Transcript Starting Seeds and Growing Transplants Under Lights

Starting Seeds and Growing
Transplants Under Lights
Univ. of MD. Extension
Your Name and County County MG
Your email address
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Topics Covered
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Goals and Advantages
Why use transplants
Materials Needed
Timing
Seeding, Temperature, and Light
Watering and Fertilizing
Transplanting
Hardening off
Planting in the Garden
Goals and Advantages
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Produce vigorous plants
Save money (long term)
Plant varieties you choose
Ensure disease-free transplants
Make transplants available when needed
Best use of expensive seed
Make more intensive use of garden space
Why use transplants
• Earlier harvest
• Extend the growing season
• Seeds germinate under ideal conditions
– Temperature, moisture, light and soil-less mix
– Control depth of seed planting
– Avoid problems with crusting soil
• More intensive use of garden space
Not All Vegetables Transplant Well
Relative difficulty in transplanting various vegetables
Difficult to
Easy to transplant
Medium difficulty
transplant
broccoli
cauliflower
cucumber
Brussels sprouts
cabbage
lettuce
tomato
celery
eggplant
onion
pepper
muskmelon
squash
watermelon
root crops
Materials Needed
• Growing media:
– Good germinating media should be loose, well
drained and fine-textured. It should also be free
of insects, disease organisms and weed seeds
– Synthetic mixtures (soil-less)
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peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, pH balanced + fertilizer
Pro Mix, Sunshine Mix, catalog co.'s mix
Locally available
Bag or bale
Use finer media for small seed
Materials Needed
Do NOT use garden soil or potting soil to start
seedlings; it is not sterile, is too heavy, and will
not drain well!
Materials Needed
• Containers:
– Flats, trays
– Clay or plastic pots
– Recycled household items
• Cottage cheese containers, styrofoam cups, pie pans,
bottoms of milk jugs, yogurt cups, etc.
– Peat pots and pellets
Materials Needed
• Containers
– Regardless of the type of container chosen, it
must have good drainage (plenty of holes).
– Containers need to be sterile
• Previously used containers should be washed with
warm, soapy water
• Rinsed or soaked in a solution of one part bleach to 10
parts water
– New containers do not need cleaning
Materials Needed
• Seeds:
– Seeds can be obtained from local dealers and seed
catalogs
– For best results, purchase seeds from a reputable
company.
– May want to do a germination test on seeds saved from
past years or just plant additional seed.
Materials Needed
• Seeds:
– Fresh seed will germinate faster than old seed.
– Consult the seed package for the following information:
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Number of days to germination
Planting depth
Seed spacing
Row spacing
Cultural information
Disease resistance
Number of days to maturity
Good info on most seed packets
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Materials Needed
• Fluorescent light (reflector s/b width of flat)
• Heat mat and thermostat
• Transparent cover (plastic bag, glass, plastic
wrap, clear plastic flat cover)
• Labels
Materials Needed
• Fluorescent Light:
– Use either T-8 or T-5 fixture
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T-8 is half to one-third the price of T-5
T-8 tube are 32 watt
Use tubes that produce at least 2600 lumens
Use two cool white tubes or two grow lights or one cool
and one warm white
• Replace tubes after 3,000 hours when they loose 10%
to 15% of their light output
– 3,000 hrs/16hrs/day ≈ 180 days, depending on usage
Materials Needed
• Fluorescent Light:
– T-5 fixture
• More expensive
– Fixture 2 to 3 times more expensive that T-8
– Bulbs 2 to 3 times more expensive than T-8
– Last about the same length of time
• Produce twice as much light
• Not needed for growing transplants
• Does a great job of growing house plants and orchids
Materials Needed
• Fluorescent Light:
– Two tube fixture one foot by four feet
• Will start two flats
• Reflector should be one foot wide to cover flat
– Four tube fixture two foot by four feet ($42)
• Will start four flats
– Position lights so that they are 1-2 inches from the
top of the growing plants (closer is better)
– As the seedlings grow, the lights should be raised
– Provide light for 16 hours/day using a timer
My Light Box
Other examples
Materials Needed
• Heat mat
– 10” x 20” single flat $25
– 20” x 20” two flats $40-$54
– 20” x 48” four flats $70-$80
• Thermostat control $35
• Seeds germinate best at certain
temperatures a heating mat will
increase/speed germination
Timing
• Check HG-16 for planting dates and subtract time to grow
transplants from seed packet.
– https://extension.umd.edu/growit search for HG-16
• E.g. Broccoli 6 weeks prior to plant out (April 1)
• April 1 – 6 weeks/42 days = February 18
• E.g. Eggplant 8 weeks prior to plant out (May 17) last frost date
• May 17 – 8 weeks/56 days = March 20
– Search https://extension.umd.edu for frost dates
• Spring frost dates
– Clarksville is May 17
– BWI is April 26
• Fall frost dates
– BWI is Oct 17
– Rockville is Oct 1
Timing
• A common mistake is to sow seeds too early.
• Smaller, stocky plants will adapt to the garden more
easily than leggy transplants that already have small
fruits hanging on them.
• Tomato plants 4-5 weeks old grow and yield better
than older transplants.
