Thanks for the great tips! This is my first year starting seeds indoors. I've learned so much from your videos that I feel pretty confident! Again, thank you so much.
Perfect timing, as I have my first batch of seedlings on the go. Great tip about documenting germination rate and the growth of my seedlings. I’ll start doing that from now on.
My basement is quite cold, so I got a mat this year, I will keep an eye on it. Great tips. Thank you. And I’m trying peat for my larger plants that I will transplant when needed. Fourth year, hoping for more success this year. And a fan, and not over watering. We’ll see what happens.
My basement is 58 degrees..( February...Wyoming) ..I start my onion seeds..in that room temp..and they come up 7-10 days later..and never use heat..the peppers and tomatoes..April basement 60-65..I use the heat mat..raises temp to 75 deg..soil thermometer..as soon as strong first leaves..I remove the plastic top..and then turn off heat.
Great video. I've made all 10 mistakes, but the biggest mistake is not trying. I don't have grow lights and space is limited to sunlight coming in through a sliding door, so process becomes picking up trays and moving them outdoors on sunny days, and then back inside on cold or rainy days. Along the way I identify which plants tolerate this process, and which become leggy or still born. Biggest surprise this year was the zucchini. Starting them in egg cartons on 10 April, they germinated on 18 April, last frost on 24 April, transplanted to garden on 6 May, and after a week, beginning to really take hold. Tomatoes and peppers were okay, but not yet ready for the garden (15 May 23). Spices (coriander, oregano, basil) were leggy or slow, and probably need more warmth and light than what they get with me. Next year I'll give the zucchini more respect and plant them in larger containers for root development. Nothing against egg cartons. They work great if you tape the lid to the tray and cut an oval hole in the top of the lid. You can pack more soil in the egg cartons than what you can pack in the plastic starter trays, and the soft cardboard of the cartons allows for watering from the bottom. They easily come apart when you transplant, and no damage to the roots.
Great video. I realized some of my fall garden was a failure due to my growing medium. It was too heavy, now I am using a soiless mix with much better germination. My next issue is my alpine strawberry seeds have not germinated yet but I will give it some time.Thanks Gardner Scott
I dialed back the heat on my tomato and pepper plants once they all germinated (82 degrees), but kept them on the mat at 75 degrees due to the cool temperature in our grow room.
Another great video, Scott. I couldn't agree more with what you said. I may label in groups when I plant, but I always label each container if they are moved. Heat mats are great with a number of seeds, and I use a humidity dome whenever the flats are on the heats. I date my labels when I plant so I can gauge my germination time with a glance at the label. Be aware also that Sharpies don't survive the sunlight on plastic labels, so make sure whatever labels you use when planting outside a true permanent markers or pencils.
Thank you for the tips. Although I'm already past this stage in my garden this year, I can use these for the next batch of seeds I sprout. I did not document my germination rate on anything this year but you can bet I will next time. Congratulations on hitting the 200K mark.
Thanks Scott great information I am growing my first plants this season. Have made some of the mistakes you have talked about in this video I will do better for fall seeding.
Thank you for the advice. Looking at my tray of seedlings, I see several empty cells from seedlings that have been potted up. I need to take better notes and time the germination better next year.
Thank You for another wonderful helpful video. Its's been awhile since I started any plants from seed. I know the basics, but its always great to hear some things that I might not have remembered.
Hi G.S. You and I usually agree, but in this, I must differ. As an indoor container gardener, my absolute favorite pot, every year has been my "What is it?" pot. It's a big pot where I plant my uneaten seeds. I love the mystery of what's growing in that pot. I cannot even count all of the fruits and vegetables I've grown in my "What is it?" pot. It's not marked or labeled, but it is fun guesswork. I also wanted to point out that, as an indoor, container gardener, watering on a schedule is a benefit, so long as you water the pot and not the plant. When the bowl at the bottom needs water, then you add it and that is done easily on a weekly (or monthly) basis depending on the plant.
TY, TY!! Now I know why I killed all my seedlings 2yrs ago, I just bought plants last yr. I burned the roots using full strength fertilizer. Great tips!!! I'm going to do another attempt at growing from seeds, oh well if I kill them all again, will buy plants again at farmer's market & support my local farmers.
I bought a pack of variety heirloom tomato seeds on Amazon and they're not labeled. It will be fun waiting to see what they turn into. They're barely peeking up out of the soil now.
Thanks Scott, another good video. Here in Sacramento (zone 9b) I have all my seedling transplants out in the beds, including a "super sweet 100" tomato that I overwintered (now 3 feet tall) and 8 habanero plants also over wintered. I have flowers already on one of my "1/4 Century" tomatoes and it is only 12 inches tall.
