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San Luis Obispo Ca

Waht is best, Germination in a cup or plant them in the ground? Or, give me some direction?

2/18/2005 4:25:32 PM

New Jersey

There are plus and minus on both sides here.

Planting in the ground reduces all risks from transplanting but you increase the possibility of failure from soil borne illness and other natural dangers lurking in nature.

Planting in a cup of sterile seed starting soil mix provides some control that you simply don't have in the ground. Keep in mind that transplanting must be done with extreme care though. And make sure you don't allow the plant to grow too big for the container and become rootbound. I think most people do it this way though I have never performed any survey on the subject.

2/18/2005 6:42:40 PM

Chico, Ca

Use 3 or 4 " peatpots. Poke a bunch of holes in it with a screwdriver to let the roots out. When you get em about 1/4" long roots out of the holes its time to plant pot and all outside.

2/18/2005 6:50:39 PM

NEPA [email protected] KB3QKV

Last year I think I started too late (my first mistake) when should we start to plant them in peat pots? When they are large enough, do we peel open the peat pots?

2/18/2005 9:28:31 PM

C N Y

what, no mention of HEAT???

the best thing you could do right now to learn about germination and transplanting is to get the Joel Holland
'97 video. you would get some nice seeds along with it.
[email protected], i THINK?
there MUST be also germination instruction in the
"how-to" section on the front page of this website,
the "advanced germination method" but i would not use my FINGERNAIL to chip away at the seed coat. keep that in mind.
>>>>>4" peat pot, filled with the proper consistency seed-starting mix, not too wet!!!, seed(s) gently filed to enhance water intake into the(m), inserted about 3/4" to
1" SIDEWAYS, EDGE-DOWN (this causes the seedling to come up WITHOUT the seed coat, a good thing!) into the mix and covered over and gently firmed-in. you wil need a "SOIL" temperature of 85-87 degrees, no less than 85! for proper germination; NOT just the AIR temperature around the pot.
anything lesser invites trouble with rotting the seed and damping off and whatever else....72 hours later you'll see the "soil" bumping-up!
okay, i'm getting stressed at 4 AM, someone else add to this...if you neeed more advice you can email me;
click on the little envelope above my handle....eric

2/19/2005 4:10:15 AM

C N Y

wrong--the address above is an email address, not the website for Holland's Land O' Giants.
my goof! it's not even right.

the catalog was on the front page of BP.com recently:
try this addy for the Holland's catalog:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=116

if you cannot download it,

http://www.backyardgardener.com/pumpbook.html

this should take you to the order forms, season description, etc.....click on "videos order form"
and you should be good to go, after scrolling and reading the entire page and clicking on the highlited links you will have learned much about his products. hope i helped e ric

2/19/2005 4:40:30 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Roots of theses things grow so fast. I am very cautious of 4" peat pots as they leave very little room for the rapidly expanding mass of roots. By the time the cots break the surface of your 5" peat pot the tap root is already at the bottom. I instead would like to see you use something much larger like a 1 gallon pot. Snipped down the side and bottom then taped up for easy removal. Steve Jepson has a large Container with hinges that seams to work well.

The real challenge IMHO is the direction the main vine will lay down. This is really the only reason to delay transplanting them after germination. Direct plant just after germination into the patch and put them into the ground quickly only if you are not concerned with direction of the main vine.

2/19/2005 7:41:29 AM

NEPA [email protected] KB3QKV

Kahuna I a not sure but I think that I read last year thatwhatever way the third leaf is pointing that is the way that the vine will travel. I did that last year and it was correct. I am not sur of this. I did take notes last year but we have moved and my notes seem to have been misplaced during the half-mile that they moved.

2/19/2005 8:35:30 AM

NEPA [email protected] KB3QKV

pumpkinpal, I tried to file a couple of seeds last year but did not fair too well. I will try again this year Thanks :)

2/19/2005 8:36:46 AM

Garden State Pumpkins

Check your notes....I was always under the impression the vine will grow away from the first true leaf...believe me I have had more then a few that changed there orientation no matter how you plant em...take a picture when ya put em in and see if that darn plant doesn't spin by itself!! LOL

2/19/2005 9:01:22 AM

[email protected]

Direct sowing results in less root disturbance which is good. But every other thing about it is bad.

