seeds Seed Starting Count

[MGOLD86]

Some have already begun to plan next year's season. With the amount of great info on this forum, there is no way you can get through an afternoon of reading without learning something new, finding a new variety you must get your hands on, and making a new friend.

With that being said, I would love to get a general consensus on how everyone goes about sowing seeds. I know that there are a number of factors that go into it, such as available seeds, space, and how many of each plants you want to end up with. Do you sow all of of your stock? Do you plant 3 for 1 so you have 2 that can die, be given away, or stick in pots when the wife isn't looking? Or do you sow one of each and see what pops?

Leave a tip, philosophy, or just an opinion or just go with one of the choices up top. Thanks, this will definitely help those of us faced with no idea of how many to sow, no matter the stock.

Matt

 

[POTAWIE]

I usually expect 10-20% failure, depending on the age and variety of seed

 

[AlabamaJack]

I usually expect 10-20% failure, depending on the age and variety of seed

+ 1

 

[Indiana_Jesse]

I really didn't feel like doing the math but I usually plant 2 seeds per cell/pot and choose the strongest plant of the two and pluck the weaker. I then usually end up giving away at least 33% of my plants after they reach 3"+. So if I have a 6 cell seed starter I plant 2 per cell that is 12 total, then if I have 100% germination, I pluck six, so 6 left, then I give away 2 of 6 at the 3" mark. So I did end up doing the math 12:4 = 3:1

 

[Beaglestorm]

Excluding the seeds that I had 100% failure with and were probably bad, the remaining seeds had a 90% germination rate out of 214. What I learned was that my seeds all popped in 14 days or less so if you get bad germination you can just start another tray and they will be at most 2 weeks behind the others which is no big deal. Next season I am sowing closer to 1:1 with just 1 or 2 extras of each for my favorites.

 

[Silver_Surfer]

I'd say on average 3 germinated to 2 in the garden. Weaklings get discarded and some good plants get tossed too depending on how many I finally decide to plant. Germination rates vary so some varieties may get a second shot at sprouting. I only plant one seed per cell and if I want 2 plants I'd sow 4 cells, if I wanted 4 plants I'd sow 6 cells.

 

[Pepper-Guru]

Growers that got it down, will germinate 9 out of 10 seeds successfully. I still only put one seed per cell though. I don't believe in waste.

There are too many factors that go into germ rates. The biggest one being genetics and actual seed age (along with method of storage). All other reasons will be lack of optimal germination conditions.

 

[PIC 1]

I likewise plant one seed per cell (72 cell flats) I grow the majority to sell, this year I ended up with over 160 to plant out for myself, a few more than I actually anticipated. Buyers were more "Tomato Plant" friendly customers this season! As far as tomato seeds, ther're planted also in 72 cell flats, to difficult to 1 seed it because of their size, so a few seeds per cell, and it's difficult to throw any of the seedlings away especially when most survive!... so they all get potted up

 

[Avon Barksdale]

I get about 90% germination probably. I don't do the math but the great majority of them germinate. After, that, I give a lot away, and scrap some. So, ultimately I probably get plants that I keep from about 50-60% of the seeds. Next year I will be scrapping all the stragglers that come up late though, since I feel like these are inherently weaker seeds that produce weaker plants. I'll also probably be giving less plants away, after seeing how most people didn't take care of them.

Examples...one ran over some of his plants with a lawnmower on accident, the others got eaten by hornworms or something. One kept them in the 3.25" pots rootbound for 2 months, they were just green sticks with a couple small leaves when I saw them (meanwhile mine were 3-4 feet tall and loaded with pods, both started at the same time). My sister had some in a cheapo greenhouse that got knocked over by wind and she claimed they died (very doubtful they died and wouldn't have recovered, but she didn't try). Another one, not sure what she did but her plants aren't producing (probably crappy potting soil and too small of pots). Not to mention I've had extra plants sitting outside in small containers that two people said they wanted and were supposed to pick up, but never did. Out of the ones I gave plants this year only my mom and my friend from Mexico will be getting any plants next year, because they're the only ones who demonstrated that they'll actually take care of them. It's too big of a hassle to maintain that many plants for that long (especially since I ended up with too many for my lights, resulting in a constant chile musical chairs) just to have them wasted anyway, so I'll just scrap the extras early on as painful as that is.

 

[Siliman]

Still laughing over Avon's description of those 'friends' to whom you give plants. Priceless.

I'm using my fuzzy math to say 3:1. Using 20 baggies to "sow" seeds, with avg 12 seeds each, thats 240 seeds. Germination approx 80%. Some lost in transfer to soil, usually after reaching a quasi target for that plant. Remaining 150 pot up. Half of those become cannon fodder give aways to the unwashed masses. Remaining 75 inherit the earth. (in my garden.)

Next year, I think I'll try to plan backward a little better, first determining what I'd like to plant out then making sure I keep those numbers on target. I don't necessarily need to germ 3 seeds to get 1 plant in the ground if I prioritize the Special Ones....

Next year, will switch more to direct seed-in-medium planting, now that I have some confidence in germination rates and overall pot up procedures.