Thanks.

I had actually sown a few tomato seeds a few weeks back (didn't think they were worth mentioning) when none of them appeared I assumed they hadn't enough light or heat (they were just in a slightly cold utility room near the window, but two little tomato seedlings have appeared (that's two out of 10) I've now singled them out, give them plenty of light etc. and they're looking quite good, seem to be getting bigger & two little leaves are opening out at the top, so *fingers crossed*

Also, I know I'm being wildly optimistic at this stage but what size would tomato plants need to reach before being planted out or in a growbag green house? Would they go from the tray, to larger pots before the growbag? What height/ stage should they be at? Also same question regarding the cucumber & corgettes if I'm in any way successful with them?

Thanks again everyone, sorry for the endless questions :S

Freedom_Spark wrote in
:


Also, I know I'm being wildly optimistic at this stage but what size
would tomato plants need to reach before being planted out or in a
growbag green house? Would they go from the tray, to larger pots before
the growbag? What height/ stage should they be at? Also same question
regarding the cucumber & corgettes if I'm in any way successful with
them?

Thanks again everyone, sorry for the endless questions :S

When they have a couple true leaves (the initial leaves on most plants
are round, true leaves develop next), it would probably be a good time to
transplant them. Tomatoes can be planted deep, go up to the true leaves
if you can.

Now's a good time to make sure you have tomato cages, or a plan to stake
them. Stores will sell out about the time you need them and won't order
more to avoid being stuck with them over the winter. (At least in my
area in the Midwest US.)

Puckdropper
--
You can only do so much with caulk, cardboard, and duct tape.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

In article ,
Freedom_Spark wrote:

Also, I know I'm being wildly optimistic at this stage but what size
would tomato plants need to reach before being planted out or in a
growbag green house? Would they go from the tray, to larger pots before
the growbag? What height/ stage should they be at? Also same question
regarding the cucumber & corgettes if I'm in any way successful with
them?

Thanks again everyone, sorry for the endless questions :S

I'd wait until second leaf at least and what is the temp of the green
house. Soil for tomatoes should be at least 70F to plant them. Check
temp requirements for the others.
--

Billy

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=7WBB0s...eature=related

In article ,
Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:

Freedom_Spark wrote in
:


Also, I know I'm being wildly optimistic at this stage but what size
would tomato plants need to reach before being planted out or in a
growbag green house? Would they go from the tray, to larger pots before
the growbag? What height/ stage should they be at? Also same question
regarding the cucumber & corgettes if I'm in any way successful with
them?

Thanks again everyone, sorry for the endless questions :S

When they have a couple true leaves (the initial leaves on most plants
are round, true leaves develop next), it would probably be a good time to
transplant them. Tomatoes can be planted deep, go up to the true leaves
if you can.

Now's a good time to make sure you have tomato cages, or a plan to stake
them. Stores will sell out about the time you need them and won't order
more to avoid being stuck with them over the winter. (At least in my
area in the Midwest US.)

Puckdropper

Worse comes to worse, I got bamboo:-)
--

Billy

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=7WBB0s...eature=related

Freedom_Spark said:



Also, I know I'm being wildly optimistic at this stage but what size
would tomato plants need to reach before being planted out or in a
growbag green house? Would they go from the tray, to larger pots before
the growbag? What height/ stage should they be at? Also same question
regarding the cucumber & corgettes if I'm in any way successful with
them?

Thanks again everyone, sorry for the endless questions :S

When the roots start poking out of the starter pots (they should have
a few leaves beyond the first 'seed leaves' by then), I'd pot them up
in a larger size pot. Then after they put on some more growth,
slowly start getting them accustomed to their eventual outside
conditions. (This could take a few days.) After that, in the ground
or growbag. Should probably have roots growing all over the
in-between pot by then, too.

(I think all the seeds that are going to sprout from my April 12
planting have done so. Except for one heirloom tomato variety,
the germination has been very good. Lucky thing for me I decided
right at planting time to increase the number of starts for that one.
Two of four haven't shown at all, and only one of the remaining two
is actually a viable seedling.)

--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

After enlightenment, the laundry.

