Seed starting indoors

[Crealcritter]

I used to buy plants. They were quite pricey. The company grew them where they arrived all struck together. One year they were coated with some green slime chemicals. I realized I was deluding myself with the idea of my garden being organic. So now for a few dollar I grow my own plants. I grow onions as big as the grocery store. I never did that with store bought plants or sets.

I did a trial one year with red / white / yellow onions, 2 rows of each. 1 row sets the other row transplants I started from seed indoors. I cared for them the same throughout the growing season. My rows of transplants starting from seeds grew far better and larger oinions. So I ditched the whole onion sets idea and grow transplants now.

 

[catjac1975]

On the line for zone 6B/7

You can add location in your identification to better exchange advice.

 

[margali]

Do the jiffy peat pellets work well for pepper starting indoors? I have a package of the pellets without trays in my garage sale finds.

 

[Crealcritter]

Do the jiffy peat pellets work well for pepper starting indoors? I have a package of the pellets without trays in my garage sale finds.

If your talking about the peat that is in netting. Yes you can sprout seeds in that medium. But I never liked how the roots grew through the netting and I would gently remove as much of the netting as possibly when I set the seedlings out. Of course this takes a lot of time and seems like more of a hassle than it's worth.

 

[catjac1975]

Do the jiffy peat pellets work well for pepper starting indoors? I have a package of the pellets without trays in my garage sale finds.

I use small plastic pots that I have saved over the years from plants that I have bought. For me, unless I have a mature pepper plant I will only get a few peppers just before frost. Growing them in pots, they will grow to a pretty good size and maturity before planting them out in spring.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

This is my little seed starting area it holds 4 flats per shelf. An old space heater, the top shelf and heat from the the lights (excpecially the transformers) works to bring the heat up. My wife is hot blooded and likes a cool house (60 degrees during the day 55 at night). I'm cool with it though, we hardly use any propane during the winter

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This is some good inspiration. I need to figure out what to do with this extra room I have

I also wanted to add... For onions only I use these special designed cells. They are taller than the normal ones you get at the store. I expecially like them because they force the roots down into the cup at the bottom where the water is and also do a good job at keeping the top soil pretty dry once you get the seeds sprouted and regular water schedule going.

I don't recall where I bought them from online but they are definitely built with thicker injection mold platic than those thin cheap jiffy brand ones at the store.

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We use a similar one for prairie grass seedlings. They are fantastic!

 

[Crealcritter]

This is some good inspiration. I need to figure out what to do with this extra room I have
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We use a similar one for prairie grass seedlings. They are fantastic!
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Looks like it would be a great area for a seed starting shelf. The biggest issue I had to overcome was making sure the shelves were absolutely level. When I add water to the trays they need to be level so all the cells in that tray get the same amount of water.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Looks like it would be a great area for a seed starting shelf. The biggest issue I had to overcome was making sure the shelves were absolutely level. When I add water to the trays they need to be level so all the cells in that tray get the same amount of water.

That is a really good point.

 

[Zeedman]

This is some good inspiration. I need to figure out what to do with this extra room I have
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Is there an outlet nearby? That space may present several challenges. It appears to be a basement, so temperature & humidity could be issues... a fan-driven electric heater might solve both problems. The heater would also discourage stagnant air, which might otherwise promote mildew. The closeness of the space might also be an issue, if it limits access; maybe use a shelf on rollers?

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Is there an outlet nearby? That space may present several challenges. It appears to be a basement, so temperature & humidity could be issues... a fan-driven electric heater might solve both problems. The heater would also discourage stagnant air, which might otherwise promote mildew. The closeness of the space might also be an issue, if it limits access; maybe use a shelf on rollers?

It's an odd room off of my larger basement storage room where I grow other plants. Not worried about airflow and heat due to where it is. I'll setup a fan on a timer for any seedlings in there