October 17, 2016

Avalanche column

september 29, 2016

September is ending and we creep into fall, spring Solanaceae time is nearing.

I like to start my Solanaceae (tomato, peppers, eggplant) plants early. Early being the first tomato plants go into the garden the middle of February (weather permitting). The reason is to have very well established plants for the (usually) angry months of May and June. July trumped these months this year.

I have experimented with many different ways to start my plants.

I used to use what are called soil blocks. These use a tool to compress soil into a block. The idea behind this is not to have transplant shock. I have a 3/4 inch, a 2 inch and a 4 inch blocker. The smaller block fits into a hole in the next larger block. These do make very nice seedlings for transplants.

I have lost favor with these because of our very low humidity. It can be very difficult to keep the soil hydrated because of low humidity. These blocks are free standing.

Last year I tried something new and it worked very well for me. The seedling survival allowed me to have a fully stocked garden from the start. Seedling failures in the past required several sowings to accomplish this.

I seeded several seeds into 8 ounce cups. The soil level in the cups was an inch below the cups rim. This allowed me to place a plastic sheet over the cup. Once the seeds germinated the seedlings could grow and still be covered with a humidity barrier.

The plastic was removed once the seedlings touched the plastic. These little "dog hair thickets” remained in these cups until their secondary leaves formed. They were then transplanted into their own 8 oz cup. Once seedling size was attained they were then transplanted into 16 oz cups. I did not notice any transplant shock from dividing the “dog hairs” and beyond.

Last year was the first year that I had a heat mat. It is 48 inches by 20 inches. This did keep the seeds and seedlings in the 65 to 75 degree range. This temperature range is a very conducive for germination and plant growth.

There have been years where I could not keep the soil temperature in this zone. I could only struggle to get the soil to 60. Below sixty and you get into the dampening off zone and little seedlings drop like flies.

It is the little seedlings that have not developed the secondary leaves that are the most vulnerable. Quick growth with temperatures within the 65 / 75 range insures that dampening off does not happen.

I must remind that these seedlings are being started around the end of December and in the last few years the end of December has been rather chilly and it has been a bit of a push to keep the seedling grow room warm. The grow mat is the equalizer.