I just came across your video's and have gotten a lot of great advice from them. Thank you!! I am new to gardening and want to have just a few tomato, cucumber and zucchini plants and some flowers for the one hummingbird in my back yard.The double cup method is what I am going to try with some plants. I was told tomatoes and cucumbers don't do well together. How far apart do they need to be in my back yard garden? I live in growing zone 8b in Oregon.
They do okay together but because they both get tall and wide it's good to separate them. If they're in the same bed tomatoes can be planted 18"-24" apart but that assumes that you have a trellis to support them as they grow vertically. If you don't trellis they'll need more space to grow horizontally. Cucumbers are the same. They can be 18" apart if grown vertically or farther if allowed to spread.
My mistakes so far was to start to many tomato plants than loose my lables. I kept some but have away my extras on a local free group as mystery tomato plants
Carrie, I painted my little container (6 pkt) and draw a map of the tray showing the location of each color. Seems to be working on some trays I'm showing 1-6 location for different plants. Just don't lose the note get a tablet.
I think it's a bit too late for that this year now lol. But good tip. I have a bad habit of loosing everything. I could tell the two tomato plants apart from the way the seedlings grew and what side of the tray they were in just no clue which side was which. Luckily I'm happy with mystery tomatoes and so are the women in my local free group who were more than happy to take the gamble
Thank you for the video, very helpful, I started flowers seeds yesterday in 72 cell tray, I’m not planing to move them to bigger pots, I will directly planted them on the ground in may, should I add a flower food fertilizer to my watering after germination? I used a store starting mix. Thx.
I've found that heat mats are helpful but can be problematic. Once a seedling has sprouted, I quickly remove the heat to prevent accelerated growth, that results in leggy plants. I also check the temperature of the seed flats while on heat mats. It's helpful to raise the trays a bit off of the mats with thin sticks of 1/4" or more. Alternatively, I used a rheostat to manage the temperature better.
Thanks for all your great vids that I've seen so far (started last summer). Extremely helpful in all cases. In which video do you discuss the mylar or emergency blanket you have hanging behind your rack of seedlings/grow lights? Southfacing windows & LED shoplights are great this year but the room I'm using will be turned to a guestroom as soon as I'm done this year; other rooms in house are chillier so may need more help next year. Otherwise, fyi, this is my first year starting as many seeds inside as I have (zone 6a), and I am glad to learn I am not just being anal by making notes regarding seedling emergence, height & other notes on their progress. Thanks again!
Also curious about this answer...my broccoli sprouted and my peppers haven’t but they’re in the same peat pod tray. I was worried for my broccoli to survive so I went ahead and put the whole thing under light. Hopefully my peppers germinate still!
That's one reason to try and group seeds that germinate at about the same time. If I have some that are faster in the same tray, I keep the lights close to the plants and then try to transplant those into pots while waiting for the others to germinate and grow
We saw a lot of moisture on the transparent lid of the propagator. What do you suggest, to stay or get away because it can create mold. Thanks the video was very helpful.
Scott your videos are tremendously helpful to me. I watch them everyday. I started my seeds in larger clear plastic cups using your seeds starter formula. Since the cups are bigger should i keep the seedlings in there longer because there is room? The soil is just seeds starter will the seedlings need nutrients ?
If the seedlings are in seed starter mix they should be transplanted into a potting soil, or you can leave them in the seed starter but will need to fertilize with a diluted solution.
I appreciate your help thank you. I will leave them in the cups as they are 3.5 by3 inches but fertilize 1/4 dilution as i think you suggested in one of the videos
Hi... Am wondering when the plants, should be put in the other soil? Should they be a few inches tall, have a few true leaves, or? Great video.. Thanks🌱
Thanks for the tips Scott. In terms of fungus and having a fan, how much of that can be avoided by putting them outside during nice days as soon as they germinated? I'm in North Texas and we still have a couple of weeks until our last frost but most days are already in the high 60's, low 70's. Last year I got my seeds 5-6 weeks late and did what I described above and it worked great. I didn't really need to harden them off after that because that already happened as they were growing.
The air outside can help dry the soil surface but it also contains fungal spores and could introduce potential new fungi. It can work well as you experienced, but I would wait until the seedlings have a number of leaves and not very young.
Thank you so much for your videos! I love how professional and personable you are! Just curious, do you normally do your videos in one take? You seem so prepared and calm, and you rarely fumble over your words. It’s all spoken very thoughtfully and makes so much sense! You make it look so easy 😊
How do you make your grids on paper? Do you have a video link to it? Is it hand to hand combat with pen and ruler? I have learned a ton from your videos. Thanks.
