seeds vs starts....

[misbhaven]

I always put a test batch of seedling out after harding them outside by taking them in and out of my house longer periods each day for about a week. Before, i plant a whole bunch of young plants then lose them all...

 

[lazy gardener]

I bought 2 of the little mini-green houses, and built a little cart for them to sit on. When the weather is warming up a bit, I wheel them outside during the day, then back into the garage for the night. They hold a lot of heat under the plastic, and it can be unzipped to start the hardening process, before finally removing the plastic all together. An added bonus is that the jostling from being wheeled around helps them to toughen up as well.

 

[veggietreeigrl]

Wow, so much work. Glad we don't have real winters in California.

 

[CassieW]

Some places actually use a growth inhibitor on plants so they don't outgrow their containers ..I rarely buy plants.. trees. And seeds. I do buy from a local. Vegatable farm if mine. Are looking sad and one yr I bought a few from the high schools ffa. Kids that they had started. And grown in cups to raise money. . But. I grow tomatoes and ummm yellow tomatoes , grape. Tomatoes and cherry tomatoes I had over 30 plants last yr .. we. Ate them all I canned a few.. and. 20 pepper plants about 10 15 ft rows of radishs. , summer squash 20 brocp. Plants. 10 cabbagen beans ,peas, and some other stuff . My husbands is on here all the time (someone eats 4 to 5 tomatoes a day in my house and anything else. I have a family of 7 so a garden is a must. And a big garden .

Exactly, discovered the peril 15 yrs ago with plants vs. seed. Many nurseries are selling modified heirlooms GMO varieties hybrid strains for container gardening or the container soil grown in using pre-treated slow action fertilizers or herbicides for weeds. Then discovered seed exchange programs or swap programs that bank true heirlooms varieties rescue them from extinction - it releases some per testing regions & seed saving pool reinvestment back to prolific seed stores..........This was the best find it meant free heirloom seeds condition save seed ti refurbish the seed exchange bank.

 

[lazy gardener]

More info please? Specifics of companies involved??? PM if appropriate.

 

[misbhaven]

I was told that by an employee of a big box store garden center not a grunt either...but think about it buy plants at any nursery or heck go visit this time of year annuals are wild overgrown in the containers... some store never sell much like my local kmart veggies are like $5 no ody hardly ever buys them but 3 months after getting in they are pretty much the same size plants... chains don't want dying plants or wild looking plants they want those pretty racks of perfectly neat and petite sized plants otherwise those large tomatoe plants in the gallons would be over 5 ft tall like mine are right now..and the on fertilizer my garden gets is chicken run off (down hill from my coops) and the duck pond is drained right into my garden