Questions about seedlings! Experts?

[secuono]

Starting seeds indoors, growing indoors for a few weeks-
Trying to avoid legginess and find the perfect temperatures for these to sprout in and then grow in.
Cool weather crops, what temperatures should they sprout and grow indoors?
Warm weather crops, what temperatures should they sprout and grow indoors?

What plants can be 'back filled' up to their seed leaves? Where the stem is covered up and roots grow. I know some, like lettuce, will simply rot if you cover up the stems. I know that tomatoes can be buried up to their seed leaves. What other crops can be buried deeper?

 

[digitS']

Here is the University of Minnesota on: Days to Germination for Vegetable Crops at Various Temperatures

I think that will give you the best ideas for germination, @secuono. Growing, reduce the temperature. It should be regulated relative to the amount of sunlight. Each crop will be different but commercial greenhouses are often cooler than our homes by 5 or 10°f. Yes, with bright sunshine it may be 80° but usually, cooler than 70°.

I need to do better about legginess in the greenhouse. The spring cloudiness is a problem and I make it worse by crowding things. "Checkerboarding" the pots is something I need to do more of. Also, the only air movement on cool days is when the furnace fan runs. I would like to find a good location for another fan.

Really, I can think of only 1 species that benefits from transplanting deep - tomatoes. Squash and such in the garden may root along the vines but they are not indoors long enough for that.

Steve

 

[Ridgerunner]

When I transplant things into the garden I tend to bury them deep. That's partly to keep the roots from drying out until they are established and partly to support the plant so it doesn't fall over. When I was cleaning up the garden last fall, I dug some stuff up to look at the root system.

The tomatoes had formed roots all along the buried stem, not just at the leaf nodes though there were some thicker roots at the nodes. The peppers had not developed any roots, even at the leaf nodes. The only roots were at the original end of the plant. Zinnias were probably the most interesting. They had sprouted roots at the highest buried leaf node but the stem under that had rotted.

I think the cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower had only the deep root mass, no sprouts higher up, but I can't remember for sure. I don't need to keep better notes, I need to keep notes period.

I'd think if you buried the cucurbits deep enough to include a leaf node they might send out roots there, but I grow those from seed planted direct in the garden. I don't start any of those inside. With my growing season I don't need to.

 

[secuono]

My house is at 70-76F, DH keeps turning the heat up, I turn it down!
The kitchen and bathroom are noticeably cooler, 10 degrees or more. Floor in any room is 10 degrees cooler or more. Our cellar/crawlspace isn't insulated, floor isn't insulated, so that icy air flows up.
Livingroom floor is 65F or so, heater is just 10ft away, but as we all know, heat rises and is a massive pain because of it, lol.
I'll look over the site, thanks!

 

[digitS']

I've enjoyed finding a little more information from The Experts . Here is a table from a pdf file, Michigan State Univ floriculturalist.


notice the photoperiod of 16 hours. even here near the 49th parallel, we wouldn't have that much sunlight until June 21st and then ... not really

The advantage of the days gained varies. Let's just look at the warm-season Celosia. More than a month gained with a 5° increase from 57° to 63°!! But, then see what happens after that. There was a 8 day difference between 63° and 68°. Only 4 day bump between 68° and 73°.

What doesn't appear on the table is plant height and the number of blooms. On that same webpage at MSU, here is another researcher. Look at the number of blooms at flowering!


Here is what the first guy says: "There is one major benefit to growing crops relatively cool in early spring, when light is limiting in northern latitudes. Crops grown cool take longer to flower, so they have a longer time to accumulate light. Because of this, many crops are higher quality (more branching, thicker stems and more flowers) when grown at moderately low temperatures."

Steve

 

[secuono]

Hmmm....so, what temps should lettuce seedlings grow in?
What temps should tomato seedlings grow in?

Restarted my mini lettuce, hardly 2 days at 76F and they have sprouted! Waiting for the rest to poke up, then will slowly transition them to...???...I guess a cooler temp. 70? 65? Not too sure. Ideas?

You may be able to just see hints of them!

 

[digitS']

Of course, you aren't wanting the lettuce to flower ... for a good long while.

I'd say they are more like Impatiens than Celosia.

It partly depends on the light they are receiving. I'd just about always choose 65° over 75° ... unless it's peppers. Then, I'm pretty much in trouble.

In a few weeks, I can get them on the highest shelf in the greenhouse for awhile. Lettuce, broccoli and onions - those sorts of things - can go lowest.

The south room of this house is always the coolest during late winter just because of how this house is put together. That's fortunate because the seedlings need to migrate out there for light as soon as they emerge from the soil mix in the kitchen.

Now, I just need to stay warm hanging out on the pc and sharing that window with them!

Steve

 

[secuono]

I'm officially out of light hoods!! =0
Transplanted the wee lettuces! It is 60 or a bit colder at night there and 68 under the light during the day/when lights are on.
I hope it will be bright enough, as I cannot do any better for now. Have 4 lights on the plants in the upstairs hallway.

 

[so lucky]

I'm having to hold myself back from planting something, but I promised myself I would wait till the first of February. Got new bulbs put in the florescent units in the basement. Hope I don't sunburn the houseplants I have growing down there!
It may not be the best practice, but I pretty much grow everything at the same temperature. I do germinate the peppers and tomatoes in warmer temps, (fridge top) but they are moved to the basement as soon as I see green.

 

[secuono]

Lights are flickering when I turn on the bedroom light, these plants are really pushing it!