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Glenna Rose

05-03-2006 07:19 PM

Watering Tomatoes

writes:
[snip]

You might want to give them natural light during the day since you only
have a few. I don't know if the lights in your bath are strong enough
unless they are just inches above your plants.

I'm doing something a bit different this year with the babies. As soon as
the first plants (started in peat pellets) were 3/4-1-inch tall, I started
moving them into larger peat pots filled with starting soil. They are all
in standard nursery trays which makes the next step a bit easier. Each
morning, I take the trays outside and put them in a raised bed with an old
storm window over them - a makeshift cold frame - and bring them in at
night. This way they get the full daylight (sunshine isn't the right word
for our area!) during the day. It seems to be working very well as, so
far, nothing is getting leggy (or leaning to one side) and all plants look
healthy.

Interestingly, the cauliflower was the first to sprout, tomatoes next.
Even basil is growing like this; it didn't grow at all before for me. I
started with one tray of plantings, three seeds in each pellet, six
pellets of each, so now have 18 plants of each that I planted, figure
that's a great sprout rate.

I'll report back later as to whether this is working. One thing for
certain they shouldn't need any hardening off to plant them when the time
comes as they will already be semi-hardened. It's a lot of extra effort
with regard to moving them, but still less than walking a dog. g

So, Seth, you might try setting them outside during the day for that extra
light, depending, of course, on non-30s temps. If you daytime temperature
is at least 10 degrees above freezing at all times, it might be okay.

On another note, has anyone thought of trying mirrors to help maximize the
light from the grow lights used for starting seeds? Any thoughts as to
whether it would be effective?

Glenna

James

05-03-2006 07:56 PM

Watering Tomatoes

The other day it was below 40 and windy but my car that was sitting in
the sun had 80 inside .

Last winter I had plastic cover over my elephant garlic. Grew some
monsters. Got lazy this winter and the garlic are less than 4 inches
tall.

I got a bunch of free used storm windows but just too lazy to set up
the cold frames. Easier to whine and beg from other gardeners for
their excess.

Penelope Periwinkle

05-03-2006 09:26 PM

Watering Tomatoes

On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 11:19:39 -0800, (Glenna Rose)
wrote:

On another note, has anyone thought of trying mirrors to help maximize the
light from the grow lights used for starting seeds? Any thoughts as to
whether it would be effective?

I use aluminum foil. A single strip of shop lights isn't really wide
enough for some of my seed trays, so I run aluminum foil from the
outside of the seed tray to the outside of the shop light. Works like
charm. Some times the outer seedlings would lean toward the light, now
they stand up straight.

Penelope
--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

Seth	08-03-2006 03:58 PM

Watering Tomatoes

Well, It has been about 9 days since I transplanted them. They are
doing great. They have grown a good bit. But I notice on two of them,
that the leaves were curling and had very faint dark spots on them. I
read that it could be a phosphorus deficiency. I want to try to fix
it before it becomes a serious problem.

Thanks for the input

Seth

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