What's happened to my lettuce seedlings??? :-(

Just as I thought I was getting the hang of this gardening thing, I went out to check on them yesterday & alot of my tiny little lettuce seedlings have been uprooted, I've no idea what happened, I'm going to hope some have survived & start a few more on the inside & try & get them past their early, delicate phase before planting out.

Anyone have any ideas what may have went wrong?

In article ,
Freedom_Spark wrote:

What's happened to my lettuce seedlings??? :-(

Just as I thought I was getting the hang of this gardening thing, I
went out to check on them yesterday & alot of my tiny little lettuce
seedlings have been uprooted, I've no idea what happened, I'm going to
hope some have survived & start a few more on the inside & try & get
them past their early, delicate phase before planting out.

Anyone have any ideas what may have went wrong?

Sounds like a garden predator.

Build a chicken wire cage over them.
--
--

Peace! Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson

Freedom_Spark said:

What's happened to my lettuce seedlings??? :-(

Just as I thought I was getting the hang of this gardening thing, I
went out to check on them yesterday & alot of my tiny little lettuce
seedlings have been uprooted, I've no idea what happened, I'm
going to hope some have survived & start a few more on the inside
& try & get them past their early, delicate phase before planting out.

Anyone have any ideas what may have went wrong?

Possibly birds. They can be a nuisance in spring, pulling up tiny
seedlings or nipping off larger ones. I have a set of bird netting
which I use to protect my sweet corn plantings--I have actually
watch a bird pull up the tiny shoots to nip off the seed. And
I have small wire tents I put over squash and sunflower seeds.

Another possibility would be four-footed critters digging in that
nice, soft garden soil. Cats are notorious for this. And they
can leave...presents...
--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

After enlightenment, the laundry.

Freedom_Spark wrote in
:


Thanks, I closed off a small gap beside my gate & since then there
hasn't been any damage, must have been the neighbour's cat, because all
of our dogs are too big to have made it through.

Any way, a few more questions...

My radishes, lettuce, garlic, carrots etc. all seem to be doing quite
well however, I'm slightly worried about my red onions they were
planted as bulbs & there has been no noticable growth, what should I be
seeing by now?

Onions look like a tall and slightly more sturdy grass coming up. I've
got three yellow ones so far, and they were planted about a week ago.

Also, would there be any reason that my courgettes appear to be growing
roots upwards :-S I hope there's no specific way seeds have to be
planted I just randomly throw them in the tray & push them down
slightly.

Some seeds ARE picky about how they're planted. Green beans, for
example, start growing roots at the "eye". Nice thing about them is they
right themselves as they come out of the ground.

Most of the time you can just replant it properly and it'll do ok.

Also, a sweet pepper question, do they require alot of heat to grow
because I've had a few in trays just with propogator lids on top but no
sign of germination as yet.

What's your seed packet say? (This is my first year with peppers, too.
Not sure where they are in the garden, either...)

Thanks again everyone I'll get the hang of it eventually


Have fun, and remember that even seasoned gardeners run in to problems.
;-)

Puckdropper--
You can only do so much with caulk, cardboard, and duct tape.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

On Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:09:12 +0100, Freedom_Spark
wrote:


Thanks, I closed off a small gap beside my gate & since then there
hasn't been any damage, must have been the neighbour's cat, because all
of our dogs are too big to have made it through.

Any way, a few more questions...

My radishes, lettuce, garlic, carrots etc. all seem to be doing quite
well however, I'm slightly worried about my red onions they were
planted as bulbs & there has been no noticable growth, what should I be
seeing by now?

Also, would there be any reason that my courgettes appear to be growing
roots upwards :-S I hope there's no specific way seeds have to be
planted I just randomly throw them in the tray & push them down
slightly.

Plants can sense the Earth's gravitational field. Geotropism is the
term applied to the consequent orientation response of growing plant
parts. Roots are positively geotropic, that is, they will bend and
grow downwards, towards the center of the Earth. In contrast, shoots
are negatively geotropic, that is, they will bend and grow upwards, or
away, from the surface.

