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Need advice: starting seeds
I am starting my first garden season here in NC. I want to start some
seeds indoor (flowers, herbs and some vegetables like peppers and tomatoes). When is the best time to start them? Should I have already started my tomato and other seeds that say to start them 6-7 weeks before last frost date? Do I need to use grow light for this or it is not necessary? Thank you, Genya |
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Hi Genya, You should find these sites helpful. Flowers - perennials and annuals http://www.muextension.missouri.edu/...ort/g06570.htm http://theseedsite.co.uk/ http://www.savvygardener.com/Feature..._calendar.html http://www.chestnut-sw.com/seedhp.htm http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/wtrsow/ http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/wtrsow/ Veggie info: http://nctomatoman.topcities.com/Off...g/OTV4SEED.htm http://tomclothier.hort.net/page11.html http://www.savvygardener.com/Feature..._calendar.html http://www.gardenersnet.com/veggies.htm http://www.explore.cornell.edu/scene...0a%20Vegetable http://www.savvygardener.com/Feature...egetables.html That should get you started. Don't hesitate to ask more questions. Do keep in mind that paying attention to the soil (when planting in the garden) is most important. Healthy soil that has been amended with compost will give you healthier plants that will be better able to withstand stress, pests and diseases. Knowing your hardiness zone will be helpful. http://www.gardenweb.com/zones/zip.cgi Newt |
Thank you a lot for gardening links. I will certainly use this
information. I live in Creedmoor, NC and according last link I am in zone 7. I do not know the date of last frost for this area. Maybe somebody can help me to figure this out. |
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I just started lettuce, spinach, and parsley indoors last week in a
plastic green house (My mother-in-law, who has given me some very strange gifts in the past, gave me a four foot high, three shelf, plastic green house for Christmas last year - and it works great). After a few weeks I'll move the plants outside on nice days for a couple of hours. Once the plants are used to being outside, I'll move them to the garden. I built a little 4x8x4 greenhouse out of pvc and plastic. I'll put the plastic cover on when there is suppose to be freezing temps. As for tomatoes/peppers, here is what I do: I start the seeds indoors in those black plastic seed trays at the end of Feb. I put the trays in my green house (before the green house, I put the trays on top of the refrig). When the plants have a few leaves (4-6 leaves) I tranplant to clear plastic cups carefully only touching the soil and not the plant. I put a couple of holes on the side near the bottom of the cups for drainage. Once the plants get big enough and the days are sunny, I move the plants outside for a few hours. Once the plants are big enough and the days are warm enough (usually around beginning of April), I transplant the plants the black plastice pots that you get from garden centers. I leave the plants outside. The one thing I learned is that tomatoes and peppers love warm soil. The black plastic pots do the trick until the garden soil is warm enough - I need to water them just about every day. Around the beginning of May, I move the plants to the garden. Once in the garden, I cover the soil with something. Last year it was newspaper with grass clippings on top. That worked well until the grass clipping started to decompose and my grass stopped growing. This year I might try leaves or black plastic. Hope this helps, Bill wrote: I am starting my first garden season here in NC. I want to start some seeds indoor (flowers, herbs and some vegetables like peppers and tomatoes). When is the best time to start them? Should I have already started my tomato and other seeds that say to start them 6-7 weeks before last frost date? Do I need to use grow light for this or it is not necessary? Thank you, Genya |
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Newt |
Wrote: Thank you a lot for gardening links. I will certainly use this information. I live in Creedmoor, NC and according last link I am in zone 7. I do not know the date of last frost for this area. Maybe somebody can help me to figure this out. Genya, you are very welcome! On average, 4/29. Sometimes Mother Nature plays tricks on us. See http://tinyurl.com/4ntfe Daniel B. Martin Daniel, great link. Newt -- Newt |
The frost cutoff date here is April 15th. You can start your seed planting
anytime now. I start mine in a seed starting mix or good potting mix. Don't use the cheap potting soil that feels like it's pure dirt. I set up a folding table in my bonus room that gets nice afternoon sun (positioning it in front of the windows). You don't have to use a grow light if you have plenty of natural light. I also cover the mix with a piece of plastic wrap to keep it moist during germination. Once they sprout, I uncover and turn on my ceiling fan to make sure there is good circulation of air - otherwise they may rot. Once the temps are 70 and above in daytime hours, start moving them out into a shady spot for a few hours for a week, then increase the time they remain outside. They will toughen up quickly. I feed mine a fish emulsion fertilizer and they are gorgeous. Hope this helps answer your questions. Good Luck, Penny N. Raleigh wrote in message oups.com... I am starting my first garden season here in NC. I want to start some seeds indoor (flowers, herbs and some vegetables like peppers and tomatoes). When is the best time to start them? Should I have already started my tomato and other seeds that say to start them 6-7 weeks before last frost date? Do I need to use grow light for this or it is not necessary? Thank you, Genya |
Thanks a lot for all responses. I am going to start seeds now.
