Starting Seeds for Spring Planting – Epi-3013
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:40:31 — 23.0MB)
Today we talk about starting seeds in a variety of ways but mostly from the stand point of starting them indoors to get plants ready to be put out after danger of frost. This is an area where a lot of people struggle and frankly a lot of mistakes are made.
Join Me Today To Discuss…
- Understanding how seeds germinate in the wild (this answers so many questions)
- Setting up your seed starting systems
- How much do you want/need to start
- Indoors, garage, outdoors, green house, “indoor greenhouse”
- Lights – I now only recommend LEDs specifically Barrina Lights)
- Heating (mats, space heating, etc)
- The payback on equipment
- Soil vs. hydro for starting your seeds
- Things I have Learned Since Last I Did this Topic
- Rack orientation is important
- Going really high in vertical systems results in poor maintenance
- Pure hydro makes hardening off before planting problematic
- Letting plants go to long in hydro starting system create some root issues
- Lights can be lowered or simply increased in time/output
- Lights make heat and the plant doesn’t care if it gets light at night
- Determining your starting dates
- Determine last frost date
- Plan at least one week later
- Count backwards based on time to “set out”
- Trouble shooting and issues brought up on social media today
- Slow / Low germination
- Leggy
- Poor color
- Mold, slime, dampening off, etc.
- Trouble with peppers
- How many seeds per cell
- Moss, gnats, mites, other bugs
- Using solo cups – yes – drill side holes too
- Timers
- Getting screwed by your last frost date
- Topping seedlings for bushier plants
- Doing your starting outdoors – green house with shut off water
- The final cost/benefit analysis on buying vs. doing all this
- Final thoughts
Resources for today’s show…
- Follow Life With Jack on Instagram
- TSP Facebook Group
- Join the Members Brigade
- Join Our Forum
- Walking To Freedom
- TspAz.com
- TSPC on Discord
- TSPC Group on Telegram (group chat)
- TSPC Telegram Channel (just messages from me)
- Jack on Flote
- Jack on MeWe
- Join Me on Odysee
- Buy Crypto Safe and Easy on CoinBase
- My Favorite NoKYC Cryto Exchange CoinEx
Supplies, Web Links and Items Mentioned Today
- Botanicare 4×2 Shallow Flood Tray
- Indoor Mini Green House
- Barinna Lights
- Hydrofarm Seed Starting System
- Using a fish tank as a mini green house
- Dealing with Leggy Seedlings Video
- Rapid Rooter Grow Plugs
- Active Aqua Submersible Pump
- Century 24 Hour Mechanical Timer
- Bulkheads I Use
- Pond Planters that Can be Used to Harden Off
- Calculate Your Frost Date
- Date Calculator Tool
- Etekcity Thermal Gun
- 4×2 NSF Shelving
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I use a soldering iron to poke holes in yogurt containers for starting my plants. It works like a charm. Just make sure to do it in a well ventilated place!
That’s a good tip on poking holes in the side of the containers near the bottom.
Looks like the date calculator link goes to the Almanac frost date page as well. I think this is the right link:
https://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html
Thank you very much for this great info I’m getting my seeds planted and have a great little greenhouse in my kitchen with lights. I plant a variety of vegetables and fruit and transplant and grow perennial leaf and flowering gardens for bees and butterflies and birds.