Gardener Scott - I hope you can help me. Maybe others need help too. Should I be using the same soil year after year in my raised beds? My raised bed soil over the years has so much weed in it. The ants take over right away as soon as it gets warm and they eat my plants (esp. strawberries).... Also, I've had so much moisture in some beds that there has been a lot of moldy growth of the top layer. What do I do? I do add about 3 bags of composting and fertilizer each year
I use the same soil year after year and continue to add organic amendments to it. Stay active pulling weeds and use organic mulch on the surface to reduce mold. If you encourage birds and beneficial insects to your garden they can help deal with pests like ants. Try cutting back on fertilizer and focus on building healthy soil with organic materials.
From my experience - yes. Your seeds, sprouts, seedlings need a good start that includes sufficient light (even those seeds that prefer darkness to germinate will still require light after the cotyledon emerge). I started all of my seeds (sun & shade-loving) under grow lights. When I transplant them outdoors they’ll go to their respective sun locations.
So on the 13th I planted my seeds with straight coco coir seed starting mix. Am I supposed to fertilize them every two weeks? And can you tell me which I should go get at Lowe's? thank you so much in advance, Gardner scott! I'm so nervous about messing up my first garden. I don't see any seeds at all coming up. And my grow light and heat Mat don't arrive until wednesday. I pray I did everything right! 😬
If you plan to transplant into potting soil as soon as true leaves appear you don't need fertilizer. If not you may need diluted fertilizer after the true leaves appear and again before transplanting outside. Any balanced fertilizer can work.
Hey Scott, I'm growing my chili peppers in happy frog potting soil mixed with a small amount of lobster compost. I started them really early this year (January) and they already have about 5 sets of leaves on many of them. Considering I'm still 2 months from transplanting and I'm not concerned about space, would you think it's a good idea to use some liquid fish fertilizer between now and then?
Happy Frog is a great product. They often add worm castings too. My guess is that you won't need fertilizer, but if you notice leaf yellowing or reduced growth, you can consider a diluted fish fertilizer before hardening off.
I accidentally spilled some liquid fertilizer on my hand and it burned a bit. I realized how important it is to dilute the stuff. I can imagine what it would do to plant roots
I have tomato seedlings under growing lights that are 5 weeks old. Just transplanted for the third time. I farm in Colorado so will leave indoors until May 20th. My plants are green with no yellow leaves. I have leaves that roll up and turn crispy and fall off. My growing lights run 18 hours plus I use warming mats. Gardner Scott do you have any idea the cause of the curling leaves. I also fertilized when I just transplanted.
About light and germination. I’ve just started some pansies and they need darkness to germinate. Some are now sprouting but not all. When do I uncover them?
@@GardenerScott thanks, I turned some upside down, opened the bottom of the pellets and planted herb garden sets (5 herbs) just yesterday. If/when they are ready to transplant ... they will go into a stacking system just outside the kitchen door.
Can potting mix not be used to start seeds? Why do we use the seed starter mix initially if you just have to change over to potting mix after they become seedlings?
Seedling medium is more suitable for many reasons. It is lighter, drains better and less likely to contain pests/elements (Disease, fungus, weeds, bacteria, etc) that interfere with seeds that are delicate.
Seed starter mixes are lighter and easier for roots to grow in. You can start directly in potting mix but a dense mix can hinder that first root development.
Do I transplant the seedlings the first time (out of my seed starter) as soon as the first true leaf appears? And is this the same for all types of plants?
I have no heat mat... I have been using 100 ct of Christmas lights under the drip pan...and everything was successful! Anyway... if I unplug the lights now that they are all 1 to 1.5 inches tall...can I leave them in my living room 68 ish? And then next week put them in my basement grow shelf? 62 to 65 ish... but thats where my really good grow lights are? Or will that be to cold for hot peppers? Should I put the lights around it so so its a bit of a microclimate?
Once the peppers have germinated and are growing, 68 is good. They should do fine below that too. Warmer air with the lights may encourage extra growth.
It sounds like it works okay for you, so that's not bad at all. For the short time most plants are in cups before we put them in the garden, the mix can be many things.
Some of my squash and zucchini are withering while others are not. I just transplanted them. I don’t see mold. I wonder if the fertilizer was not evenly dispersed in the new potting mix I made. What else could be the issue?
Hi, I have a seed tray where I planted cosmos and digitalis and snapdragons together. Big mistake! Cosmos is butting up against the dome while the digitalis/snapdragon seeds have not yet sprouted. I’m not sure what to do. Should I remove the dome? If I do it’s not good for the seeds that haven’t sprouted, if I don’t my cosmos will bend. Help!
