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seeds Planting seeds

W

wordwiz

First, I want to change my username to Black Thumb!

Anyway, from several messages, it seems a great way to start seeds is in a plastic cup. So how much soil - in inches - goes into the cup? I want to leave it in the cup until I move it to a three gallon container. The cups are, what, 6 inches tall? Fill the cup up to 4 inches, put the seed on top, add 1/4 inch spoil and then after the seed sprouts (if it ever does - see Black Thumb) add an inch of soil. Once the seedling gets root-bound, it would have four inches of roots and close to two inches of soil around the stem.

Does this seem close?
 
wordwiz, why not just fill the cup almost to the top so that it does not get root bound once the seed sprouts you do not have to add any soil, just light. and as far as the seed starting goes I just put enough sifted Pro-Mix to cover the seed seems to me that it does'nt have to work so hard to get out, has worked very well for me. I just had 3 out of six experimental Nagas come up in seven days.

Dale
 
wordwiz, why not just fill the cup almost to the top so that it does not get root bound once the seed sprouts you do not have to add any soil, just light. and as far as the seed starting goes I just put enough sifted Pro-Mix to cover the seed seems to me that it does'nt have to work so hard to get out, has worked very well for me. I just had 3 out of six experimental Nagas come up in seven days.

Dale
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Dale,

My experience, which does not involve peppers, is that seeds that sprout tend to have a very long stem that is not very supportive. My thoughts - and they are probably way off, are that if I can get a seed to sprout and start growing, four inches of roots is more than enough to sustain it. At the same time, if I can add potting soil to cup, and surround the stem, it will help the plant be stronger.

Then again, I've already stated I want my username changed!
 
wordwiz said:
Dale,

My experience, which does not involve peppers, is that seeds that sprout tend to have a very long stem that is not very supportive. My thoughts - and they are probably way off, are that if I can get a seed to sprout and start growing, four inches of roots is more than enough to sustain it. At the same time, if I can add potting soil to cup, and surround the stem, it will help the plant be stronger.

Then again, I've already stated I want my username changed!
Click to expand...

Word,

From what I have read (mind you, I am no expert), if the seedling has a long stem it could be due to not enough light. I use a small oscillating fan set on low to blow on my seedlings. It has worked well for me so far and my seedlings are very strong. The fan acts like the wind and "exercises" the seedlings making them have strong stems. I just transplanted 9 seedlings from 9 ounce cups to 6 inch pots last week. The seeds were started on 1 November and they are very healthy looking. The seedlings were starting to grow roots out of the bottom drain holes in the cup at 5 weeks. JMO.
 
wordwiz, AlabamaJack is correct the plants are reaching for the light so as soon as they sprout they need to be under the light the longer you wait the more leggy they will get.

from my experience when a plant gets root bound it starts to slow thier growth so yes 4 inches of soil will sustain the plant but isn't the purpose of starting seeds early to get them as big as possible before we set them out? Last year I had some seedlings that I left in a 72 cell tray for a month they continued to grow but they looked like the limbs of some of the other plants that were put into 4 inch pots
 
AJ and Thepodpiper are right the seedling is reaching for the light as soon as you see green put under the lights.I plant in ground and use(I know I will get some feed back on this)3in peat pots so I can put in the ground,have had no problem at all been growing for 36 years at less20 of them with the peat pots.Ileave at less 1/2inch from top so I can water with out over flow.
Dan




LET IT BURN
 
The plants are under lights. A couple that recently sprouted seem to not be getting quite as "leggy" but I wonder if keeping the planters in warm water and heated cage has any effect?

AJ, what's the advantage of transplanting your seedling to a six-inch pot if they are already busting out of a nine-ounce cup? Wouldn't it be just as efficient to put them in a three-five gallon container and avoid having to transplant them again?
 
If you put them in big pots right away they take up too much room(especially under lights) and there can be lack of oxygen in the roots with the extra soil and water. I go through as many as 8 different size pots but usually 5. Repotting also gives you the opportunity to bury deeper and strengthen leggy plants.
 
wordwiz said:
AJ, what's the advantage of transplanting your seedling to a six-inch pot if they are already busting out of a nine-ounce cup? Wouldn't it be just as efficient to put them in a three-five gallon container and avoid having to transplant them again?
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POTAWIE said:
If you put them in big pots right away they take up too much room(especially under lights) and there can be lack of oxygen in the roots with the extra soil and water. I go through as many as 8 different size pots but usually 5. Repotting also gives you the opportunity to bury deeper and strengthen leggy plants.
Click to expand...

Potawie beat me to it. I am limited on height in my germinator (24 inches) and the 6" pots will allow me to grow another 8 inches before I move inside my garage plus I am going to give a couple away for christmas presents. This will allow whoever to repot them into whatever pot they want.

I may have one more transplant before moving them to my garage, but eventually what I keep will end up in 5 gallon buckets.

I started 5 Red Savina seeds on 4 December. Before I read all the negativism about Reimer's, I had ordered a pack from him (already have two other red savina packs from Renee's Garden) so this is a test of germination for the Reimer's Red Savina Seeds.

Geez, the wife is going to freak when she sees all the pepper plants in the garage.
 
I had redsavina seeds from Reimers a few years ago and they were good. Since its a PVP variety, Reimers likely don't breed these ones just sell them but I still don't encourage anyone to buy from them.
 
One pepper seed that is on my "must have" list is a Hot Lemon (Limon, Aji Limon, whatever) and I am having trouble finding them in the US. Pepper Joe has some seeds, but $7.50 (counting shipping) for 15 seeds is almost what one would expect to pay on e-bay. Update: The Hot Pepper Institute is far better - $5 for 30 seeds (including shipping, but if I order some more packets it comes out as $3.60 or so). I think it's better to support THPI instead of Pepper Joe, but that's just my opinion.

Has anyone ordered seed from them?
 
To sort of revive this thread - does circulation in the germinator have much importance? Mine doesn't have any and I'm wondering if that is contributing to being unable to germinate seeds. I've got a range exhaust fan that fits inside of it nicely (it also has a light outlet) that I can use for a hour or two at a time, a couple of times a day. At this time, it is about the only option I have, except maybe forgetting about keeping it heated.

Life would be so much easier if I didn't have to have ripe peppers by the end of July!

Merry Christmas,

Mike
 
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