Hey Clay - the aim is to have seedlings at around 6 inches tall on April 15 - by the time May 15 hits, they are nearly 12 inches tall, so my window of good looking seedlings is about one month. The issue are the peppers - some of them stay so small for so long - so I gave them a good head start this year.

When I get home from my business trip, I'll take a few more pictures. It is transplanting time!

Craig,

I just had a sigh of relief after reading the above post ...
I just started this weekend ; so I'm thinking along or there abouts the same as you for start dates ~

Tom

Progress report - pics from today
 

My flats of seedlings catching some rays (48 degrees and breezy outside)

[img]http://nctomatoman.topcities.com/Techniques/Seedlings1Mar4_06.jpg[/img]

Close up of peppers

[img]http://nctomatoman.topcities.com/Techniques/Seedlings2Mar4_06.jpg[/img]

Close up of tomatoes

[img]http://nctomatoman.topcities.com/Techniques/Seedlings5Mar4_06.jpg[/img]

Side view

[img]http://nctomatoman.topcities.com/Techniques/Seedlings7Mar4_06.jpg[/img]

There are roughly 6000 seedlings here - transplanting starts today!

Craig

That’s amazing. 6000 plants. I can’t even imagine potting up 6000 plants.

I do 250 – 300 and feel really stressed.

Craig, Again I thank you SO MUCH for posting the "how-tos" for your method of seed starting. I started over 1,000 tomatoes today, and that's a REALLY BIG DEAL for me as I have never started more than 40! I still have my doubts about the transplanting, but TOO LATE, it is a done deal!

Speaking of... How's transplanting going? Should I even ask? I was so tired today just from the sowing; I can imagine you must be EXHAUSTED!

Best Wishes to you,
Lisa

Hey Lisa - transplanting has just begun! It is a nice therapeutic activity - I will have to time myself again, but I think that 100-150 pots per hour is about right - though when my wife helps it is faster. It is going to take me weeks! I am part way through my first flat of hot peppers. I am taking good information with regard to germination percent - leaf shape etc - so will post lots of info later on.

Craig,

Thanks for sharing !!

Rob

I look forward to your report, Craig. I always approach projects with the desire to keep good records, but I'm so melancholy that when it comes to actually doing it, I get VERY overwhelmed. During sowing yesterday, I tried my best to be careful and take good notes, but I had a few incidents. :oops: Which reminds me...

QUESTION: Do you ever have stray seeds that jump into the other cells? I can't imagine 6000 seeds and no mistakes. I guess what I'd like to know is, do you have some method of keeping the seeds where they belong during sowing?

Lisa

Good question, Lisa - all I can say is that I am very careful leaving enough "depression" for each cell (depth below the top of the ridge), then cover with mix and just use mist spray to wet, until they emerge - but there is always a chance for a "jump". However, in all my years of doing this, I've had very, very few of those that I've noticed (usually looking at potato/reg leaf neighbors, or purple leaf/green leaf peppers). The biggest risk is a seed falling from my hand into another cell when planting - I tend to catch those and thus can pluck out the erroneous seed.

Yes, the record keeping is intimidating - but is analagous to my real job, where I end up tracking minutes, actions, project plans, etc. So is nothing new for me - plus at least the gardening record keeping task is fun!

"There are roughly 6000 seedlings here - transplanting starts today! " [Craig]

Totally radical!

I tried a very limited version of Craig's method and I'm convinced that it's only for the nimble-fingered tedium glutons. NOT ME.

And my cells only had about 6 - 8 seedlings per. I potted up one 72-cell flat last night and it drove me NUTS. About 25% of the seedlings ended up in the trash.

The rest of my flats will be planted 2 - 4 seeds per. (I never was all that good at finger pickin' a guitar either!)

Peace in the potting room. PV

Lots of progress over the past week - all hot peppers, most sweets and tomatillos in 4 inch pots - eggplant today, we start tomatoes tomorrow. A few pics -

Armed and ready after a drive to the supply store -

[img]http://nctomatoman.topcities.com/Techniques/Supplies1Mar9_06.jpg[/img]

Empty cells are good! Sign of progress...

[img]http://nctomatoman.topcities.com/Techniques/Progress1Mar9_06.jpg[/img]

Pop out a cell of hot peppers and this is what you get -

[img]http://nctomatoman.topcities.com/Techniques/CellOfPeppersMar9+-6.jpg[/img]


Half are out here - half settling in the garage for a day. These are the hot peppers.

[img]http://nctomatoman.topcities.com/Techniques/DrivewayMar9_06.jpg[/img]

Boy are these guys going to LOVE the weather for the next few days! It's supposed to get into the 80s by Sunday!

Lee

Craig,

What do you do with all of those flats of plants when a downpour comes? We've had so much rain of late, that's all I can think about.

Lisa

Craig,
What is all that useless looking green stuff between the house and the flats of pepper? Whatever it is, it sure doesn't good or useful.

Lisa, when it downpours....great! Toughens them up, they love it - and show it once the sun returns. Using nice, fluffy soilless mix is the key - it does not compact and drown the seedlings like ordinarly potting soil.

Clay - yes, but if we get rid of that green stuff, the neighborhood complaints would follow!

By the way - all hot peppers, sweet peppers, eggplant, tomatillos are transplanted, and the tomatoes have begun.