Go ahead and remove the dome so it doesn't interfere with the growth of seedlings. The rest of the seeds will probably sprout soon, or you can transplant the bigger seedlings into individual pots and return the dome until the others germinate.
@@GardenerScott thank you so much! I started following you and this is my first year starting seeds indoors. Thanks for all the great information! I'm currently watching your video on wood chips!
Thank you for this video! I have always transplanted my original seedlings into larger containers in more starter mix - ugh! Now I know that’s bad. When it comes to timing the transplanting, I always wait until I see one little root starting to stick out of the bottom of one of the growing cell holes. Is this a good way to judge when it is time to transplant into a slightly bigger growing container?
To help avoid gnats, try applying boiling water to thoroughly heat seedling medium in covered tub container (keep in heat). Also try bottom watering seedling container only what can be absorbed in about 15 min. Some people also apply a small amount of diatomaceous earth to surface on seedling medium.
@@johnjude2685 To hold heat of boiled water, try foil on soil surface plus a lid on tub. Also only bottom water soil and be sure surface soil dries out. A fan also helps in several ways.
Keeping them alive... oh, THAT. Lol. Another great overview. Thanks for all you do! 🌱 😊
Great help, I’m at this stage now in zone 6 b . Have many seedlings up and growing.thanks yet again for the great advice, !
Thanks for the great tips! This is my first year starting seeds indoors. I've learned so much from your videos that I feel pretty confident! Again, thank you so much.
Perfect timing, as I have my first batch of seedlings on the go. Great tip about documenting germination rate and the growth of my seedlings. I’ll start doing that from now on.
My basement is quite cold, so I got a mat this year, I will keep an eye on it. Great tips. Thank you. And I’m trying peat for my larger plants that I will transplant when needed. Fourth year, hoping for more success this year. And a fan, and not over watering. We’ll see what happens.
You may want to consider a temporary section that can be slightly heated to increase germination.
My basement is 58 degrees..( February...Wyoming) ..I start my onion seeds..in that room temp..and they come up 7-10 days later..and never use heat..the peppers and tomatoes..April basement 60-65..I use the heat mat..raises temp to 75 deg..soil thermometer..as soon as strong first leaves..I remove the plastic top..and then turn off heat.
Great video. I've made all 10 mistakes, but the biggest mistake is not trying. I don't have grow lights and space is limited to sunlight coming in through a sliding door, so process becomes picking up trays and moving them outdoors on sunny days, and then back inside on cold or rainy days. Along the way I identify which plants tolerate this process, and which become leggy or still born. Biggest surprise this year was the zucchini. Starting them in egg cartons on 10 April, they germinated on 18 April, last frost on 24 April, transplanted to garden on 6 May, and after a week, beginning to really take hold. Tomatoes and peppers were okay, but not yet ready for the garden (15 May 23). Spices (coriander, oregano, basil) were leggy or slow, and probably need more warmth and light than what they get with me. Next year I'll give the zucchini more respect and plant them in larger containers for root development. Nothing against egg cartons. They work great if you tape the lid to the tray and cut an oval hole in the top of the lid. You can pack more soil in the egg cartons than what you can pack in the plastic starter trays, and the soft cardboard of the cartons allows for watering from the bottom. They easily come apart when you transplant, and no damage to the roots.
Thank you for a very informative video on growing thyme from seed
Great video. I realized some of my fall garden was a failure due to my growing medium. It was too heavy, now I am using a soiless mix with much better germination. My next issue is my alpine strawberry seeds have not germinated yet but I will give it some time.Thanks Gardner Scott
I dialed back the heat on my tomato and pepper plants once they all germinated (82 degrees), but kept them on the mat at 75 degrees due to the cool temperature in our grow room.
Another great video, Scott. I couldn't agree more with what you said. I may label in groups when I plant, but I always label each container if they are moved. Heat mats are great with a number of seeds, and I use a humidity dome whenever the flats are on the heats. I date my labels when I plant so I can gauge my germination time with a glance at the label. Be aware also that Sharpies don't survive the sunlight on plastic labels, so make sure whatever labels you use when planting outside a true permanent markers or pencils.
Thank you for the tips. Although I'm already past this stage in my garden this year, I can use these for the next batch of seeds I sprout. I did not document my germination rate on anything this year but you can bet I will next time. Congratulations on hitting the 200K mark.
congrats on 200k subs
Thank you so much for your information. I am in zone 8b. This is my first year starting seed in my garage. Thank you!
