The 2017 Chronicles of a Newbie Gardener
 

The 2016 growing season was pretty disappointing, bought some mislabelled plants that turned out to be a late variety poor in taste.

Looking back for what went wrong, I stumbled upon this forum and got bitten with tomato gardening fever last December. My next season [B]had [/B]to start from seed so I purchased a bunch and thanks to the generosity of several board members, I was able to add some unique varieties.

I hope this thread will prove helpful to others as I highlight the challenges met.

I started my first wave after buying the MG seed starter mix:
[img]http://i.imgur.com/W8kDRb2.jpg[/img]

Took over part of my girls' play room placing a table next to the window.
Temperature was around 19c (66f) on seeding.
No heatmat.
Used 4 inch pots and two 3x3 trays to start the following on April 1st:

Cosmonaut Volkov (CV)
Indian Stripe PL (ISPL)
Jaune Flamme (JF)
Taxi
Black Cherry (BC)
Paul Robeson (PR)
Rebel Yell (RY)
Cherokee Lime (CL)
Cherokee Purple (CP)

JF was the first to sprout on Apr-7 and ended up with 100% germination rate.
CV was the last to sprout at 60% rate with some seeds taking 14 days to show up!

I noticed in subsequent plantings an improvement in CV as I did the following:
Avg room temp increased to 22-23C (72F) and spent more time keeping the surface wet by spraying water every day until germination.

Now I see why covering seedlings and using a heatmat makes a difference.:twisted:

Multiple subsequent waves of plantings saw 100% germination rates for LLK (Lindey's Little Krim), Taxi, RY, BC, Rosella Pruple(RP), Stupice & ISPL.

Cherokee Purple remains at 33% germination and GGWT (girl girl's wierd thing) was the worst performer at 0% (3 seeds sown in total).

The last to be sown was MSE (Matsu-Express) on April 21.

This is what the little plants looked like in their first week:
[img]http://i.imgur.com/c7aG0xS.jpg[/img]

The window seating proved insufficient in terms of light, hence the legginess, so what to do?

I bought a T5 light for 50 bucks (CAD) and installed it on unused shelf, confiscated a couple of toy boxes from my girls as base and voila:
[img]http://i.imgur.com/JJU5NhP.jpg[/img]


I think the distance from the light was not perfect, so I had to add another box of toys to shrink that distance to 4 inch between plants and light:
[img]http://i.imgur.com/FlsQeMu.jpg[/img]

Much better now!

Initially, one of my Taxi seedlings had a helmet on, tried using a small pincer to remove it and ended up decapitating the plant:?!?:

Then I read on this board that you have to wet (using your spit) the helmet to loosen it up. The advice was right in time as most of the new batch of Cosmonaut Volkhovs were equipped with that helmet, I guess they take their name seriously!:lol:

The objective is to have these survive until the end of May when I can start transplanting into the garden some 20-22 plants.

Current dilemmas:
1- Can I keep them in their seed starter mix until transplant? Or should I re-pot into a potting mix instead of seed starting mix? (keeping same 4inch pots)

2- I will have to feed them soon, can I use my tomato tone to make liquid fertiliser or should I buy fertiliser dedicated for liquid feeding ?

The survival of these plants is of paramount importance as family, friends and coworkers have been promised delicious tomatoes this summer and in some cases plants for their garden! (they've had to endure listening to my tomato talk for months now)

Last but not least, a very special thanks goes to Cole Robbie, BigVanVader, LindyAdele and Marsha for making a lot of these plants possible!:yes:

I had the same issues with helmet head this spring- I lost three plants to decapitation! I learned about the spit trick from Carolyn on here too- and it works like a charm!

Someone else suggested that next year, I plant the seeds a little deeper. The dirt is supposed to provide frictional force for the seed helmet to pop off during emergence. I think I went a little too shallow!:D

1) I tried the MG Seed Starter Mix. It's okay, but I don't see a compelling reason to use it instead of the Potting Mix. (And it's more expensive, IIRC.) You can leave the seedlings in it until they need to be moved into the ground.

2) I wouldn't fertilize yet at least until you see true leaves. (Not familiar with Tomato Tone; I use MG All Purpose (the blue stuff) at 24-8-16 for peppers, and coincidentally for tomatoes. But there is also a less Nitrogen heavy version which claims to be more oriented toward veggies like toms.) Some people say to use 1/4 strength fert after leaves develop, but there are varied opinions on the matter. Since the Starter Mix already has some ferts, not need to do anything yet.

Don't ditch the decapitated plant. I won't tell you the full story of Immortal Beloved, but suffice it to say that it started life without cotyledons - just a stem - and after passing through many travails became one of my biggest and best Ghost peppers.

