cups before plant out. 
 
January 21 was a great day for your peppers!
 
"Too early" depends on how much room you have available. If you find you need to slow down the growth at some point, reduce the amount of light you are giving them, and also cool them down a tad. Use ferts only very sparingly.
 
Thank you all for the positive replies, as I am in the same boat. Last year my babies were too small (planted mid March - T-12s - fungal gnat problem). This year I planted mid January with T-5s...these lil guys are growing like crazy! Not to thread jack....I was going to pose the same question! Good luck to you, Mallory! Wish you the best!
 
motorcity said:
Thank you all for the positive replies, as I am in the same boat. Last year my babies were too small (planted mid March - T-12s - fungal gnat problem). This year I planted mid January with T-5s...these lil guys are growing like crazy! Not to thread jack....I was going to pose the same question! Good luck to you, Mallory! Wish you the best!
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Thanks! Mine are growing fast too!
 
geeme said:
"Too early" depends on how much room you have available. If you find you need to slow down the growth at some point, reduce the amount of light you are giving them, and also cool them down a tad. Use ferts only very sparingly.
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Thanks for the tips. It makes sense. They are directly upstairs from a woodstve that is always in use, which keeps the upstairs 75 at least, maybe 80 at times. They also get a lot of morning sun through the window, in additon to the lights. They are in Fox Farm Ocean Forest and growing like weeds. I can't do much about the nutes in FFOF, but maybe if I move them downstairs to a colder room they will slow.
 
Someone else from Virginia told me they'll start hardening their plants in late March and planting in April, something I've never done.  There isn't a lot of difference between zones 6 and 7 so maybe you'd be able to do the same, I'm only trying it with a few plants myself.  I don't know if it will work for you or not with the mountains though, I would think the frost might be a little tougher.  I can see mountains from where I live but still live in the flat part of the Piedmont, sometimes we get frost until June...so it's kind of tricky.
 
ikeepfish said:
Someone else from Virginia told me they'll start hardening their plants in late March and planting in April, something I've never done.  There isn't a lot of difference between zones 6 and 7 so maybe you'd be able to do the same, I'm only trying it with a few plants myself.  I don't know if it will work for you or not with the mountains though, I would think the frost might be a little tougher.  I can see mountains from where I live but still live in the flat part of the Piedmont, sometimes we get frost until June...so it's kind of tricky.
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Around here our last frost date is technically May 20, and I recall always burning the woodstove through April. I always put tomatoes out around May 10th without any issues so far. But I've learned my lesson with peppers. Maybe it is the mountains nearby, but it doesn't really get safe for peppers until June 1.
 
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