Best tip I've come across. Documenting the germination rate and growth of the seedlings. Thanks again for your great advice.
Thanks Scott great information I am growing my first plants this season. Have made some of the mistakes you have talked about in this video I will do better for fall seeding.
Thank you for the advice. Looking at my tray of seedlings, I see several empty cells from seedlings that have been potted up. I need to take better notes and time the germination better next year.
Great video of your seedlings! All the information is right on timely! My two trays will be ready for transplanting in days. Thanks
You are my favorite garden channel on you tube.
Thank You for another wonderful helpful video. Its's been awhile since I started any plants from seed. I know the basics, but its always great to hear some things that I might not have remembered.
Hi G.S. You and I usually agree, but in this, I must differ. As an indoor container gardener, my absolute favorite pot, every year has been my "What is it?" pot. It's a big pot where I plant my uneaten seeds. I love the mystery of what's growing in that pot. I cannot even count all of the fruits and vegetables I've grown in my "What is it?" pot. It's not marked or labeled, but it is fun guesswork. I also wanted to point out that, as an indoor, container gardener, watering on a schedule is a benefit, so long as you water the pot and not the plant. When the bowl at the bottom needs water, then you add it and that is done easily on a weekly (or monthly) basis depending on the plant.
@11:20 He does say label "unless you like the mystery".
TY, TY!! Now I know why I killed all my seedlings 2yrs ago, I just bought plants last yr. I burned the roots using full strength fertilizer. Great tips!!! I'm going to do another attempt at growing from seeds, oh well if I kill them all again, will buy plants again at farmer's market & support my local farmers.
This was SO helpful and to the point. Brb getting out my grow lights :)
Thanks for another great video. I learn something from all of them.
Great timing as I am about to start my seedlings.
Great advice, very important video for me, thanks a lot... greetings from Sinaloa, Mx.
I love the mystery and volunteers
Super! Thanks so much! These were the tips I've needed!
Tanks för all great tips...specially the one about documenting...really good! Greetings from Sweden
Very useful video.. you covered all the topics which we need... thank you so much😊
I bought a pack of variety heirloom tomato seeds on Amazon and they're not labeled. It will be fun waiting to see what they turn into. They're barely peeking up out of the soil now.
Grouping plants by days it takes to germinate, according to last years documentation, is smart!
What great information. Thank you
I watch these at 2x speed and it's perfect 👌
lol
Thank you very will timed release video. Great content
It snowed in Tucson today lol. My peach blossoms don’t seem to mind.
Thanks Scott, another good video. Here in Sacramento (zone 9b) I have all my seedling transplants out in the beds, including a "super sweet 100" tomato that I overwintered (now 3 feet tall) and 8 habanero plants also over wintered. I have flowers already on one of my "1/4 Century" tomatoes and it is only 12 inches tall.
Kinda bragging..haha.. used to live in Citrus Heights..now Lander Wyoming..
Thanks so much for sharing this
Thank you!
Thanks for the advise
What is the difference between potting mix and potting soil? Which do you recommend for planting up seedlings?
Potting soil and potting mix are usually interchangeable terms, so either can be used for seedlings.
I just came across your video's and have gotten a lot of great advice from them. Thank you!! I am new to gardening and want to have just a few tomato, cucumber and zucchini plants and some flowers for the one hummingbird in my back yard.The double cup method is what I am going to try with some plants. I was told tomatoes and cucumbers don't do well together. How far apart do they need to be in my back yard garden? I live in growing zone 8b in Oregon.
They do okay together but because they both get tall and wide it's good to separate them. If they're in the same bed tomatoes can be planted 18"-24" apart but that assumes that you have a trellis to support them as they grow vertically. If you don't trellis they'll need more space to grow horizontally. Cucumbers are the same. They can be 18" apart if grown vertically or farther if allowed to spread.
great video, helped me alot.
Great video and thank you for sharing☺
Great vidao reminder of the things that should & shouldnt be done, Thanks
I'm very excited for my first seedlings! Thank you for all the support GS!
Great info, thx
My mistakes so far was to start to many tomato plants than loose my lables. I kept some but have away my extras on a local free group as mystery tomato plants
Carrie, I painted my little container (6 pkt) and draw a map of the tray showing the location of each color. Seems to be working on some trays I'm showing 1-6 location for different plants.
Just don't lose the note get a tablet.