I also have doubts about quality of the soil in my garden. I've just found out that it mostly sand. I'm thinking now about how to improve soil without spending too much money. The topsoil that stores sell in the plastic bags is too expensive to cover all garden area. It is more practical to do it by adding compost but it will take some time. What else can be done? Thanks, Genya. |
Wrote: Thanks a lot for all responses. I am going to start seeds now. I also have doubts about quality of the soil in my garden. I've just found out that it mostly sand. I'm thinking now about how to improve soil without spending too much money. The topsoil that stores sell in the plastic bags is too expensive to cover all garden area. It is more practical to do it by adding compost but it will take some time. What else can be done? Thanks, Genya. Hi Genya, The best way to build up your soil and improve the tilth (condition) is with organic material. You don't need to purchase topsoil. If you add finished compost you don't have to wait to plant. Bagged compost would probably be less expensive then bagged top soil, and if you have a large area to cover you could purchase the compost in bulk to be delivered to you, which is even less expensive then bagged. If that isn't to your liking, you could do lasagna beds (also called sheet composting or interbay mulch) that should be ready by the time you are ready to put out your veggies. Basically is involves building a compost pile in layers where you want to plant. You don't even have to turn it into the soil, but could plant your transplants directly intoit. This should be helpful. http://tinyurl.com/22hp5 http://tinyurl.com/37rht For more info on improving your soil take a look here. http://tinyurl.com/69rfy http://tinyurl.com/5s8xh Newt -- Newt ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
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Hi Genya, The best way to build up your soil and improve the tilth (condition) is with organic material. You don't need to purchase topsoil. If you add finished compost you don't have to wait to plant. Bagged compost would probably be less expensive then bagged top soil, and if you have a large area to cover you could purchase the compost in bulk to be delivered to you, which is even less expensive then bagged. If that isn't to your liking, you could do lasagna beds (also called sheet composting or interbay mulch) that should be ready by the time you are ready to put out your veggies. Basically is involves building a compost pile in layers where you want to plant. You don't even have to turn it into the soil, but could plant your transplants directly intoit. This should be helpful. http://www.motherearthnews.com/menar...173-050-01.htm http://www.bconnex.net/~carolw/lasagna1.html For more info on improving your soil take a look here. http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/soil_quali...gy_primer.html http://www.soilfoodweb.com/sfi_html/...ach/index.html Newt |
Unfortunately last link does not work but rest are Great links! Thank
you Newt! I like the idea to use lasagna beds. I have plenty tree leaves on the ground that I can use as compost for these beds. I think it will work. Genya Newt wrote: Hi Genya, The best way to build up your soil and improve the tilth (condition) is with organic material. You don't need to purchase topsoil. If you add finished compost you don't have to wait to plant. Bagged compost would probably be less expensive then bagged top soil, and if you have a large area to cover you could purchase the compost in bulk to be delivered to you, which is even less expensive then bagged. If that isn't to your liking, you could do lasagna beds (also called sheet composting or interbay mulch) that should be ready by the time you are ready to put out your veggies. Basically is involves building a compost pile in layers where you want to plant. You don't even have to turn it into the soil, but could plant your transplants directly intoit. This should be helpful. http://tinyurl.com/22hp5 http://tinyurl.com/37rht For more info on improving your soil take a look here. http://tinyurl.com/69rfy http://tinyurl.com/5s8xh Newt -- Newt ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
Wrote: Unfortunately last link does not work but rest are Great links! Thank you Newt! I like the idea to use lasagna beds. I have plenty tree leaves on the ground that I can use as compost for these beds. I think it will work. Genya Newt wrote:- Hi Genya, The best way to build up your soil and improve the tilth (condition)- is- with organic material. You don't need to purchase topsoil. If you- add- finished compost you don't have to wait to plant. Bagged compost- would- probably be less expensive then bagged top soil, and if you have a- large- area to cover you could purchase the compost in bulk to be delivered- to- you, which is even less expensive then bagged. If that isn't to your liking, you could do lasagna beds (also called sheet composting or interbay mulch) that should be ready by the time you are ready to put out your veggies. Basically is involves building a compost pile in layers where you want to plant. You don't even have to turn it into the soil, but could plant your transplants directly intoit. This should be helpful. http://tinyurl.com/22hp5 http://tinyurl.com/37rht For more info on improving your soil take a look here. http://tinyurl.com/69rfy http://tinyurl.com/5s8xh Newt -- Newt ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet- News==----- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!- 120,000+ Newsgroups- ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption- =---- Hi Genya, You are very welcome! And, I'd like to thank you for letting me know about the link that isn't working. I went to the site main page: http://www.soilfoodweb.com/ and it's under construction. I'd say to save the this link and check back from time to time. I don't remember if the info was archived or a article in the news, but you will be looking specifically on an article about approach. Hope that helps. There are also other things you can do with leaves. If you have a shredder or a lawnmower with a bagger, you can shred them and use them as mulch or compost them to make 'leaf mold'. http://tinyurl.com/7x7dz Good luck with your new garden beds! Newt -- Newt ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
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Hi Genya, You are very welcome! And, I'd like to thank you for letting me know about the link that isn't working. I went to the site main page: http://www.soilfoodweb.com/ and it's under construction. I'd say to save the this link and check back from time to time. I don't remember if the info was archived or a article in the news, but you will be looking specifically on an article about approach. Hope that helps. There are also other things you can do with leaves. If you have a shredder or a lawnmower with a bagger, you can shred them and use them as mulch or compost them to make 'leaf mold'. http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/s...150021580.html Good luck with your new garden beds! Newt |
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