seeds vs starts....

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I start tomatoes in the little cell packs, then transplant into 20oz Solo cups once they start to get a little leggy. If you bury a tomato plant so deep that just the top set or two of leaves peeks out, then it will send out roots along what used to be the stem and have a much better roost system, PLUS they aren't leggy any more.

Everything else either gets germinated in egg cartons or in paper towels, then transplanted into solo cups later. I also love that you can write on the cups with a Sharpie and don't have to worry about making or losing plant labels.

 

[aoxa]

I start tomatoes in the little cell packs, then transplant into 20oz Solo cups once they start to get a little leggy. If you bury a tomato plant so deep that just the top set or two of leaves peeks out, then it will send out roots along what used to be the stem and have a much better roost system, PLUS they aren't leggy any more.

Everything else either gets germinated in egg cartons or in paper towels, then transplanted into solo cups later. I also love that you can write on the cups with a Sharpie and don't have to worry about making or losing plant labels.

I find the egg cartons got really moldy, really fast.

I do plastic because it's the only thing that doesn't mold on me.

 

[KentuckyMom]

I almost always start all of my own plants.  I save seed where practical, buy a few sets here and there, especially flowers.  Marigolds,
cosmos, calendula, petunia, nasturtium always get
started from seed.  Currently going through a medical crisis involving recurrent lapses of concentration, frequently wandering to the mail box, repeated review
of literature, and a  loss sensation which will only be alleviated by having the sun on my back, and feeling the warm soil beneath my fingers.

Same thing here! Could it be contagious? Ahhh... sun and dirt and seeds...

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I find the egg cartons got really moldy, really fast.

I do plastic because it's the only thing that doesn't mold on me.

Oh, I use the foam egg cartons people give me because people seem to think that I need egg cartons.

They are transplanted into a cup as soon as they have their first set of true leaves.

 

[aoxa]

Oh, I use the foam egg cartons people give me because people seem to think that I need egg cartons.

They are transplanted into a cup as soon as they have their first set of true leaves.

Oh yes those would work better

ETA: Someone just gave me over 500 cartons. That was one big score!! We go through 25 dozen eggs a week in sales, and not everyone returns the cartons. They cost $.30 cents plus tax each, so it's really great to have that many!

 

[misbhaven]

you can start your beans in no space just a baggie with a wet paper towel the whole pkg, just put them in there until you see a little root started... it saves time because pretty much the next day after you plant it it is out of the ground.

 

[lazy gardener]

Same thing here! Could it be contagious? Ahhh... sun and dirt and seeds...

What a nice contagion to have!! I plan to send a pkg out tomorrow.

Oh, I use the foam egg cartons people give me because people seem to think that I need egg cartons.

They are transplanted into a cup as soon as they have their first set of true leaves.

Nice idea. I start a whole batch of seedlings in a single cup, then transplant them into individual cups. Pudding cups are handy to use too.

you can start your beans in no space just a baggie with a wet paper towel the whole pkg, just put them in there until you see a little root started... it saves time because pretty much the next day after you plant it it is out of the ground.

My beans get started in my seed sprouter. Corn and peas also. The faster it's out of the ground, the less time wire worms and other nasties have to work on it.

 

[misbhaven]

i usually have to plant and replant.....stinking crows...i live next to big commercial grain silos so i usually don't have predator problems racoon etc they are always over there looking for a free meal trucks always spill loading and unloading.rats mice etc.. plus side every other spring they clean them out and dump literally tons of corn,wheat etc on the ground about 500 ft from my house..i wish i could grow corn i have a pretty good grade to my whole property and clay so when it rains the corn like to fall over it never fails it does it when it is about 4 or 5 ft tall...

 

[pinusresinosa]

I'm a total frugie so I do seeds. I used to do starts, but the satisfaction of seed starting, and the array of available varieties with seeds makes starting from seed so much better.

I make my own paper pots with a paper pot maker wooden thing a friend made me, works really well. I do have to be careful of what paper I use. I used to use newspaper, but there's some sort of fungus in the paper that kills seedlings, Brown paper bags don't do that though, but are harder to get to stay together, so I end up using plain old elmers glue after rolling to keep them together. Works good and still degrades nicely in the soil. I was experimenting with other types of papers last year but still used newspaper a lot since it was cheap. Peppers did good in newspaper. Brassica types of sprouts did not. Onions, leeks, and chives were so-so. Pic from last year:



Tomatoes did okay in these too:


Pumpkins and melons did good. But I killed them after I set them out too early. Last year we basically didn't even have a spring.

I also use whatever I can find. I did an experiment with petunia seeds that we've been saving over the years. I found an old cleaning bucket, popped holes in the bottom, filled with soil, and grew them indoors. They actually bloomed! I never buy petunia starts anymore, they're so easy to start from seed- and instead of six plants for 3 bucks, you get 600 for three bucks! And if you're like me, you stick petunias everywhere during the growing season. LOL


I also wintersowed a lot of seeds:




Moral of my rambling- seeds are awesome!

 

[lazy gardener]

I never buy petunia starts anymore, they're so easy to start from seed- and instead of six plants for 3 bucks, you get 600 for three bucks!

I also wintersowed a lot of seeds:




Moral of my rambling- seeds are awesome!

Where do you find petunia seeds... (600 for $3)????? all I ever see is the pelleted seeds, a ridiculous number... like 10 in a package for $3. I will NOT pay for pelleted seeds. But, if you see a lady bent over a window box... or other planting of petunias (or other beautiful flower) in a very puplic place, pinching seed pods and wrapping them in a napkin, that's probably me! I have no shame! Thankfully, my husband is tolerant of my eccentricity... if not sometimes embarrassed! What do you plant in your milk jugs... under the snow and Junco? Yes, seeds are awesome! The power that is packed in a tiny little lettuce seed never ceases to amaze me!!