Vegetable Gardening Tips

Q. What conditions are necessary for germinating my pepper and tomato seeds? How long will it take? A. Peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant like the soil temperatures to be atleast 75 degrees fahrenheit, and they will germinate much faster in the low tomid 80's. Tomatoes can germinate in less than a...
3.33

Q. Is it neccessary to use lights in your plastic covered greenhouse that you start your plants in. Also what do you use to heat it? A. Lighting from the sun has always been adequate in our greenhouses. However, you must be certain that you build the greenhouse in full-direct sun. Heating...
0.00

Germinating Seeds, Small Quantities – Artichokes and ? Q. We’ve been trying to germinate artichoke seeds for some time now, with very poor success. They are more difficult than anything else we’ve tried. Can you give us some ideas on how best to germinate small quantities of seeds, without...
4.00

Q. I was asked to look at a greenhouse full of seedlings that were not growing, and in various stages of dying, in the hopes that I could save the crop. Here's what I found was wrong - for starters. A. The trays or flats were built with no drainage. Number one No-No! Plants must have oxygen,...
0.00

Pepper seedlings are among the hardest vegetable plants to grow, and some hot peppers are even more difficult than the sweet peppers. Seeds should be planted at least 8 weeks before the ALFD (average last frost date) in your immediate area. And you should not transplant the seedlings into your...
0.00

Q. Why are my kitchen-window-grown plants so weak? On taking them outside they turn yellow, burn, and many die the first day. A. The whole reason for growing plants early - in the house or greenhouse - is to give them a headstart under good growing conditions. The key to success, however, is...
4.00

If you are using an exterior seedhouse and it's cold, build a small second covering on one of the tables, then place a small electric heater beneath it. That way, rather than trying to heat a large greenhouse in cold weather, you're only heating the small area for a few flats of new seedlings.A...
0.00

Q. I replanted 3 week old seedlings last weekend and had a really hard time doing it. The biggest problem was the roots of the seedlings growing close together were all intertwined and I had to pull some of them apart, no doubt damaging them. What am I doing wrong - and how should I do it...
4.00

Q. I planted cauliflower and spinach seeds indoors about 4 weeks ago and my seedlings have 6 inch skinny stems with small leaves at the ends. I don't think the stems are supposed to be long and thin like this -- why are my cauliflower and spinach plants growing so long and skinny and not looking...
4.00

Common mistakes in growing seedlings include: 1) Not maintaining even temperatures between 70+ and 80+ degrees fahrenheit during seed germination, emergence, and formation of first true leaves. 2) Not giving the seedlings full sunlight immediately upon emergence and all day thereafter - or if using...
4.00

Q. I heard that for new tomatoes seedlings you should pinch off the first and second true leaf sets when they appear, without damaging the top growth, to strengthen the seedling. Is this true? What is the correct way to prune them, and what about other seedlings, such as cucumbers, mellons,...
4.00

Your goal when growing seedlings is to make them as strong andsturdy as possible, and do it as quickly as possible.Excellent instructions for growing healthy seedlings are containedin Let's Grow Tomatoes pages 51-53 and Grow-Bed Gardening pages 86-92, and Grow-Bed Gardening has many pictures...
4.00

Q. There is a passage on the CD that states... to slow plants down for a week or so, pinch off the two first "true" leaves. Do I leave only the seed leaves? What about the growing tip? I suppose pinch refers to using pruners, also, or does actual "pinching" have some significant benefit over...
4.00

Q. I am very discouraged. I tried to start some tomato plants on mykitchen counter under a flourescent light and after getting big enough to have their second leaves, they all wilted and died. Does anyone have a clue what I should have done? I have a sunny window, do you think that would help? ...
4.00

Q. My tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and cabbage are dying only hours after taking them outside! What have I done wrong? The room they were in has a West-facing window, so they received 2-3 hours of sun on sunny days. I put fertilizer in the potting soil, but did not feed them after that. A. ...
0.00

Q. How soon do we transplant our seedlings? And what fertilizer do we put in the seedling flats? Do we continue to water with plain water? A. it's best to wait until the plant has at least one set of true leaves before transplanting. I have transplanted when the plants only had their...
3.33

Q. I read that if you leave your light source only about 6 or 7 inches above your plants it will help defeat them getting leggy, is this right? The problem is that I feel the plant light I have over them right now may be too strong, and that I might burn them, so should I get a less bright bulb?...
4.00

To answer several questions we've received on grow-lights, I will combine several points into one article. 1. There are many opinions on what kind of lights to use, but based on research and experience, it is apparent that plants will do well under a variety of tube combinations, with the best...
4.00

Q. I saw something on Joy in the Garden (a Salt Lake TV show) that says you can plant tomato seedlings in a Wall O Waters now, and have very early tomatos. She said that when water freezes it gives off heat, and this is what protects the little plants.Has anyone tried this? It isn't REAL cold at...
0.00