how to grow sturdy plants from seed

ohiogoatgirl

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i grew plants from seed last year but some family drama (have a garden at a house you arent currently living in and no one ever takes you over to tend the garden, the house hase no running water or a creek) so my plants died so i dont know if they were any good...

anyone have any tips for growing good plants from seed?

i'm growing all my stuff from seed this year... or thats the plan anyway...
 

lesa

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I think you have it figured out. When plants are small, they really do need to be babied. If you are available for watering and weeding, everything will work out fine!
Seedlings can't take much stress. A day of drying out, can do them in. Have you started any seeds yet? Don't forget a lot of seeds can go right in the ground. This makes the gardeners job much easier! You are so excited about gardening, I predict great harvests for you this year! Happy Gardening!
 

ohiogoatgirl

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right now here is what i have in the window that has come up:
peppers (half of the seeds came up)
tomatoes
brussel sprouts
broccoli
a few onion
soapwort

what hasnt come up yet:
mugwort
peppers (the half of the seeds that didnt come up)

and i have lots of stuff that gets planted out in my greenhouse (5x5x6.5 ft) but i might have to take over the dining room table to put the plants on and plant more seeds in the window starters because it snowed yesterday and we are supposed to be getting more :( </3

also i have turnip, parsnip, carrot, radish, etc seeds that say to plant like 2 weeks before last frost. forcasted last frost i've read for me is april 18. so i'm supposed to plant these like april 1???
 

patandchickens

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Peppers tend to take their time germinating AND they really do prefer considerably warm soil, so that may be why yours aren't up yet. They may come up later, or may not.

also i have turnip, parsnip, carrot, radish, etc seeds that say to plant like 2 weeks before last frost. forcasted last frost i've read for me is april 18. so i'm supposed to plant these like april 1???
Yup! :)

Pat
 

Mattemma

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Zuchinini type plants always produced very well for me with little care. I throw seeds all over the yard,and don't always get to watering them. Chives grow well too.

I think you would enjoy tomatillos and ground cherries.

I don't have great soil so when I plant something(seed or transplant) I will put good soil in the hole for the plant instead of just using the garden soil.
 

jakesebastin

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Sometimes it becomes too much difficult to grow sturdy plants from seed. As they required great care and particular plant food with the nutrients and fertilizers so requires to be taken care of.
 

Dave2000

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I find that things I grow from seed are sturdier than what I could get at the nursery because I give them more light so they have thicker stems per height and aren't "as" root bound since I use larger pots per their size at the time of repotting... and some nursery plants aren't even in more than starter trays, and starting them inside after the cold months there's little if any harmful insects inside so all I have to contend with is keeping air moving and moisture levels low enough that fungus doesn't start growing.
 

so lucky

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I learned something valuable this year, starting my plants from seeds. (Besides what a money saver!) I planted way too many and had to provide light for plants I ended up not even using. From now on, I will only start what I am sure I can fit in the garden, plus maybe 10% more to allow for injuries or accidents. Then they can be transferred up to the proper size pot at the right time because I will have the room for them.There's always next year!
 

catjac1975

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My seedlings are not as sturdy as what you get from the professional growers. Other home growers I know agree with my observation that our sad little plants rebound much faster in the garden. I think the prof. grown plants are over fertilized to look good. Many that I've purchased languish in the ground while my home grown flourish.
jakesebastin said:
Sometimes it becomes too much difficult to grow sturdy plants from seed. As they required great care and particular plant food with the nutrients and fertilizers so requires to be taken care of.
 

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