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Seed starting in trays-lid on or off during the day

Question: For simplicity, water conservation and my own energy conservation (I have a very spread out container garden) I am starting my seeds (no beets or carrots or root fellas) in seed trays. I have these nice little Jiffy Triple Greenhouse trays with a plastic top, that forms like a hot greenhouse for them.

During the day I roll them on their personal wheeled table out into the sunshine to get sun, but should I keep the clear plastic top on them.? There is much condensation, and they are not in danger of drying out, but can they get too hot? I planted them on Sunday, spritzed well on Sun and Mon but now they are staying quite damp.

I do not really have a window that gets direct sunlight for a long period of day.
I used Organic Black Gold seedling mix.

Any cautions besides not letting them get dry, and bringing them in at night?
I want my seed babies to flourish!

Answer: First in regard to whether to leave the plastic tops on the Jiffy Triple Greenhouse. No, once transplants are put outdoors in sun they should never be under cover of plastic. When sun hits the plastic plants will burn. You should not be needing to bring them in at night either.

Secondly regarding growing your own transplants, what you are doing sounds more like something folks back east are still doing at this time of year. In future I think it would be good to follow the instructions regarding garden timing in my book. We do not need to be growing transplants at this time of year in California. I am eager to hear what you are growing.

At this time, April, most vegetables in your summer garden should already be planted. Tomatoes, squash, beans, corn, cucumbers, scallions, lettuce, carrots, beets, and turnips are just a few of the veggies you could have planted straight in the ground in March. You might have needed to protect them from frost in March but by now they should be well on their way to producing a crop and most of them could have been put in from seeds. Seeds of things like beans, squash, cucumbers and carrots can be planted directly into the ground. It is not necessary here to plant first in little pots unless you are planting in August and growing winter vegetables (cole crops like cabbage) to plant out in the garden in October. It is a shame you were not able to attend one of my slide-illustrated lectures to see how this is all done. Is there any chance you could attend my talk on growing summer vegetables at the Temecula Valley Garden Club on April 13, next Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. at the Community Recreation Center in Temecula 30875 Rancho Vista Road, Temecula, CA 92592-6213?

Comments

  1. Thankful Gardener

    I know March would have been better, but I got a late start and just had to be ok with that. It was in late March I found your book. Trust that I felt behind immediately, but decided to be ok with it and do what I could and catch up in April, taking special note. March I spent my weekends traveling or having company, my days working. I am putting the Tues talk in my calendar. That would be helpful! I do have lots of things in the garden already purchased and put in from transplants.

    The seed thing was an experiment as they are heirlooms, and who knows if they will do well here.

    In my seed trays I just have seeds thus far, not any plants that popped up (yet). I do know that once they pop up, covers come off. I visited on a recent trip to Petaluma I went to The Seed Bank in Petaluma, which sells Heirloom seeds by the Baker Creek Seed Company http://www.rareseeds.com). This is sort of my no risk foray into seeding. I went nuts for the nostalgia of the seeds, thinking of the chain of people and events that led to that little seed being in that little packet.

    I purchased all sorts of fun things for Summer :

    Inca Corn
    Country Gentlemen corn
    Golden Midget Watermelon
    Tigger Melon
    Roman Zucchini
    Golden Squash Zucchini
    Japanese Long Cukes
    Roberee Okra
    Emerald Okra
    Tomatoes–Lollipo, tigerella, Chadwick, Purple Smudge, Borghese
    Peppers- Marconi Golden and Pepper

    My plan was to see what pops up, and share a few plants with my dirt-worm guy and my funny friend who gardens from the hip. I am in no way relying on these to fullfill my veggie desires by any means.

    On my property here (large lot) I have small scale fruit trees too! Peach, Olive, Strawberry Tree, Passionfruit, Avocado, Japanese Mulberry, Dwarf Nectarine and Peach, Meyer Lemon (One dwarf, one 2), Pineapple Guava, mini Mandarin, mini Mexican Lime. Plus I have raspberries (3), blueberries (2) and some boysenberry-blackberries. I was delighted that in your book I had (in March) done what I should have for the most part for all of these.

    I am on my way! I will get there, a work in progress, balancing a lot, but I know that I will get there!

    • Wow what fun things. Isn’t Baker Creek simply super? I love their catalogue and now I totally totally understand what you are doing and why. It’s like folks who get carried away with ornamentals and just HAVE to try them all and you want all those exotic unusual plants sooooo passionately. It’s like an addiction and it’s such a joy, all these dreams in one’s head and the dreams are all part of the fun of it.

      Re: Baker Creek, there is a wonderful pumpkin and it’s open pollinated like all their stuff so you can save the seeds and plant again the following year. The pumpkin is from France and has the most glorious shape and look, kind of brownish pinkish gold and it tastes sweet and lovely. Name is Musquee de Provence. It’s not too late to plant. You could get some seeds and stick them in under your fruit trees, but in a sunny spot and water them and fertilize. It will ramble all over the ground. In fall you could have them as the most lovely ornaments piled into a wagon and eat some in pumpkin pies and have plenty to share too.

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