Please teach me how to start vegetables from seeds

[Laura2]

I am trying to start my vegetable garden from seeks this year because it is so much cheaper than buying plants. But I am having the worst time getting them to sprout.

Can someone please give me some pointers?

I am trying to grow:

tomatoes
bell peppers
string beans
snap peas
basil
pumpkins

Currently I have the seeds in those little pellet soil things. They are under a fluorescent light in our basement. I keep the soil moist.

Is there something I'm doing wrong here?

[pop goes the weasel]

I reallya can't offer any advice. Every year that I have tried mine didn't come up either. But this year we started some seeds last Sunday. By Wednesday fo the same week all the seeds were up at least 1/2 an inch and by yesterday they are 3-4" tall. We're going to have to transpllant them so they don't die on us. I'm starting to wonder what dollar general puts in their potting soil. lol.We just planted the seeds in flats and misted them with a spray bottle. I covered them with a piece of plastic wrap and put them under a regular light in the basement. Beans and snap peas I have always just made a row and dropped the seeds in. Green peppers generally take forever to get started. I did learn that the seeds you save from store bought veggies sometimes won't produce. They grow but there's no veggies. The seeds are sprayed to make it so they can't reproduce from their own seeds. Potatoes too. You used to be able to use potatoes that you might have left in the kitchen but you can't always do that any more unless you knw that they haven't been treated. I started pepers one year from seeds I saved and I had beautiful stalks but no peppers. Good lulck.

[VanVivCam]

I did learn that the seeds you save from store bought veggies sometimes won't produce. They grow but there's no veggies. The seeds are sprayed to make it so they can't reproduce from their own seeds. Potatoes too.

OK...I have got to say...that is just scarry! What the heck else are they spraying our veggies with?

[saver]

I started seeds this year too, and I think you're doing fine except I would add a clear plastic top to the tray to create a greenhouse. You can use those clear plastic trays from the salad bar if you have one, maybe just cut and piece together with clear tape so it fits over the tray.

Also, I have a heating mat under my seedlings. It's a specially made one just for plants and it keeps them barely warm, but it seems to do the trick. I've heard of people keeping their seedlings on top of the refrigerator, that gives a little warmth there too.

When you water the plants, use warm (but not too warm) water. I think if you apply a little heat somehow you'll see results.

Good luck!

[suki]

How far away are your lights? Yes, you need to put plastic wrap or a plastic cover or create a green house warmth...

Another trick hubby does is he puts his seeds inside wet paper towels and places them in jars or ziplock bags (with air in them) and puts them close to the light. Then when they just begin to sprout he plants them in the soil.

Your snap peas and string beans should probably just be sown directly in the garden. Snap peas are one of our first crops, they like cooler weather.

[Contrary Housewife]

The seeds are sprayed to make it so they can't reproduce from their own seeds.

It's not possible for them to spray the seeds *inside* the vegetables. Think about it.

What is happening is either you are buying a hybridized product that was not "designed" to have seeds that germinate, or the vegetable has not matured enough to have viable seeds. We eat a lot of fruits and veggies in the "young" stage because they are tough or stringy by the time the seeds mature.

Seeds need specific conditions to sprout and grow well. Normal lights may not be enough to keep them going, you may need a high intensity grow light to give them enough energy. Remember that sunlight is FOOD for plants. Temperature and humidity are also important. Temperatures tell the seed when the time is right to sprout. Seedlings can dry out in less than an hour without moisture, or rot from too much of it.

There are a lot of gardening web sites and agricultural info sites which will help you find the ideal conditions for your seeds. There should also be some info on the seed packets.

[old_lady_in_the_shoe]

Most seeds will only germinate when the ground is a "certain" temp.
So make sure it is not too cold in the basement, if it is, them maybe a heating mat would work for you. You can also "close up" your seedlings, but placing them in a plastic clear bag to help "hold in" the heat and moisture.

Also, I made the mistake of keeping my light to high over the dirt. The light should only be about 2-3 inches from the plant as it grows...to prevent leggy plants. Raise the light as the plants grow.

[PennyG]

I have found that some seeds take a long time before they get going, so dont give up hope, they will most likely take.
Keep us posted ok

[pop goes the weasel]

the way it was explained to me is.... say you're planting tomatoes and you use seeds froms tore bought tomatoes. They spray the veggies and it leeches into the tomato into the seeds making them unable to reproduce.