I think it's a bit too late for that this year now lol. But good tip. I have a bad habit of loosing everything. I could tell the two tomato plants apart from the way the seedlings grew and what side of the tray they were in just no clue which side was which. Luckily I'm happy with mystery tomatoes and so are the women in my local free group who were more than happy to take the gamble
Thank you for the video, very helpful, I started flowers seeds yesterday in 72 cell tray, I’m not planing to move them to bigger pots, I will directly planted them on the ground in may, should I add a flower food fertilizer to my watering after germination? I used a store starting mix. Thx.
Yes, you'll probably want to use a diluted flower fertilizer when they set true leaves.
I can tell, your a preacher or teacher of some sort. Love your videos.
Thank you so much for this excellent video! I have learned so much.
Great video!
Great video, love the shirt!
I've found that heat mats are helpful but can be problematic. Once a seedling has sprouted, I quickly remove the heat to prevent accelerated growth, that results in leggy plants. I also check the temperature of the seed flats while on heat mats. It's helpful to raise the trays a bit off of the mats with thin sticks of 1/4" or more. Alternatively, I used a rheostat to manage the temperature better.
Thanks for all your great vids that I've seen so far (started last summer). Extremely helpful in all cases. In which video do you discuss the mylar or emergency blanket you have hanging behind your rack of seedlings/grow lights? Southfacing windows & LED shoplights are great this year but the room I'm using will be turned to a guestroom as soon as I'm done this year; other rooms in house are chillier so may need more help next year. Otherwise, fyi, this is my first year starting as many seeds inside as I have (zone 6a), and I am glad to learn I am not just being anal by making notes regarding seedling emergence, height & other notes on their progress. Thanks again!
I have some older videos on how to grow seedlings that discuss the mylar. They're just stapled to the wall.
Hi Scott, what do I do about lighting if some plants germinate before others in the same tray? Thank you
Also curious about this answer...my broccoli sprouted and my peppers haven’t but they’re in the same peat pod tray. I was worried for my broccoli to survive so I went ahead and put the whole thing under light. Hopefully my peppers germinate still!
I germinate all my plants under the lights(running 16 hours a day on timers), no issues three years in a row.
That's one reason to try and group seeds that germinate at about the same time. If I have some that are faster in the same tray, I keep the lights close to the plants and then try to transplant those into pots while waiting for the others to germinate and grow
@@GardenerScott thank you for the response, much appreciated
Great comprehensive video. What is the brand of your green potting tray?
Thanks. It's called a Tidy Tray, from Greenhousemegastore.com
We saw a lot of moisture on the transparent lid of the propagator. What do you suggest, to stay or get away because it can create mold.
Thanks the video was very helpful.
You want to keep enough moisture- but not an excessive amount. It is best to monitor. The amount of moisture in that propagation chamber looked fine.
I usually lift the lid to let drier air in and drain the water every day until the seedlings are growing.
I have made the plant labeling mistake soooo many times. This year EVERY pot has a label.
Scott your videos are tremendously helpful to me. I watch them everyday. I started my seeds in larger clear plastic cups using your seeds starter formula. Since the cups are bigger should i keep the seedlings in there longer because there is room? The soil is just seeds starter will the seedlings need nutrients ?
If the seedlings are in seed starter mix they should be transplanted into a potting soil, or you can leave them in the seed starter but will need to fertilize with a diluted solution.
I appreciate your help thank you. I will leave them in the cups as they are 3.5 by3 inches but fertilize 1/4 dilution as i think you suggested in one of the videos
Yeah I can't keep my plants labled all the way through to outside planting. They get mixed up. I planted 300 plants, so that's alot of labels.
Hi... Am wondering when the plants, should be put in the other soil? Should they be a few inches tall, have a few true leaves, or?
Great video.. Thanks🌱
Waiting for true leaves helps ensure root growth. The second set of true leaves is usually a good time.
Thanks for the tips Scott. In terms of fungus and having a fan, how much of that can be avoided by putting them outside during nice days as soon as they germinated?
I'm in North Texas and we still have a couple of weeks until our last frost but most days are already in the high 60's, low 70's. Last year I got my seeds 5-6 weeks late and did what I described above and it worked great. I didn't really need to harden them off after that because that already happened as they were growing.
The air outside can help dry the soil surface but it also contains fungal spores and could introduce potential new fungi. It can work well as you experienced, but I would wait until the seedlings have a number of leaves and not very young.
Thank you so much for your videos! I love how professional and personable you are! Just curious, do you normally do your videos in one take? You seem so prepared and calm, and you rarely fumble over your words. It’s all spoken very thoughtfully and makes so much sense! You make it look so easy 😊
Thanks. I shoot many takes and edit them to look like one. This video had about 40 takes of different segments.
Thanks for the tips about light distance from the plants. How long do you leave your lights on per day?
