Path: lysator.liu.se!isy!liuida!sunic!uunet!destroyer!news.iastate.edu!iscsvax.uni.edu!klier From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu Newsgroups: rec.gardens Subject: More on seed starting Message-ID: <1993Mar10.112222.11545@iscsvax.uni.edu> Date: 10 Mar 93 11:22:22 -0600 Organization: University of Northern Iowa Lines: 50 One of the questions that managed to make it through to my email-- apparently some mail messages to me have gone to The Great Bit Bucket In The Sky... Share some with me, please. I would like to start some seedlings indoors. I bought some Jiffy-7s and enlarged them this weekend. I read that the seeds should be kept at 70 degrees. That is not easy to do, is it? Can't I just place them in my house which I try to keep at 68 to 72 degrees? Then, I know after the seedlings emerge, I need to keep them under lights. I planned on using fluorescent lights, held about 2 inches from the plants. Won't that keep them from becoming leggy? Botanist who used to work in a seed testing lab.... Most temperate zone seeds do well at 68-75oF day temps, with a 10-15 degree drop at night. Most will also do well germinating at a +/- constant temp of 65-75oF (somewhere in that range, with temp fluctuations of +/- 5o won't hurt at all.) (Warning: soil temp may be well below room temp-- cooling due to evaporation... 8-) ) I used to start my seeds at home on top of the refrigerator, because it was the warmest spot in the house -- about 75o. I had a fluorescent light that I used to orient the seedlings -- that was about 4" above the trays. After the first true leaves were out, I moved them to a bright S window, temps perhaps 60-65 day, 50 at night, with another fluorescent about 4" above the leaves. Worked OK for me. I transplant into regular 6-paks or 9 paks* or whatever I can get cheap at the two true leaf stage (alternate leaved species) or two pairs of leaves (opposite leaved species). That's a bit later than most people transplant, but I sow seeds thinly, and it is what seems to work best for me. I also set young plants out in the garden ASAP-- I really detest transplanting some poor root-bound seedling into the great outdoors. When I see roots coming out the drain holes, I _definitely_ make time to transplant!!! I'm not too fond of Jiffy 7's or 9's for seedlings, 'cause they take SO much room. I normally sow on sterile potting soil, covering the seeds about 1/8" deep (tiny seeds) or 1/4" deep (marigold size) with milled sphagnum moss, which keeps the area around the seeds moist and kills damp-off fungi. Might check with your local library and see if they have Park's Success with Seeds or Bubel's Seed Starter's Handbook. Both pretty good! Kay From: Libby Goldstein Date: 06 Mar 93 12:44 PST Subject: Re: "Water, Light and Love" -- book que I guess I did something wrong and lost some of what I wrote. So here's the rest. I think it was published by Applewood Seed Co as a promotion. I don't even know if they're still around. Park Seed Co. has a very comprehensive book on starting plants from seed. Write them at: Park Seed Co.,Cokesbury Rd., Greenwood, SC 29647-0001. Nancy Bubel's "The Seed Starters' Handbook" published by Rodale Press should still be avail- able too. From: gurka@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (Judy Gurka) Subject: Seeds (was: Can I start Calif. poppy seeds indoors?) Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1993 01:28:40 GMT A great book on starting stuff from seeds is: The New Seed Starters Handbook by Nancy Bubel Rodale Press (*not* like some of the lightweight books from that publisher) It goes beyond a simple reference - interesting just to read. The four sections of the book are: I. Starting Seeds Indoors II. Moving Plants Outdoors III. Special Techniques and Situations IV. Saving Seeds and Making Future Plans plus ... Encyclopedia of Plants to Grow from Seed And now, a sample from the book. Within the week (but now gone to newsgroup heaven) was an article on the difficulties of germinating columbine (Colorado's state flower); I didn't see any responses, so here's what the book says. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short version (for those whose spring has sprung ;-) : problem: spotty columbine germination cause: needs light to germinate solution: don't cover with dirt related: (sorry, you don't have time - get back to the garden ... ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Long version (for those just barely resisting buying more plants when the dining room table is already covered, and snow is on the way) : [quotes from above book] -- begin quote -- Flowers that need light to germinate We're accustomed to tucking seeds in under a thin blanket of soil when we plant them, but there are some flower seeds that should not be covered. For these seeds, exposure to light increases the permeability of their membranes, allowing oxygen to penetrate their seed coats more readily (as you remember, a germinating seed needs oxygen to support its quickened respiration). In most cases, it's a matter of degree. Seeds that need light to germinate may produce a few seedlings when covered (perhaps these are the ones that weren't quite covered after being sown), but many more will germinate if light reaches the seeds. In tests on cactus and tuberous begonia seeds, for example, 30 percent of the seeds germinated when covered, whereas 80 percent germinated when exposed to light. -- end quote -- This implies that there are no vegies that need light? Anybody? Wait, I looked back a couple of pages: -- begin quote -- ... some tree seeds either require light for germination or germinate more completely in the presence of light. Most vegetable seeds are indifferent to the amount of light ... -- end quote -- And now, a long list of which seeds do need light, which may need some light, and which need darkness. -- begin quote -- Flower Seeds that Need Light to Germinate Annuals Perennials Biennials Ageratum Alyssum saxatile Bellflowers Begonias Balloonflower English Daisies Browallia Chinese Lanterns Fosglove Coleus (tender perennial) Chrysanthemums Godetia ** Columbines ** Impatiens Edelweiss Kochia False Rock Cress Lobelia Feverfew Mignonette Gaillardia Petunias Maltese Cross Portulaca Oriental Poppies Scarlet Sage Primroses (except Chinese) Snapdragons Rock Cress Strawflowers Shasta Daisies Sweet Alysum Sweet Rocket -------- Flower Seeds that Often Germinate Best in Some Light Annuals African Daisies Nicotinia Balsam Stocks Celosia Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower) Cleome Transvaal Daisies (tender perennial) Cosmos Wishbone flowers Monkey Flower (Mimulus) -------- Flower Seeds that Germinate Best in Darkness (Cover these seeds with 1/4 inch of fine soil, well firmed down.) Annuals Perennials Bachelor's Buttons Delphiniums Butterfly Flowers Poppies (except Oriental) Calendula Shamrocks Globe Amaranth Soapwort Masturtiums Nemesia Painted Daisies Pansies (biennial) Phlox drummondi Salpiglossus (painted tongue) Sweet Peas Verbena -- end quote -- Whew! Lots more than might be expected need light - hopefully this will be helpful to some of you good folks out there, who have given me lots of information and entertainment - thanks! If it's still too early to plant, you might amuse yourself reading some packets of seeds from the first group, to see how many mention the light requirement - I don't find many. Judy Gurka gurka@cs.colorado.edu