Seedling Progress

Seedlings are doing well, have all but melon, cucumber and pumpkin going. The following are pictures of my current seedlings:

Celery right as it was beginning to germinate back in early February. One of the harder vegetables to get good germination from. They're finicky, my strategy for them is to put the seeds in the freezer four weeks before I plan to plant them. This is called, stratification, it simulates "winter" for the seeds. Celery seeds seem to respond to this method. When I am ready to plant, I allow the seeds to come to room temperature, and I soak them in water overnight. After, I strain them with a coffee filter, then make sure that when I plant the seeds, I do not allow them to go below the surface of the soil medium. Celery seeds absolutely need light to germinate. Then as always, I cover with plastic wrap until most or at least some have germinated. The plastic wrap provides a sufficiently humid environment for the seeds to germinate. Then I remove the plastic wrap and just let them do their thing.

Celery now at 4 weeks. All they need  now is sufficient water and plant food. As ancestral Celery were marsh plants modern Celery needs to be kept constantly damp. Note I said damp, not wet. They are also heavy feeders, needing rich soil more so than most other vegetables. In another week, I will begin to mix a little fish emulsion into the water. I have found that as a plant food, fish emulsion works for me.

Leeks planted back in early February, at the same time as the celery. Now four weeks later, they need only water and a hair cut once a week. I keep them trimmed to 4" to 5" until it's time to transplant for two reasons, one I need them to fit under my lights, two I believe that doing so, results in a healthier, thicker leek.

After this weeks hair cut.

Cabbage at only one week. One of the easier vegetables to grow from seed. Just plant and water. Cover with plastic wrap until they germinate.

One week old tomato seedlings. Not 100% germination yet, but getting there.

Tomatoes:

Cover the seeds, they germinate better in the dark. Keep the soil temp as close as possible to 80° for prompt germination. Keep as near as possible to 60° after germination. Chilling to induce early bloom often works well, but it must be done early, when the first true leaves are opening up and the plant is only about 1 1/2" tall. Night temperatures of 50°-55° for two to three weeks are usually effective. Do not set out before reasonably sure that it is past the last frost. Bury tomato plants parallel to the soil surface, right up to the top tuft of leaves. dig a long shallow trench, not a deep hole, that is too cold for roots. Need an ample supply of potash and phosphorus. Dig in rock phosphorus and bone meal before transplanting. Avoid too much Nitrogen. Add Nitrogen at bloom by adding diluted fish emulsion. After mid June add mulch, not before. For staked plants prune suckers that appear in the leaf axils. Do not smoke around tomato plants. Try to use black mulch under plants. Remove prior to summer or add topping of hay/straw mulch to keep soil from getting too hot.

Tobacco Mosaic Virus- Do not plant Tomato and Pepper seedlings in the same bed. Spray seedlings with skim milk to lowers the PH on the surface of the leaves so they are less susceptible to mildew and viral infections.

Tomatoes are subject to Tobacco Mosaic Virus just like Peppers. Adhere to the preventative measures set forth in the previous post entitled Peppers and Tobacco Mosaic Virus.

Peppers after two weeks. I think that peppers are one of the hardest seeds to get to germinate. I still don't have 100% germination. I hope in another week, the remaining seeds will germinate.

Pepper seedlings, I added this just because I thought it was a cool picture.

So that is it for now, I have melons, cucumber and pumpkin to plant in coming weeks. The 1st of the seedlings will go into dirt a month from now. 

Peppers and Tobacco Mosaic Virus

Today it's time to plant my pepper seeds. That presents an issue for me, as unfortunately in addition to being an avid gardener, I am also an avid smoker. So for me planting peppers, is a surgical procedure. I prepare for it like a surgeon prepares for surgery.

I learned the hard way last year, I planted Jalapenos and Cayenne Peppers. Without knowing any better, I also smoked while I did it and I smoked in my grow room while I nurtured my growing seedlings. I don't do that anymore. What happened was that my peppers grew fabulously for about 5 weeks, to about two inches, then got spots, withered and died. I was so disappointed and confused. I thought I did everything I could to grow them properly. Thus began my education about Tobacco Mosaic Virus.

I will not begin to try and describe the virus, there are bunches of sites on the web that do a much better job of describing the virus than I could. I will simply describe the preventative measures I learned to take. They are as follows:

• When planting, wash hands with soap and water thoroughly and then rinse in skim milk (Skim milk kills the virus) before touching planting medium or seeds. Something about the Ph level of skim milk. This is well documented on the Internet.
• Absolutely no smoking in grow room, ever.
• Thoroughly wash hands and rinse in skim milk prior to watering pepper seedlings.
• Thoroughly wash hands and rinse in skim milk prior to transplanting pepper seedlings.
• Thoroughly wash hands and rinse in skim milk prior to touching pepper plants as they grow.
• Thoroughly wash hands and rinse in skim milk prior to harvesting peppers.

So last year after my peppers died, and I figured out it was Tobacco Mosaic Virus that killed them, and after learning the preventative measures mentioned above, I replanted my peppers a second time. I followed the rules meticulously and without exception and successfully grew healthy peppers to fruition.

So needless to say, if you are a gardener and a smoker like me, and want to grow peppers, be advised.

I planted the following peppers this year:

• Jalapenos (Mildly Hot)
• Cayenne (Hot)
• Chiltepin (Very Hot)
• Pequin (Very Hot)
• Green, Red, Yellow and Orange Sweet Peppers

NOTE: Tomato plants are just as vulnerable to Tobacco Mosaic Virus as peppers. Follow all the same precautions with them as with peppers.

Peppers:

Sow seed in shallow flats, 4 seeds/in., 1/4" deep, in late March or about 8 weeks prior to transplanting outdoors. If possible, maintain soil temperatures 80-90°F (27-32°C). Pepper seeds germinate very slowly in cooler soil. When the first true leaves just show, transplant 2-3" apart in flats or 2" cell-type containers. (The use of 2" or larger cells will produce larger plants with better-developed root systems.) Grow plants at approx. 70°F day and 60°F nights.

COLD TREATMENT: Exposing the seedlings to controlled cold treatments can increase the number of flowers and fruits. When the third true leaf appears, grow the plants at a minimum night temp. of 53-55°F (12-13°C) for 4 weeks. The plants should receive full sunlight. After 4 weeks adjust temp. to 70°F (21°C) day and night. Feed at this point with diluted solution every two weeks at this point, at transplanting and at flowering. If this technique is used, peppers should be seeded 1-2 weeks earlier than usual.

TRANSPLANTING: Before transplanting, be sure that the soil temperature is at least 65°F. Transplant out after frost when the soil is warm and weather is settled. Ideal seedlings have buds, but no open flowers. Set plants 12-18" apart in rows 24-36" apart, or 2 rows on poly/paper mulch, 18" between plants. Water-in transplants using a high phosphorus solution. Do not smoke around pepper plants. Try to use black mulch under plants. Remove prior to summer or add topping of hay/straw mulch to keep soil from getting too hot.

NEVER TOUCH PLANTS OR SEEDS IF YOU HAVE USED OR TOUCHED ANY FORM OF TOBACCO UNTIL YOU HAVE THOROUGHLY CLEANED YOUR HANDS.  TMV- Do not plant Tomato and Pepper seedlings in the same bed. Spray seedlings with skim milk to lowers the PH on the surface of the leaves so they are less susceptible to mildew and viral infections.