I just Had to... I know I said I was Done!!
 

Well I forgot to post this on Friday but after watching a video on You Tube I was inspired to do some more seed starts, and yes this will be the last this year... I have no more room! I started 2 varieties of cukes 2 Straight 8 sets, 2 Burpless cukes, and 4 beet sets. I normally direct sow them but the Video I watched on You Tube claims the plants will offer better yields, and I had time so why not? If they don't take I can still direct sow come the 3rd week off May. does anyone here start cold weather plants from seed?

I always start cukes/zukes/melons a month before plant-out time and I put them in newspaper pots because I've heard that the roots don't like to be disturbed.

Linda

Thanks [URL="http://www.tomatoville.com/member.php?u=14276"]Labradors2 good to know it works!![/URL]

I've done it in the past with no problems. I've even had good luck with beans started indoors which some say can be problematic. I now direct sow cucumbers, zucchini and beans simply because I don't have the space for seedlings indoors and they are early enough crops that in my area I don't need to give them a head start. Good luck with them!

Cukes and Zukes need warm weather, I may start some early indoors but like Linda, maybe a month before plant out at the earliest. I've got enough plants to babysit under lights as it is and running out of room, and I haven't even started potting up yet.

Father'sDaughter My starting trays are full now so my options are limited but I wanted to try and see. I've always just put the seed in and waited but I had to try this method out.

I start a few small size early English type greenhouse cucumbers early, that I grow in large pots with a short trellis for earlier eating. It's nice to have early fresh cukes before the in-ground ones can get started.

Let us know how the beet sets turn out. I'm curious about that as I just can't get them to finish in the ground. They come up but just never finish and I'm wondering if doing sets might help.

You asked about cold weather plants from seed. I do broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards and sometimes kohlrabi, cauliflower and bok choy.

I live in Ireland in an area with a particularly short growing season, so I start everything indoors except root vegetables

HA! , I usually start beets in fall, or early winter - here in southwest CA coast. But it works in early spring planting too.
I'd say pick a good variety for your region/temps, etc. As beets can be an early spring/summer crops in most areas. Easy !!

I tend to like chiogga as it seems to do well in containers.


Cukes need warm weather, so I start seeds indoors about a month prior, and ready to plant out next week in soil "soil temp : 60-65F is my target". But last weeks heat surge surpassed that :shock:. Now its chilly:dizzy:

Beets will do well from sets, have purchased punnets in the past and had them grow over 5 inches across. One other advantage with plants with compound seed like beets is that one gets the opportunity to carefully separate each plant and space appropriately between each plant rather than having multiple plants come up and need thining

[QUOTE=Whwoz;755601]Beets will do well from sets, have purchased punnets in the past and had them grow over 5 inches across. One other advantage with plants with compound seed like beets is that one gets the opportunity to carefully separate each plant and space appropriately between each plant rather than having multiple plants come up and need thining[/QUOTE]

Hmmm, I said I'm never doing beets again but I might have to give it one more go this fall using sets.

Whwoz, do you sow your beet seed one seed to a cell in a multi pack? Do you then remove a cell and then separate that into several plants? Inquiring minds need to know. :)

GoDawgs, the times that I have done it, it has been with commercial punnets as I was running late to get them in the ground and they were available. Commercial seed here is sown in cells roughly 1/2 inch square, then punched out of the cell tray (512 per tray from memory) and potted up 8 cells per punnet, 8 or 10 punnets per retail tray. Not sure if you are aware but beet (silverbeet, beetroot etc) seeds aer actually compound seeds, that is four or five seeds "stuck" together in a cluster, so even if you sow one seed, multiples often come up. Careful teasing of the roots can result in separation of the plants, with each plant growing on quite happily.

[QUOTE=Whwoz;755619]GoDawgs, the times that I have done it, it has been with commercial punnets as I was running late to get them in the ground and they were available. Commercial seed here is sown in cells roughly 1/2 inch square, then punched out of the cell tray (512 per tray from memory) and potted up 8 cells per punnet, 8 or 10 punnets per retail tray. Not sure if you are aware but beet (silverbeet, beetroot etc) seeds aer actually compound seeds, that is four or five seeds "stuck" together in a cluster, so even if you sow one seed, multiples often come up. Careful teasing of the roots can result in separation of the plants, with each plant growing on quite happily.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that description, Whwoz. Yes, I was aware of the compound seeds but had never heard of separating them like that. You learn something new every day! Including what a punnet is, which I admit I had to look up. :lol:
I might have to play with that come fall as I've already tossed the little seed I had left.

[QUOTE=GoDawgs;755622]Thanks for that description, Whwoz. Yes, I was aware of the compound seeds but had never heard of separating them like that. You learn something new every day! Including what a punnet is, which I admit I had to look up. :lol:
I might have to play with that come fall as I've already tossed the little seed I had left.[/QUOTE]

Only done it a couple of times Godawgs, you may loose a few plants but overall size is up