• Tomato start date
– Plant out date 5/17 – 5 weeks/35days = 4/12
Seeding, Temperature, and Light
• Steps to Seeding:
– Moisten growing media before planting
– Fill containers
– Firm the media (leave space at top of container)
– Sow seeds at the depth recommended on seed
packet
• E.g. eggplants ¼ inch
• Some seed may need light to germinate
– Label each container (plant type, variety, and date
planted)
– Moisten soil and cover container
Seeding, Temperature, and Light
• Temperature:
– Seeds germinate best at an optimum
temperature of soilless mix in container
• E.g. eggplant, pepper 80⁰-90⁰
• E.g. broccoli 70⁰
• See seed packet or Johnny’s Seed catalog
– Advantages
• Greater germination %
• Faster germination
• Concentrated germination (more uniform stand)
Seeding, Temperature, and Light
• Temperature:
– A special warm areas may be needed
– Use heat mats with thermostat
– In the old days you could place container on the
top of the refrigerator, etc.
– Media temperature may be 5 degrees lower that
ambient air temperature
Germination, Temperature, and Light
• After germination
– Containers should be uncovered
– Lower light to 1-2 inches above plants
– Seeds should be moved to cooler location
– Check packet or catalog for this info
• E.g. eggplants 70⁰
• E.g. broccoli 60⁰
Watering after seeding
• Use a fine mist or place the containers in a
pan or tray which contains about 1 inch of
warm water
• Containers should be moist but not wet
• Too much water will cause seeds to rot
• If seeds dry out, they won’t germinate
• Plastic covers help keep container moist
Watering after germination
• Water should be at room temperature
• After seedlings emerge, gentle overhead watering or
bottom watering is needed
• Small delicate seedlings respond well to bottom
watering until they are firmly anchored in the soil
• If bottom watering isn’t practical, use a fine spray
• Alternatively, drill small holes in the lid of a gallon
jug, hold over plants and squeeze
Watering After Germination
• Allow media to dry between watering, but
don’t allow seedlings to wilt
• Flat or container becomes lighter as it dries
out
• Water media only when it no longer feels
moist
• The entire soil column must contain moisture
– Apply enough water so that some drips out of the
drainage holes
Fertilizing Seedlings
• Seedlings will require some fertilization for
best development
• Fertilize after first set of true leaves appear
• Use a water soluble houseplant fertilizer
(10-15-10, 20-20-20, 18-12-6) or fish emulsion
at about ½ rate
• Fertilize at two/three week intervals.
Succession Planting
• Use your lights to grow transplants for succession
and fall planting
– Succession
• Beets, lettuce, leeks, cucumbers, squash, kohlrabi
• Permits more intense use of available space since
transplants have a 4-6 week head start
– Fall crops planted in August and September
• Broccoli, kale, collards, cauliflower, lettuce, mustard
• Some plants like broccoli will withstand frost and
temperature down to 32⁰
• Use season extending techniques
Seed Starting Date for Fall
• First frost date for your area (early October)
• Subtract days to maturity
• Subtract days to grow transplants
• Subtract short day factor (14 days)
• Fall seed starting date equals
– Frost date - Days to maturity – days to grow to
transplantable size - SDF (14 days)
Calculation For Broccoli
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Days to grow transplants
42 days (6 wks.)
Days to maturity:
55 days
Short Day Factor (SDF):
14 days_
No. of days to start seeds
101 days
prior to frost date
• Sow seeds 101 days before the first frost
• Counting back from Oct. 20 the date to sow seed is July 11
Transplanting
• If you have started multiple seedlings in a
single container, they must be transplanted to
individual containers
• Transplant after first true leaves have formed
• Common mistake is to leaving seedlings in the
seed container too long
Transplanting
• Gently dig out the seedling by gently holding
the leaves (Not the Stem!)
• Use a fondue fork or small plastic fork
• Place the seedling in an individual cell or pot,
at the same level it was planted before
• Water newly transplanted seedling
• Return to fluorescent lights
Hardening Off
• Definition: Hardening-off is the process
whereby transplants slow growth and develop
greater tolerance to the weather so they can
survive being planted into the garden
• Is critical for any transplant
Hardening Off
• About 7-14 days before planting into the
garden:
– Gradually withhold watering (don’t allow plants to wilt)
– Gradually expose plants to the outside temperatures.
• Place plants in a protected, shady location outside
• Gradually move plants into sunlight (and wind) for short
periods each day. Increase length of exposure each day.
– Avoid fertilizing
– E.G. eggplants reduce water and temp. to 65⁰
• Hardened plants will suffer less transplant
shock and begin to grow sooner
Hardening Off
• Cold frame
Planting in the Garden
• Once hardened off, seedlings can be set out it
the garden.
– Transplant on a cloudy day or late afternoon
– Set plants at about the same level they were
growing in the pots
– If transplanting in peat pots, trim the pots down
to the soil level or below
– Water transplants in using transplant solution of
water soluble fertilizer at ½ rate or manure tea
Planting in the Garden
• Row cover
– Plants can be covered to protect from frost and
bugs
This program was brought to you by
Maryland Master Garden Program
Your County
University of Maryland Extension
Resources
• Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC)
– 800-342-2507
– www.extension.umd.edu/hgic
– Search “fluorescent lights”
• Grow It Eat It
– www.extension.umd.edu/growit
• Click on “The Basics” Tab
• Click on “Starting vegetables seeds indoors”