Quote:
Originally Posted by FLRedHeart
Thanks, and I agree, and hope too. Last year I started August 14 I think, and promised myself that I'd do July 6 this year all things considered, but I was delayed by the flu and heat stroke. For me the decision was hard because I remember last year Sept was solid rain, and October was miraculous for being perfect and dry. The idea was to harden the plants before a possible repeat rain this year, but July 13 is going to be too late starting for that probably, which is what I meant by too late...fingers crossed it's not. We have to time it perfectly to get a good run. Because growing transplants in this heat isn't doing any favors for earliness with these big guys. You have the right idea, but we had such an early bad heat wave that I'm unsatisfied/frustrated with the spring crop performance and like a glutton for punishment here goes with the mid seasons and even some lates. Mine are indoors though, but I don't have A/C for my starts, so temp is a problem. if they get out of control it will be my pleasure to harden as soon as possible but @ 4 weeks is as soon as it will get looking at them. fingers crossed with you on the first freeze 
Cheers |
FLRedHeart- I had a tough time with that horrible every day September deluge last year, my seedlings were already transplanted to the 4" pots, and were outdoors, no where else to put the 800 of them. My garden club had a sale of them every year at a plant show, I generally sold about 450 so grew 500 to be sure. The rest were for me, and my annual plant swap.( different varieties)
Because of the rain, they got Septoria, but I found that it got managed really really well. I use the Southern Ag brand of liquid copper spray, at 1/2 Tablespoon per gallon, after it was mixed, I put in 1 teaspoon per gallon of BT, and a small squirt of organic dish soap as a spreader., then mixed those 2 additions into my already mixed copper solution, and sprayed the upper and undersides of every leaf, and the stem down to the soil line of the pot. This was done after every rain as much as I could, and my seedlings went to market with some lower leafs that had arrested Septoria, and very healthy upper leaves. It is very easy to spray a small 4-6 week old seedling.
Very important to mix the copper to it's dilution before adding the BT, then add at the end and spray, because copper is bactericidal, and BT is bacteria as you know. It will stay alive long enough to do the job this way.
Those same seedlings were my own transplants, and I had the strongest plants I have ever had. Prevention of fungus and caterpillars is key, and this used organic methods.
I mean this to be helpful.