 |
|||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
GROWING VEGETABLE TRANSPLANTS FROM SEED With jolly old St. Nick preparing to make his annual reindeer ride, spring seems as far off as the leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Even here in north Florida, where our warm spring weather often arrives early. Don’t let the calendar and cold conditions fool you. If you fancy growing late winter and early spring crops from seed, now is the time to plan your spring garden, order your seeds if you need them and, in some instances, get those seeds started. Planning ahead is important because it forces us home sodbusters to decide what we’re going to grow and where. Once we know this, we have a good idea of how much of each kind of seed will be needed. If you save seeds from year to year, inventory them now. Crops that are generally started indoors or under glass, and set out in the garden in late winter or early spring, should be started soon. If you don’t have the seeds you need to start those seedlings, purchase or order them right away. This week I started the lettuce and cauliflower I intend to put out in my front-yard garden in early February (Green Ice, Red Sails and Red Salad Bowl lettuce, and Snow Crown and First White cauliflower). I will start tomato seeds in early January. There is no immediate need to purchase seeds that are generally sown in the garden later in the spring, such as sweet corn, beans or summer squash. However, if the seeds are going to be shipped to you, it is best to order them at least a few weeks before you need them so your planting is not delayed by slow delivery. For years, I have started seeds indoors during cool months by using a heated seed mat and moving them outdoors into a simple cold frame once they germinated (an old window supported by blocks of wood). It is important to get seedlings out of the indoor light and into sunlight early on if they are going to grow strong (unless you are using grow lights). A cold frame helps protect seedlings from the elements and provides a warmer environment for them but it not essential for success. Alternatively, you can simply place your seedlings outside in a sunny location during the day and move them indoors or to another protected place when called for. If you have the space for it indoors, a grow light system can’t be beat. I recently purchased the T-5 Tabletop Sunlite Garden from Gardener’s Supply Company and am very pleased with it. It is perfect for starting seeds, as well as growing herbs indoors. Also, I hope to grow lettuce indoors this summer using it. It will be nice to have fresh lettuce and tomatoes at the same time, which is not usually the case in north Florida. I like to start seeds in 100 percent vermiculite, which I have pre-moistened and placed in a tray. I scatter seeds in the vermiculite, cover with dry vermiculite, spray it with a light mist of water and place the tray on a heated seed mat. Once they are large enough to handle, I use a table fork to “prick out” the strongest looking seedlings from the vermiculite and then place them in a peat pot or cell pack that has been filled with moist seed planting mix. I use a pencil or small stick of some sort to make a hole in the mix, carefully place a seedling in it (making sure the young roots make contact with the bottom of the hole) and firm it in. The seedlings should only be handled by their seed leaves. It is best to never touch the stems. Once planted, the seedlings should be carefully watered – mix in a root stimulator if you have one handy -- and placed out of direct light indoors or in the shade if placed outdoors. The newly transplanted seedlings may show signs of stress but they should quickly recover, generally within a few hours. Once they recover and no longer droop, the seedlings can be set back out in the sun or under grow lights. Using this method, I have strong, healthy seedlings growing in the center of each pot or cell and no empty containers that waste space or poorly positioned seedlings that hinder optimum growth. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you. - - - - John B. writes: Great site, great information about local gardening issues. Have you experience growing vegetables in a greenhouse locally? I recently set up a 20X25 unheated greenhouse and wonder what I can expect to grow at this time of the year. If you have any suggestions, they would be appreciated. That sounds like a nice big greenhouse! I do not have any experience with greenhouses so I can’t help you much there. If I had a large greenhouse I would use it to start seedlings and to grow a few warm weather crops during the cold, such as tomatoes and cucumbers. I would also attempt some tropical fruit, maybe bananas. Please keep us updated and let us know how it works out. |
|||||||||||||