@Spartan, they have a point because I deliberately went shallow in my planting. The germination was faster but alas I now have to deal with a few helmet heads! (mostly CV plants)

@dmforcier the MG mix was all I could find for seed starting in the shop I was at. Thanks for confirming I can leave them in it for the next 4 weeks.

Several plants from the April 1st batch now have their first set of leaves, still small though so I'll wait a few more weeks.

The decap plant is still in the soil, I didn't remove it yet so it still has chance I guess :lol:

GGWT Germination
 

So exactly 18 days after planting, one of the three GGWT seeds popped up today!!!
Maybe the other two will end up showing up after all.....

Wonderful thread. Subscribed and looking forward to see Chronicle update.

Good luck from another newbie gardener. :D

Thank you Java, all the best to you as well ;)

This is a great thread for folks to follow. I love the "Newbie" threads because you all are learning so very much and comment on things that many seasoned folks just assume that everyone knows.

Yes, you can leave them in the seed starter until they are ready to be planted up.

You can start to feed them after they get their first true leaf. Some people do, some don't. Some start at 1/4 strength some full. I suggest that you start with something "blue" and then go organic once they are planted out in the garden. I just have less issues with mold and damping off this way.

Good Luck!

@MissS thanks for contributing to the thread. A store has soluble fertilizer on special this week, I don't know if it's blue stuff or not. I'll buy me a pack and share the picture over the weekend :)

Update April-27
 

Since I raised the plants closer to the light, I noticed my Paul Robeson plant had something like "sun burn" on its leaves.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/dySs8KH.jpg[/img]

So I removed that extra toy box I had added which lowers the plants by two inches from the light. I think we're good now as they are > 4 inches away from it. Will probably lower another 2 inches in a week or two once they grow longer.

I think this one will survive as another set of true leaves is in the making!

On Helmet Heads
 

The Spit trick has been working nicely with the helmet heads :yes:
[img]http://i.imgur.com/8NkHxoA.jpg[/img]

You can see how the Cosmonaut Volkhov extricated itself successfully from its helmet.

Should I transplant that little fellow in a pot of its own? I now have 4 plants in this 4 inch pot! What do you think?

A Goner?
 

This little ISPL Fellow looks nothing like its peers
[img]http://i.imgur.com/qRViDZW.jpg[/img]

Would you consider this one a goner? I'd love to re-use the pot if it stands no chance of making it. The leaves simply crumpled on itself, this was a replant from another pot.:bummer:

All 4 of your Cosmonaut Volkhov will need to have their own pots shortly. Since you are a newbie, you must decide if you want to wait a little longer for those first leaves to fully develop which will give you a stronger plant to work with or to try separating them now. When you do decide to do it, you can try shaking off most of the soil and then gently try to pull them apart or you can rinse the soil off in a container of water and then gently separate them.

The ISPL might recover, but it will most likely never be a strong plant if it does and it will take a long time. I would go ahead and dispose both of the plant and the soil if it were me. Clean the container well with a mild bleach solution before using it again.

Good Luck!

I hope you enjoy the Mat-Su Express

@MissS Thanks so much for the tips! I will play it safe and allow the plants to get a little bit stronger.

Should I repot in the same seed starting mix or can I simply switch to potting mix?


@Cole_Robbie Thank you again sir!

Germination Update

5 out of 6 MSE (planted on April 21) are out between last night and this morning!

That is an excellent rate/time and the 6th will probably show up soon.

That's great. Mat-Su is a very fast grower. Mine have leaves right now as big as my hand.

And since I'm guessing it might be a little chilly where you live, I can't tell if it is Mat-Su specifically, or just a PL thing, because my Rebel Yell look the same, but they don't like being cold, especially when in a small container. As container size goes up, I think they will tolerate colder low temps at night.

Banadoura you can place them into a potting mix now. I would. Potting mix is cheaper than seed starting mix. Just make sure that it does not stay too wet. I try to avoid those mixes that have "moisture control" in them. They just seem to stay too wet for me and my tomatoes.

@Cole_Robbie Fast growing is great to hear, they will be ready in time for transplant outside around the end of May.

@MissS Excellent! I don't have enough seeds starting mix, so when the time comes I'll mix what I have with potting soil and repot. Thanks!

May 5 Update
 

MSE germination rate 100%, the 6th fella sprouted shortly after its buddies, alas with a tough helmet that I am still working on.

Bought some blue fertilizer for liquid feeding, first use on May 1, next will be tomorrow. I am scared of over watering so I am trying to keep 4-5 days in between. Using 1/8 tsp per 500ml water bottle.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/pa73Wf4.jpg[/img]

While the mix feels dry on the surface, sticking my thumb deeper feels like there's still moisture...I wonder if the lack of feeding explains the weird coloring on the ISPL's leaf:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/JAzMcB7.jpg[/img]

Plant looks strong and healthy, my guess is this leaf was the victim of pre-feeding and stayed that way.