These geotropisms can be demonstrated easily with seedlings grown
entirely in darkness. A seedling with its radicle (or seedling root)
and shoot already in the expected orientation can be turned upside
down, or placed on its side, while kept in darkness. The root will
subsequently bend and grow downwards, and the shoot upwards. Because
the plant is still in darkness, phototropism (a growth movement in
response to light) can be eliminated as an explanation for these
movements. http://science.jrank.org/pages/3032/Geotropism.html

Also, a sweet pepper question, do they require alot of heat to grow
because I've had a few in trays just with propogator lids on top but no
sign of germination as yet.
Peppers need 75° to 80°F to germinate. 10 to 30 days.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

Thanks, I closed off a small gap beside my gate & since then there hasn't been any damage, must have been the neighbour's cat, because all of our dogs are too big to have made it through.

Any way, a few more questions...

My radishes, lettuce, garlic, carrots etc. all seem to be doing quite well however, I'm slightly worried about my red onions they were planted as bulbs & there has been no noticable growth, what should I be seeing by now?

Also, would there be any reason that my courgettes appear to be growing roots upwards :-S I hope there's no specific way seeds have to be planted I just randomly throw them in the tray & push them down slightly.

Also, a sweet pepper question, do they require alot of heat to grow because I've had a few in trays just with propogator lids on top but no sign of germination as yet.

Thanks again everyone I'll get the hang of it eventually

In article ,
Freedom_Spark wrote:

Thanks, I closed off a small gap beside my gate & since then there
hasn't been any damage, must have been the neighbour's cat, because all
of our dogs are too big to have made it through.

Any way, a few more questions...

My radishes, lettuce, garlic, carrots etc. all seem to be doing quite
well however, I'm slightly worried about my red onions they were
planted as bulbs & there has been no noticable growth, what should I be
seeing by now?

Also, would there be any reason that my courgettes appear to be growing
roots upwards :-S I hope there's no specific way seeds have to be
planted I just randomly throw them in the tray & push them down
slightly.

Also, a sweet pepper question, do they require alot of heat to grow
because I've had a few in trays just with propogator lids on top but no
sign of germination as yet.
Peppers may take 2-3 weeks to germinate, under ideal conditions. Optimum
temp, according to the Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 80F to 85F is the
optimum temperature for germination. Cooler or warmer will slow down or
prevent germination.

Thanks again everyone I'll get the hang of it eventually
--

Billy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVTf...ef=patrick.net
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=7WBB0s...eature=related

Hi again everyone, back with more questions.

I got hold of a few strawberry plants, 8 in total just wondering what I should do, someone recommended growing them in a hanging basket, any advice?

Also I have noticed a few nibbles out of my radishes & lettuce, I'm beginning to think I might have slug issues & I know this might sound like a stupid question but is there any way I cold prevent them from doing any damage without killing them? I've been a vegetarian since I was 19, two years now & that was one of the main reasons I started the garden, killing the slugs just wouldn't feel right! (Most people I've spoken to find that hilarious btw, so feel free to laugh ;-D)

Now a rhubarb question, I have looked everywhere for rhubarb to plant but no luck, what is the best method of growing rhubarb & where is the best place to find it?

Finally, at what stage should sweetcorn be planted out? I started some inside & the seedlings are looking really well, any advice on that would be great.

Thanks again.

In article ,
says...

Hi again everyone, back with more questions.

I got hold of a few strawberry plants, 8 in total just wondering what I
should do, someone recommended growing them in a hanging basket, any
advice?

Also I have noticed a few nibbles out of my radishes & lettuce, I'm
beginning to think I might have slug issues & I know this might sound
like a stupid question but is there any way I cold prevent them from
doing any damage without killing them? I've been a vegetarian since I
was 19, two years now & that was one of the main reasons I started the
garden, killing the slugs just wouldn't feel right! (Most people I've
spoken to find that hilarious btw, so feel free to laugh ;-D)

Now a rhubarb question, I have looked everywhere for rhubarb to plant
but no luck, what is the best method of growing rhubarb & where is the
best place to find it?

Finally, at what stage should sweetcorn be planted out? I started some
inside & the seedlings are looking really well, any advice on that
would be great.

For example

http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page...41&cat=2,51555