Re: [gardeners] seed starting yet?
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 27 Dec 2001 09:39:18 -0600
I will start my spring planting seeds during the second week of January. I start them in peat pots
in a tray and keep them on the shelves in my office under fluorescent lights, one daylight, one
kitchen and bath. They get spritzed as soon as the tiny plants show with cold chamomile tea to ward
off wilt and then bottom watered and fed until time to plant out in late February early March.
Generally I will have 5 or 6 different chiles, at least that many tomatoes, 6 or 7 eggplant, and a
number of purple hyacinth bean (which do better as starts for me rather than direct planted). I end
up with about 30 plants of chile and tomato and at least that many hyacinth bean as I give the
hyacinth bean plants away a lot.
The starts are put into the greenhouse to harden off as I can open it up during the day and close
the door and turn on the heater at night.
Our last frost date is generally February 18th but some years it runs later and I suspect this may
be one of those years. Direct planted seeds go into the ground when the ground temperature reaches
65F. Usually in early March as the garden is in direct sun for 12 hours a day or more.
George
flylo@txcyber.com wrote:
>
> To the folk on list who start seed in flats to be set out in the Spring,
> what types are you starting, and when do you begin to set the flats?
> I usually don't think about it until just a couple of weeks prior to
> needing them in the garden. I have a 'semi-ok' greenhouse that I
> could be using to start a lot of seeds this season.
> Our last frost date here is usually mid-March tho this past year I
> had corn up in the garden by Feb 22. (covered with remay for the
> first couple of weeks).
> martha