I use about 16 hours for new seedlings and reduce to about 12 hours for bigger plants.
How do you make your grids on paper? Do you have a video link to it? Is it hand to hand combat with pen and ruler? I have learned a ton from your videos. Thanks.
If your trays are the same- you can make one template and then photocopy/print.
I just use a pen and ruler. I show it close up in this video: ua-cam.com/video/aHgxE-LsAo0/v-deo.html
Gardener Scott - I hope you can help me. Maybe others need help too. Should I be using the same soil year after year in my raised beds? My raised bed soil over the years has so much weed in it. The ants take over right away as soon as it gets warm and they eat my plants (esp. strawberries).... Also, I've had so much moisture in some beds that there has been a lot of moldy growth of the top layer. What do I do? I do add about 3 bags of composting and fertilizer each year
I use the same soil year after year and continue to add organic amendments to it. Stay active pulling weeds and use organic mulch on the surface to reduce mold. If you encourage birds and beneficial insects to your garden they can help deal with pests like ants. Try cutting back on fertilizer and focus on building healthy soil with organic materials.
Question: if a plant prefers shade when it’s mature, do the seedlings still need very bright direct light?
From my experience - yes. Your seeds, sprouts, seedlings need a good start that includes sufficient light (even those seeds that prefer darkness to germinate will still require light after the cotyledon emerge). I started all of my seeds (sun & shade-loving) under grow lights. When I transplant them outdoors they’ll go to their respective sun locations.
Usually. The light gets the leaves and stem growing.
I'm my own worst helper - and I have already made this mistake WRT labels - cheaping out on a label for each and every plant.
You can make plant labels from cut strips of hard plastic ( recycled containers from yogurt, shampoo, margarine, etc.)
So on the 13th I planted my seeds with straight coco coir seed starting mix. Am I supposed to fertilize them every two weeks? And can you tell me which I should go get at Lowe's? thank you so much in advance, Gardner scott! I'm so nervous about messing up my first garden. I don't see any seeds at all coming up. And my grow light and heat Mat don't arrive until wednesday. I pray I did everything right! 😬
If you plan to transplant into potting soil as soon as true leaves appear you don't need fertilizer. If not you may need diluted fertilizer after the true leaves appear and again before transplanting outside. Any balanced fertilizer can work.
The reflective sheet you are using, where do I get them ?
Thank you in advance.
Mylar emergency blankets are often in camping gear sections for $1-$5.
It's a Mylar blanket I get here: amzn.to/38KM8Ea
Hey Scott, I'm growing my chili peppers in happy frog potting soil mixed with a small amount of lobster compost. I started them really early this year (January) and they already have about 5 sets of leaves on many of them. Considering I'm still 2 months from transplanting and I'm not concerned about space, would you think it's a good idea to use some liquid fish fertilizer between now and then?
Happy Frog is a great product. They often add worm castings too. My guess is that you won't need fertilizer, but if you notice leaf yellowing or reduced growth, you can consider a diluted fish fertilizer before hardening off.
I accidentally spilled some liquid fertilizer on my hand and it burned a bit. I realized how important it is to dilute the stuff. I can imagine what it would do to plant roots
I have tomato seedlings under growing lights that are 5 weeks old. Just transplanted for the third time. I farm in Colorado so will leave indoors until May 20th. My plants are green with no yellow leaves. I have leaves that roll up and turn crispy and fall off.
My growing lights run 18 hours plus I use warming mats. Gardner Scott do you have any idea the cause of the curling leaves. I also fertilized when I just transplanted.
It could be the heat. I stop using heat mats after they germinate. If you used full-strength fertilizer that might be a cause too.
Thanks Scott. I really enjoy your gardening skills. I shut the heat off. I only used 1/2 strength fertilizer. Thanks again.
About light and germination. I’ve just started some pansies and they need darkness to germinate. Some are now sprouting but not all. When do I uncover them?
Go ahead and uncover where the seedlings are sprouted. If you set your lights to be off for 12 hours a day it might encourage the others to sprout.
@@GardenerScott Thanks!
Question .. can you replant in a pellet that the previous attempt failed because of either too much or too little water?
I do 🤷🏼♀️
Sure. I do it all the time.
@@GardenerScott thanks, I turned some upside down, opened the bottom of the pellets and planted herb garden sets (5 herbs) just yesterday. If/when they are ready to transplant ... they will go into a stacking system just outside the kitchen door.
Can potting mix not be used to start seeds? Why do we use the seed starter mix initially if you just have to change over to potting mix after they become seedlings?
