I was pleased that the majority of my seedlings had germinated a little over a week after they were planted, firmly within their germination period. I was still waiting on the lavender, with an unbelievable germination period of 15-20 days. I've since noticed that flowers and herbs, on average, have a much longer germination period than vegetables, which doesn't jive well with my lack of patience!
By early April, I felt that the 3 inch tall cucumber seedlings were ready to transplant. Hardening off is suggested for seedlings that have been started indoors - placing the seedlings outside for increasing amounts of time each day so that they adjust to harsher outdoor conditions; this limits the possibility of transplant shock. I started putting the seedlings outside for a little while on sunny days, but certainly not with the organized progression of time that I should have.
Some of the other seedlings were showing sign of legginess, growing tall and thin instead of sturdy, which I attributed to poor light. At this point I started pondering the possibility of getting a grow light to supplement their growth, but grow lights are very expensive, and I was making an effort at not going crazy with extras for my new obsession.
The radish seedlings were also showing signs of damping off, falling over at soil level, likely a result of my own over-watering and my choice of top soil for the planting medium. Top soil has too many nutrients and bacteria for a sensitive seedling, and I have since moved to a mixture of peat moss, compost, and perlite. Vermiculite, or worm castings, is also suggested, but it's so darn expensive that I haven't used it.
While the seedlings were struggling along, my mom and I were also doing the work of preparing the raised bed in the backyard for eventual planting.
By early April, I felt that the 3 inch tall cucumber seedlings were ready to transplant. Hardening off is suggested for seedlings that have been started indoors - placing the seedlings outside for increasing amounts of time each day so that they adjust to harsher outdoor conditions; this limits the possibility of transplant shock. I started putting the seedlings outside for a little while on sunny days, but certainly not with the organized progression of time that I should have.
Some of the other seedlings were showing sign of legginess, growing tall and thin instead of sturdy, which I attributed to poor light. At this point I started pondering the possibility of getting a grow light to supplement their growth, but grow lights are very expensive, and I was making an effort at not going crazy with extras for my new obsession.
The radish seedlings were also showing signs of damping off, falling over at soil level, likely a result of my own over-watering and my choice of top soil for the planting medium. Top soil has too many nutrients and bacteria for a sensitive seedling, and I have since moved to a mixture of peat moss, compost, and perlite. Vermiculite, or worm castings, is also suggested, but it's so darn expensive that I haven't used it.
While the seedlings were struggling along, my mom and I were also doing the work of preparing the raised bed in the backyard for eventual planting.
 |
| Photo: Amazon.com |
No comments:
Post a Comment