Ok guys, I have lots of questions and don’t know where to start. I’m so desperate for spring and wanting to get my hands in the dirt that I decided to start early this year…perhaps too early. I bought a Jiffy Pot thing with 72 little peat pods in it. And started planting away. I guess I caught a wild hair this year, I’m working on some Ruby Red Corn, some Artichokes, my easter egg plant from last year, zinnias zinnias and more zinnias and some lumina pumpkins to name a little. I’m thinking of starting a seed swap, if I’m on tonight I’ll get y’all a list up here so you can see all my fun and unusual seeds I have. Anyway, I’m getting side tracked. So I started this thing last friday and most of them have sprouted. My zinnias are touching the plastic top that goes on my little garden, so question #1 should I take the top off, is that bad? and my corn well Andy swears I planted it upside down and now I have roots growing out the top instead…but I don’t know, and he doesn’t know anymore then I do. (Thinks he’s so smart) I don’t know which way you plant corn or half the seeds I put in there. Seeds Intimidate me, I’m used to bulbs, which brings me to an entirely different subject sorta, I planted some hostas this weekend, I could tell what was top or bottom on those either. Question #2 is there a trick I’m missing that just hints to whats top and whats bottom, will it eventually just find its way to the outside world? And what to do with all these little peat pods filled with little seedlings. Do I just need to transfer them to a bigger jiffy pot. Do y’all have any luck with Jiffy I always hear mixed reviews. Well in closing (cause I’m at work but just had to ask) if I don’t get my seed list on hear tonight don’t let me forget. Thanks guys for any help!
9 comments so far
XploreOrganics
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843 posts in 386 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 313 days ago
Sounds like you are having great fun…Still way to winter up here in the north pole to start anything yet :)
Plants don’t like the plastic lids as they have condensation so I would vent it a little.
So your plants don’t get to tall and lanky too quickly it is best to have them as close to the light source as possible. I made a very chaep starting shelf last year by purchaing one of those $15 metal canning racks, put the shelves in upside down so they are like little trays and then used sticky velcro to attach $5 florescent light fixtures to the bottom of each shelf….these racks are adjustable so I could keep my plants very close to the light so they would grow a heftier shoot.
You can’t really plant corn upsidedown :) The shoot will always search for the light and the roots will look for water.
I am not a fussy gardener most things the flat end goes down but I plunk it it and it almost always finds its way to the sunlight :)
-- Xploreorganics, 5b Canada, LFD 06-20
GrandmaT
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3211 posts in 385 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 313 days ago
I have planted bareroot Hosta many, many times. Bareroots should have a root system (however small) on the bottom and the top should have a crown or type of point. You only want to put the root system in the ground, not the whole thing. You should be able to see where the root system ends and the “leafy” area will sprout from.
If it is Hosta “seed” then I have other advice …
As far as Zinnia’s … only grown them from bought plants. Although seems to me if they are already touching the top of the container/lid then you would need to remove it so as to not hinder the growth of a strong, straight stem. Question being are they the only plants in that one container? Are all the other plants sprouted?
-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b
GrandmaT
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3211 posts in 385 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 313 days ago
Oh yah … there is a GT seed swap that you might want to save your seeds for … check out the Blog: “A Grab Bag For All – Seed Swap” by Xploreorganics. Could be FUN!!!
-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b
MsDebbieP
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3811 posts in 507 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 312 days ago
you’re making me itchy to plant some seeds myself.. but it’s far too early here as well.
re: upside down issue—Mother Nature doesn’t send seeds to the ground and then turn them over.. she just drops them wherever .. and they grow :)
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)
GrandmaT
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3211 posts in 385 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 312 days ago
WAIT Deb … LOL … isn’t that why God made squirrels; to “help” Mother Nature or US with the arrangement of seeds??!!!! :-)
-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b
eringobraugh
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36 posts in 338 days
posted 312 days ago
I thought squirrels where made to dig up bulbs and put them where they want them lol
GrandmaT
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3211 posts in 385 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 312 days ago
Oh yah … that too!!!! ;-)
-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b
Bon
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1732 posts in 287 days
hardiness zone 5a
posted 280 days ago
Nice to see another zinnia lover.I plant a lot of zinnias.They are one of my favourites.I start my seeds in trays.I put very little soil in to start and put my grow lights right down almost touching them.As they start to grow and become taller I add more soil around them.I have found that this really helps to get strong stems.I plant way too many seeds in my trays but then it is easy to thin out the scrawny ones.I usually start my seeds late and put smaller plants out in the garden.They grow quite fast once planted and I get a lot more flowers this way.I don’t have a greenhouse or anything similiar to one so my plants come from the grow lights in trays to the outside for hardening a few hours a day and then straight into the ground.I have always had good luck with all my flowers this way.Hope this helps.
-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more
GrandmaT
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3211 posts in 385 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 280 days ago
Funy, been gardening for near 33 years and the one plant I had never planted (don’t know why, just never did) was Zinnia’s … till last year. And, I LOVE THEM!!!! Easy to grow and just spread and get nice and bushy … they were beautiful. So needless to say, I am with you Bon and Erin … hooked, and will be planting them this year too!!!!
-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b