Last but not least, the only Cherokee Purple that sprouted out of 4 seeds doesn't seem too happy! I am starting to think there will be no CP tasting this summer :cry:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/luujcji.jpg[/img]

There's always a small hope it will survive!

It's been raining here for 4-5 days per week, every week, a miserable April and May. I get the feeling summer will never show up :?

Your leaf discoloration is from lack of nutrients. Feeding them will help them to recover their color. You might want to double the dose of fertilizer for this next feeding and if you have some Epsom Salts on hand you can add 1 tablespoon to the gallon.

Your poor little Cherokee Purple may kick in, but it will take awhile. You just might be able to find a better specimen at your local garden center.

@MissS thank you, I appreciate your input!
When lower leaves (not cotyledons ) wither and fall, would you know what that indicates?

I am always a bit worried about over/under watering them, do you measure the quantity and follow a strict timeline?

DO NOT water on a schedule, especially in containers. That leads to under - or worse - over-watering.

Learn how to read your plants so that you know when they're too dry. Or pick up a moisture meter. They're cheap.

Yep, knowing when to water is a good trick to learn. The container will feel very light. If you can feel any moisture with your finger, it probably doesn't need water yet. Right before wilting is ideal, I think. A little wilting is easier to recover from than consistent over-watering.

I agree. No I do not stick to any type of watering schedule. The frequency changes all of the time depending on humidity, temperatures and amount of light. The plants will also need more frequent watering as their roots grow and fill the pots.

To start to learn when you need to water, fill an extra pot with the same mix that you have your plants in. Do not water it. Use it as a measure for how the pot weighs in your hand as opposed to those that hold your plants. When your plant pots become almost as light in weight as your empty control pot, then it is time to water your plants. I agree with Cole Robbie in that it is better for your plants to wilt than to be over-watered.

I think that your yellowing leaves are most likely from over-watering. Keep them on the dry side and they will recover.

Update May-12
 

I removed the notion of watering schedule from my head and currently working on feel and watering in small amounts accordingly in order to avoid overdoing it.

Fertilizer is at 1/4 tsp per small bottle of water (500 ml).

I did buy a moisture meter but returned it the day after. I mean as a test I put it in a container full of water and it barely touched the moist part! Maybe it was designed for smarter people :lol:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/Kph10Lt.jpg[/img]

My one and only Cherokee Purple simply gave up and died.

I have no idea why!!! It was watered with fertilizer and it was never transplanted or anything, I must have missed something.

My local nursery is advertising blue tomatoes which from this forum is nothing to rave about. No replacement available so tasting CP won't happen this year.

RIP CP :cry:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/0bJfSXx.jpg[/img]

There is one item that is baffling, some plants look really healthy with their new growth, yet their lower leaves whither and drop.

How would you explain that? :?!?:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/MyfL396.jpg[/img]

Your plants are yellowing from lack of nutrients. Increase the amount of fertilizer and feed them again. This time wet the soil a little more than usual and then allow them to dry out. You might also want to add some Epsom Salts to your mix. Epsom Salts are a great source of magnesium which will green up your plants quite rapidly. Use 1 tablespoon to each gallon of water.

I'm sorry to hear about your CP. Sometimes these things happen. Hopefully a little more nutrients will prevent your leaf drop. If it happens again try to post a picture of the leaf before it becomes too dried up for anyone to be able to see what is happening.

[QUOTE=Banadoura;639117]I did buy a moisture meter but returned it the day after. I mean as a test I put it in a container full of water and it barely touched the moist part! Maybe it was designed for smarter people :lol:[/QUOTE]

Maybe designed for more literal people... ;)

Moisture meters are designed to stick into dirt, not into water. They either don't work, or work very poorly, in water. They don't test for the conductivity of the probed medium - there is no power source inside - but (AIUI) the galvanic potential between the two dissimilar metals: the shaft and the tip. (This is a bit outside my understanding; a corrosion engineer is needed. But I believe it needs poor conductivity to work.) I bet if you had tried sticking it into moist and dry dirt you would have seen it working nicely.

Go get it back.

BTW, always wipe and dry the probe. If you leave it wet or dirty it will ruin the meter.

And good on you for getting away from a schedule!

@DM I swear I tried the meter in soil first, watered a pot and left it there for 5 mins and it barely budged. That's why I stuck in water :lol:

@MissS I panicked this afternoon when I saw a couple of plants unable to stand straight. I think I am underestimating their appetite so I will be doing exactly that: moist the soil more than usual.

For Epsom Salts, do you recommend a particular brand ?
Thanks!