[madhen]

If you are buying hybrid seeds, you will get plants from the first generation, but the fruit of those plants will contain seeds that are either inviable, or will produce a fruit much different from the one you started with. If you buy heirloom seeds, you can save the seeds from the fruit and plant them the next season, and you'll get identical fruit.

Vegetable plants are not sprayed with some insidious chemical that renders their seeds non-viable. However, hybrid plants will revert to their true nature after one planting, which is why you will need to plant new seeds each year, rather than saving them from the plant. I *have* found that the tomatoes that grow from most hybrid plants are just as tasty as their parents, but they are typically smaller and the skins are tougher. Plants are hybridized to meet the tastes of the consumer - thinner tomato skins, redder colour, sweeter taste, etc.

Commercial potatoes ARE typically sprayed with an agent that retards sprouting. Doesn't mean they WON'T sprout - just that it takes them a bit longer. Of course, you have no idea if the russet you bought at the store is a hybrid, which means you may spend a season waiting for potatoes that will be different than what you thought they would be.

The nice thing about seeds is that a packet, if stored properly (cool and dry) will last you years. I have had 4-year-old seed sprout for me. So if you really like a particular hybrid (i.e, most cherry tomatoes), you can spend $2.00 on a package of seeds and use it for at least 2-3 years before the seeds in it are too old to grow. Not a bad return on your investment.

If you are trying to grow from seed, an excellent book is The Seed Starters Handbook. It goes into exactly what a seed needs (and why) to germinate, and what conditions it needs to grow into a healthy plant. Most seeds don't need light to germinate, but they do need heat and moisture. But the second their heads bust through the soil, light is necessary to ensure their healthy growth. Some seeds (although I don't think any that you listed) need stratification. Some grow better if you nick the outer hull just a bit before planting. Check your planting depth, as well. A melon seed normally needs to be planted at a much deeper level than a carrot seed. Typically, the size of the seed dictates the depth to plant - the larger the seed, the deeper it needs to be.

I put pots of seeds on top of my water heater, on the satellite box, on top of the fridge, pretty much on anything that generates a constant low heat. I use small yogurt cups with plastic bags over them. But check them daily (and a couple of times a day, once they are in the germination range) to see if they've popped up. As soon as they emerge, you'll still need the heat, but you'll want to add as strong of a light as you can get on them, as close to them as you can get it. Sunlight is best, but they'll do okay under fluorescents if you can keep the lights only a few inches above the plants while they are growing.

[sue s]

I use the peat pellets too. I have a sunny window in the back of the kitchen. I put up a couple of sawhorses with boards. I use those foil roasting pans you buy in the Dollar Store for 2 for a $1.50, fill with water until the pellets expand, and then plant the seeds. Tomatos and peppers shold be started now. Broccoli should have been started back in January, but mine are going to be late(sigh!). I've used the little greenhouse thingy's, but you have to be careful to prop the lids after sprouting otherwise you get mold. Has to do with ventilation. Kind of pricey if you do a lot of plants too.

[boysnberries]

The rule of thumb for planting peas is to plant them directly in soil outdoors at about St. Patrick's Day. They'll grow fine, even if there is snow on the ground.

I haven't tried tomatoes from seed, but might this year. One trick I read is to use a half of a soda bottle as a "greenhouse" to get them started.

Good luck, and be sure to let us know how it goes!

[Laura2]

Update: I planted all my seeds in homemade newspaper cups. Then I covered all my planted seeds with plastic wrap and set them in the sun. I am so excited to say that my seeds have started to sprout! The only ones that haven't sprouted yet are the bell peppers.

[Lady_V]

The rule of thumb for planting peas is to plant them directly in soil outdoors at about St. Patrick's Day.

At this rate, I will need a snow blower to get to my garden

:faint:

[Spirit Deer]

The rule of thumb for planting peas is to plant them directly in soil outdoors at about St. Patrick's Day. They'll grow fine, even if there is snow on the ground.

That all depends on what region you're in. It's 29 below zero here at the moment and we have about three feet of snow on the ground. There's no way we'll be planting anything outside here in a couple of weeks.

In our area, Memorial Day weekend is considered safe to start putting in gardens.