Starting seeds in a greenhouse anyone?

[2chicks poultry]

I hope everything does go well, nikonmilly!

You too bucky52!

 

[nannie]

I just use the seed cells that are plastic.i buy the trays from southern states,the ones that have no holes.when they get put outside ,take out of trays.

 

[2chicks poultry]

oh ok. sounds like a good idea nannie

 

[3riverschick]

I sure am glad I found this thread. I am not a good gardner at all.
I want to plant a nice garden this year and grow the plants from seeds.
I don' know how. I have an electric seedling warming mat the size of one of the mini greenhouse trays.
http://www.burpee.com/seed-starting...7E.node2?catId=2208&trail=&_requestid=2908305
About 10 quan. of the 72 space mini greenhouse trays with the clear covers and the double tray on the bottom so the seedlings don't rot. They don't have dirt in them.
http://www.burpee.com/seed-starting/grow-kits/greenhouse-kit-prod002626.html?omn2pd=sh&catId=+
I have a cheap mini greenhouse I got at Tractor Supply.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/groundworkreg;-greenhouse-5-1-4-ft-h?cm_vc=-10005
I have several kinds of veggies and herb seeds I want to plant. We are in zone 6B in western PA. Going to snow today and later this well be in the low 50's but freezing at night.

Problem is, I don't know how to put all these things together to make healthy seedlings I can transplant outside.
Seems to be it's still too cold to start seedlings in the greenhouse outside. So I set it up in the house somewhere?
How warm does the room have to be?
How warm will it really get in the greenhouse?
I really don't want to put them under expensive light. I do have a south facing window in an upstairs bedroom which gets good light. How much light do they need a day?
How much humidity will the greenhouse generate?
What kind of soil should I put in the trays?
I read somewhere that these fancy soils can have a chemical in them which is not good for bees?
Can I use natural sunlight and the warming mat instead of lights?
Help!
Thanks,
Karen

 

[lazy gardener]

Karen, you'll want to use the warming mat until the seeds have sprouted, then turn it off, however if you are doing peppers, they may appreciate the bottom heat. The 72 cell flats don't really give enough room for root growth on most garden veggies, though they may be ok for some of the smaller seeded flower seedlings. I use a 36 cell flat. And, even then, I like to put peppers and tomatoes in Styrofoam cups to give them plenty of root space. You need to plant right away to get the seedlings big enough to plant out. I use a good plant starter mix. My favorite is Pro-mix which I buy in a large bale, but that may be too much for your needs. I don't know if it comes in a smaller size. You might be ok with your south facing window. Last year, I set my mini green house in the south facing window, right up against the glass, and then wrapped tin foil around the other 3 sides of the green house frame to catch all of the light from the window and reflect it back to the seedlings. Be sure to turn the tray(s) every day. When the weather is warmed up a bit, you can move the "green house" unit outside, and take the seedlings outside during the day. Your goal will be to keep the temp between 60 and 80 degrees, and you'll need to regulate that by using the zippered flap. If you work during the day, you may have to just keep them inside until you have a day off, because unattended seedlings in a non-ventilated green house on a warm sunny day will be cooked! You'll want to give them a couple of doses of liquid fertilizer, like Miracle grow. follow the instructions on the labeling, and mix it to a strength for "house plants". Your plants will also love a dose of Epsom salts for the magnesium. (follow the package instructions... I think it may be 1 tsp/gal. but am not sure.0 It helps the plants grow nice and sturdy, and you'll notice that the leaves get really green after you use it.

 

[lazy gardener]

Karen, you'll want to use the warming mat until the seeds have sprouted, then turn it off, however if you are doing peppers, they may appreciate the bottom heat. The 72 cell flats don't really give enough room for root growth on most garden veggies, though they may be ok for some of the smaller seeded flower seedlings. I use a 36 cell flat. And, even then, I like to put peppers and tomatoes in Styrofoam cups to give them plenty of root space. You need to plant right away to get the seedlings big enough to plant out. I use a good plant starter mix. My favorite is Pro-mix which I buy in a large bale, but that may be too much for your needs. I don't know if it comes in a smaller size. You might be ok with your south facing window. Last year, I set my mini green house in the south facing window, right up against the glass, and then wrapped tin foil around the other 3 sides of the green house frame to catch all of the light from the window and reflect it back to the seedlings. Be sure to turn the tray(s) every day. When the weather is warmed up a bit, you can move the "green house" unit outside, and take the seedlings outside during the day. Your goal will be to keep the temp between 60 and 80 degrees, and you'll need to regulate that by using the zippered flap. If you work during the day, you may have to just keep them inside until you have a day off, because unattended seedlings in a non-ventilated green house on a warm sunny day will be cooked! You'll want to give them a couple of doses of liquid fertilizer, like Miracle grow. follow the instructions on the labeling, and mix it to a strength for "house plants". Your plants will also love a dose of Epsom salts for the magnesium. (follow the package instructions... I think it may be 1 tsp/gal. but am not sure.0 It helps the plants grow nice and sturdy, and you'll notice that the leaves get really green after you use it.