>Soils too cool early to make a record today.
>Vine orientation is near impossible unless space is unlimited.
>Pythium is easier prevented with in a sterile soiless mix.
>The grower has one more week to see the weather forecast before jumping into it.
>It gives us something to do at a critical time of year when hormones are raging & not doing anything might lead to otherwise self destructive behavior.

2/19/2005 9:20:24 AM

Follansbee, Wv

I have been conducting numerous germination tests over the last several weeks. I have been using 3 liter soda bottles which stand about 9" tall after the tops are removed. As can be seen in my diary, the roots are plainly visible at the bottoms of the bottles by the time the cots are fully open. The germination chamber is my bedroom, on my dresser with an average temprature of 74-78 degrees, confirmed with a thermometer leaning against the bottles. The average time from seed in the ground to cot opening is 4-5 days. So far I have had 100% germination with no rotting at all. After seeing the root development in the soda bottles, I would never attempt to start my seeds in anything smaller. This method, while breaking away from the popular idealistic method of germination and temperature, has by far been the most successful for me.

2/19/2005 10:15:18 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Monty, You have certainly done a lot of good home work. Your diary was very detailed and it enjoyed reading it. Yes, these roots grow faster than anyone thinks. Large is better when considering a pot size. Your seed test results will help others greatly.

Delaying planting time is the waiting for the first leaf to form. A day or two of extra root growth which may cause what appears to be a minor problem at planting time with some of the roots at the bottom of the pot running around its edge. Reducing stress at every stage of development is the only guide I can offer any of you at this moment. Root bound plants offer some degree of future plant stress. These first roots are the major arteries of your future progengy. As a famous grower once said "Don't be a River Boat Gambler with your seeds". Get them in the ground in a timely fashion and don't delay.

2/19/2005 4:58:47 PM

NEPA [email protected] KB3QKV

alexsdad, I found and checked my notes and you are right. I stand corrected. Thank you for pointing that out to me. I do not know where I got that info but It was written last year before I planted it outside. Now all I need is the patience till the ground thaws. LOL. Lord knows how long that will be.

2/19/2005 7:35:07 PM

Follansbee, Wv

Here is another piece of information that may prove useful. Within one day of the cots opening I can see the first true leaf forming. Using a large magnifying glass, I can see which edge of the leaf is the "backbone". In future tests, I will be marking the bottles at the backbone and then noting where the first leaf actually opens. For those that plant opposite the first true leaf, this may give you some indication very early on.

2/20/2005 7:51:48 AM

NEPA [email protected] KB3QKV

Monty, that is so interesting. I wish I had your knowledge or any other of the people here. Thanks for the info. Please keep us updated.

2/20/2005 10:57:35 AM

Follansbee, Wv

If you are looking for knowledge, don't look to me. I am a first year grower. My posts, and my diary entries reflect only my experiments, and the knowledge I have gained from this site and other growers. While I hope that the information I provide is useful, please keep in mind that there are many more experienced growers with an opinion other than mine. Listen to all, and draw your own conclusions as they pertain to your own growing conditions.

2/20/2005 3:55:39 PM

NEPA [email protected] KB3QKV

Very impressive experemements Monty. First year and you have so much knowledge in seeds. Yes there are many knowledgable people here. All willing to give their thoughts and share what they know. Good luck this growing season.

2/20/2005 8:41:07 PM

C N Y

GENERALLY, the main vine will grow OPPOSITE the first true leaf's direction. GENERALLY. i have ALWAYS seen it go in
this fashion. As according to Joel Holland, the second true leaf is bigger and heavier than the first, and its weight will help to cause the forming vine to lay down a
little sooner...nature has it figured!

2/21/2005 2:52:31 AM

San Luis Obispo Ca

Man! Thanks for all the great wethods.

2/23/2005 12:10:32 PM