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Seed starting

Discussion in 'Horticulture' started by ShawnM, Feb 4, 2020.

  1. OP
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    ShawnM

    ShawnM DI Forum Patron ★ No Ads ★ Highly Rated Poster Showcase Reviewer Blood Donor Veteran Air Force

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    Great advice...I had some Korean melon seeds that fresh out of the pack did very well, next time home, the seed pack we just had curled up the end and put into the desk in our bedroom (doesn't normally have the AC running during the day) only had a few germinate but died off before even flowering. Disappointing as the wife and family really liked the melons and they had no issues with cucumber beetles.

    I would love to grow them again here but until the company I work for gets more work in Korea or I ask one of my Korean friends to send me seeds we are out of luck with that variety of melon.

    Shawn
     
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  2. Sedona

    Sedona DI Forum Adept

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    When I first started doing our vegetable gardening I used to use those seed trays and little seed pots. I found them a big hassle to keep the moisture right and always ended up with seedlings that were long and lanky and most didn't survive transplanting. I eventually found that, at least for me, the easiest thing to do also seems to be the thing that works the best, and that is to just go ahead and plant the seeds straight into the ground where they will grow.
     
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  3. Notmyrealname

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    I have no expertise in growing plants in the Philippines as I have never been rooted long enough myself to root anything else.

    But in my home country, where I grew veg and garden plants a lot, I found the following:

    1. Useful to start off some seedlings indoors so that they can go out as plantlets after the last frost, so have a head start. But no frost to worry about here.
    2. Planting direct in the ground did have more problems with weeds as the weeds were growing as fast as, or faster, than my plants. I avoided using herbicides and other -cides, but usually planted within soil covered by black plastic or old carpet - this was especially good for potatoes as I just lifted the plastic and took a few from each plant, leaving the rest to keep growing. I know that seed potatoes are grown in cold climates to avoid diseases so not sure if anyone grows potatoes here - blight and other fungal diseases must be a major headache.
    3. Leeks were usually planted in a seed tray and then the seedlings put deep into a cylindrical hole in the garden soil to grow on.

    But I agree that using seed trays causes problems and can even hold back the growth of the transplanted crops. Was the problem of "long and lanky" plants due to growth towards the light - that being another problem of indoor-growing?

    Here I have mostly grown ornamental plants within containers - I find roses last a few months only. In more temperate climates they have a rest during winter - so have you found success with them here?
     
  4. Sedona

    Sedona DI Forum Adept

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    I'm not growing ornamental plants, that may be completely different. I'm growing corn, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, squash, broccoli, and peechay (for now). I have six large (about 15m x 1.5m) raised concrete growing beds filled with garden soil and compost and built-in irrigation. The construction was just finished at the end of last summer, so I'm still learning (and struggling). For example, if my corn takes 90 days from planting to harvest, then I plant one-third of a container, wait a month and plant another third, wait a month and plant the final third. When the first batch if ready I harvest that and re-pant. That way I almost always have fresh corn that I can take out of my garden. It's really nice to not have to worry about seasons, also nice to have helpers :wink:
    upload_2020-2-14_7-56-38.png
     
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    ShawnM

    ShawnM DI Forum Patron ★ No Ads ★ Highly Rated Poster Showcase Reviewer Blood Donor Veteran Air Force

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    I agree that the seed flats take a bit more maintenance in a tropical environment compared to starting seeds indoors when you have 4 seasons (we are checking them at least twice a day to avoid drying out) but with the number of seeds we started it made a bit of sense, especially the cactus and citrus. I also wanted a bit of a head start for the raised beds.

    We planted quite a number of seeds, more than we can use for our little garden areas, but the plants will be gifted to some of the wife's friends but most will go to her father in the village. He is not in the best of shape to be starting seeds, so us setting a number of plants close to his house will give him a chance to just walk out and pick a few things he needs.

    Shawn
     
  6. OP
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    ShawnM

    ShawnM DI Forum Patron ★ No Ads ★ Highly Rated Poster Showcase Reviewer Blood Donor Veteran Air Force

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    The wife has quite a number of rose bushes in her ornamental raised beds in the front yard and they are doing quite well. The only thing I know that she did was to amend the soil with vermicompost.

    Shawn
     
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    Last edited: Feb 15, 2020
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    ShawnM

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    I love what you are doing, you definitely owe us some posts and pics!

    Succession planting is the way to go for the seasonal crops. Peppers don't stop...we have neighbors coming by to pick what they need as we just can't keep up. Will not grow that many peppers going forward.

    Shawn
     
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    Last edited: Feb 15, 2020
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    I have used vermicompost but the roses were in pots - I think they prefer direct in garden soil. But, also, my problem could have been that I was living where the winds were so strong that it was ripping the leaves off most of my plants!
     
  9. ThatNewGuy

    ThatNewGuy DI Member

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    My beef tomatoes are progressing together with my black cherry tomatoes.

    Since beef tomatoes is very tricky here, I use every trick in the book
     

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    ShawnM

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    The raised beds are about done, some cosmetic work left. Some plants were transplanted and a number of seeds direct sown. Most of the plants in the picture will be headed out front.

    I did decide to go with some older banana trees to make a fill for the garden, the wife went a bit more than I wanted for the vermicompost/rice hull mix to fill everything in, so we will see how the plants do in that area. Getting the older banana trees cost very little.

    The seed flat I put the cactus seeds are germinating...took a couple months and don't look like I expected but know for sure I only sowed cactus seeds in that flat. They don't look as I expected so will have to update to be sure. Nothing so far on the citrus, which is disappointing but it is what it is.

    The tomato seedlings were decimated, from birds as the wife said...sucks as they were my favorite. The plan is to direct seed more tomatoes in the raised gardens with netting installed to prevent the birds. Had good luck with them before so not sure what happened.

    Shawn
     

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