What kind of seedlings are you planting? Some do well started inside, others do not really benefit from being started inside. If you give a list, we can help you with that.

 

[3riverschick]

~~What kind of seedlings are you planting? Some do well started inside, others do not really benefit from being started inside. If you give a list, we can help you with that.

Well last winter we processed many sweet peppers but ran out end of Dec. .
Had 28 plants then, so want to plant 60 this year so will have enough for
the entire winter in freezer. Ran short on chives, have enough tho, just didn't
process enough. Want about 30 tomato plants. Plus herbs, basil, thyme, parsley, oregano.
I have :
1. Burpee Tomato Super Sweet 100 Hybrid ( cherry tomatoes)
2. Burpee Tomato Super Beefsteak
3. Burpee Sweet Pepper Kaleidoscope Mix ( many colors)
4. would also like to grow brussel sprouts ( what kind?) for my chickens and Lettuce(what kind?) ,
and green beans for braising in a pan(Blue Lake?).
I can go to Walmart and in the side driveway they have pallets of special soils. If the bag has any hole in it,
they sell it for 1/2 price. Any special brand and type I should be looking for? I have Epsom salts here but
don't understand how much and when to water seedlings. I just have to use the 72 pot trays as that is what
I have. I suppose I could get some stryrofoam cups if you think are really necessary.
My herb garden is a standing "square foot" garden raised on legs so no bending. I love it. It's 4x8
and at table height. Here's an example of someone else's:
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/accessible/building-table-gardens.htm
More on the subject:
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/accessible/what-are-accessible-gardens.htm
Interestingly gets almost zero weeds even tho placed in middle of yard.
Table height gardening is the best! We built it cheap from rough cut lumber from the mill.
Only 25. in wood for the whole thing. Then I painted it white with barn paint from Lowe's.
Filled it with Miracle Gro soil which fed for 6 months. ( got 1/2 price at Lowe's, holed bag)
Then the next year I bought the BB sized Miracle Gro beads and put one teaspoon per square foot.
Then mixed the soil. Worked great the 2nd year. This year, I need to replace most of the soil as
it as gotten root bound. Which is also good because I can use the old soil to amend soil in
other parts of our lot.
Thanks for your help!
Karen
I can grow them from seedlings, I just don't know how to grow from seeds to the seedling stage.
---------------------------------------
Well My glory! I looked at what folk are selling raised table gardens for! Wow! 200. 250.
That's just silly! Just 32.00 for rough cut lumber plus 16 lag screws 6 inches long. @ 1.00 each
The "x" cross braces on each of the 4 sides can be affixed with 4 inch nails ( 32 quan.) @ 4.oo the lot .
Plus 2 bags of soil per bed at 6.00 each. 8" deep table garden.
Plus 12.00 for barn paint of you want to paint it.
This is much like the route we took:
http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/giam/news/pdfs/tablegarden_manatee311.pdf
Some changes tho. The soils need to be at least 6 inches deep so 2x6 for the sides. And the whole thing should be carriage screwed together, nails won't hold. Plus there should be cross braces in an "x" on the legs to stabilize it,
otherwise as it ages, it will tilt until it gradually leans to one side and falls over. One of ours did that after 2 years.

 

[lazy gardener]

Karen, the potting soil you want to buy will be light and fluffy. It may not actually have any real soil in it, but that's ok. for the early stage, you want it light. Go ahead with your 72 cells, and then you'll probably want to transplant your seedlings into styro cups before they finally get into the garden. There should be some basic planting directions on the seed packets, or get a good gardening book from your library, or do a bit of research on line. Planting is both very basic... if you've done it before, and can be a bit intimidating, if you've never done it. I'd wear my fingers out trying to tell you everything you need to know... but it's more fun to do some basic research anyways. The one bit of advice I'd give you, is: if you want a tomato plant in a cup, put a tomato seed in that cup. It's a waste of seeds to plant 6 seeds in a cup only to rip 5 of them out after they all sprout! Also, the basic rule of thumb is to start tomato plants at least 6 - 8 weeks, and pepper plants 8 - 10 weeks before you can plant them in the ground. Happy planting. The package of Epsom salts should have the dosage for plants. Look for "house plants... I'm thinking that it's about 1 tsp/gal. but I have to look it up every time I use the stuff. Only use it once on the seedlings, then when you put them in the ground, and perhaps when they start to bloom/set fruit.

 

[3riverschick]

Thank you for the help, lazy gardener!

Best Regards,
Karen

 

[newfoundland]

I saved a few seeds from a green chilli, when I was making a curry. I dried them out on a saucer overnight and planted them the next day. I have one little seedling growing! Now I am doing the same with some bell pepper seeds.