Seedling medium is more suitable for many reasons. It is lighter, drains better and less likely to contain pests/elements (Disease, fungus, weeds, bacteria, etc) that interfere with seeds that are delicate.
Seed starter mixes are lighter and easier for roots to grow in. You can start directly in potting mix but a dense mix can hinder that first root development.
Do I transplant the seedlings the first time (out of my seed starter) as soon as the first true leaf appears? And is this the same for all types of plants?
It's better to wait until the first set are fully growing. When the second set appears you can start thinking about transplanting most plants.
I have no heat mat... I have been using 100 ct of Christmas lights under the drip pan...and everything was successful! Anyway... if I unplug the lights now that they are all 1 to 1.5 inches tall...can I leave them in my living room 68 ish? And then next week put them in my basement grow shelf? 62 to 65 ish... but thats where my really good grow lights are? Or will that be to cold for hot peppers? Should I put the lights around it so so its a bit of a microclimate?
Once the peppers have germinated and are growing, 68 is good. They should do fine below that too. Warmer air with the lights may encourage extra growth.
@@GardenerScott fantastic! Thankyou! Im putting everything in red solo cups as we speak so it will be good to get them right up my better lights!
Xin chào anh.anh ươm cây rau thật tuyệt vời
Translation: " Hello! What a wonderful vegetable nursery."
@@ecologytoday xin chào bạn
I transplant seedlings into solo cups with straight compost. They seem to like it just fine. Is that bad?
It sounds like it works okay for you, so that's not bad at all. For the short time most plants are in cups before we put them in the garden, the mix can be many things.
I lost some peppers, celery, and leeks forgetting to water them in the morning, by the time I got home from work they were dead :(
Some of my squash and zucchini are withering while others are not. I just transplanted them. I don’t see mold. I wonder if the fertilizer was not evenly dispersed in the new potting mix I made. What else could be the issue?
Squash can be difficult to transplant because the roots don't like to be disturbed. Too much fertilizer could be a problem. Overwatering as well.
@@GardenerScott ok thank you!
Hi,
I have a seed tray where I planted cosmos and digitalis and snapdragons together. Big mistake! Cosmos is butting up against the dome while the digitalis/snapdragon seeds have not yet sprouted. I’m not sure what to do. Should I remove the dome? If I do it’s not good for the seeds that haven’t sprouted, if I don’t my cosmos will bend. Help!
Go ahead and remove the dome so it doesn't interfere with the growth of seedlings. The rest of the seeds will probably sprout soon, or you can transplant the bigger seedlings into individual pots and return the dome until the others germinate.
Will do that. Thank you!
How soon after my seeds germinate do I need to repot them in potting soil?
Usually after they develop their true sets of leaves.
@@GardenerScott thank you so much! I started following you and this is my first year starting seeds indoors. Thanks for all the great information! I'm currently watching your video on wood chips!
Thank you for this video! I have always transplanted my original seedlings into larger containers in more starter mix - ugh! Now I know that’s bad.
When it comes to timing the transplanting, I always wait until I see one little root starting to stick out of the bottom of one of the growing cell holes. Is this a good way to judge when it is time to transplant into a slightly bigger growing container?
Seeing the roots emerge is a sign it's time to transplant. Also look at the leaf growth and transplant when 2-3 true leaves are growing.
Can I use diluted coffee, Epsom salt on my seedlings & growing plants?
You can, but they probably aren't needed. A good potting soil has the nutrients the plants need.
@@GardenerScott thx!
I put labels with date & type on my containers. It rained & washed off all the ink, now I don't know what's what!!!
Next time a sharpie...I cut up plastic containers..in long triangles..they last and take the sharpie.
Can seeds expire if stored too long after buying.
Yes they can, but the time depends on the seed. Tomato seeds may last 10 years but onion seeds may only last one.
@@GardenerScott thank you.
Seems like I have knats and to much moisture my plants start and soon my babies are dropped and dead.
Retrying but dryer.
To help avoid gnats, try applying boiling water to thoroughly heat seedling medium in covered tub container (keep in heat). Also try bottom watering seedling container only what can be absorbed in about 15 min. Some people also apply a small amount of diatomaceous earth to surface on seedling medium.
I did the boil water but didn't hold the heat for the 15 minutes, So thanks for the teaching,
@@johnjude2685 To hold heat of boiled water, try foil on soil surface plus a lid on tub.
Also only bottom water soil and be sure surface soil dries out.
A fan also helps in several ways.
It's making me really anxious because I can't figure out when the soil needs watering or not
Use your finger. Poke it into the soil to determine if it's dry, moist, or saturated.
@@GardenerScott I don't want to poke it and damage the roots
first!!!