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The lengthening days and unseasonably warm weather bring to mind the need to get vegetable seeds planted so I'll have transplants ready for spring planting.
What should I plant? How about butternut squash, tomatoes, peppers, and pole beans. If I start them now they should be covered with blossoms and even fruit by the time the weather is warm enough to put these leggy transplants in the ground. They most likely won't have the strength to stand up so I'll need to tie them up to a stake or fence or I could just let them sprawl on the ground where they will be likely to contract a fungal rot disease. On second thought maybe I'll wait a few more weeks before I start my seedlings except for asparagus and celery. Asparagus should be started eight to 10 weeks prior to planting and celery should be planted 10 to 12 weeks prior to planting. But then you already knew that!
Most vegetable transplants should be between five and seven weeks old when they are set out into the garden. Since it may not be safe to plant squash, tomatoes, peppers, and pole beans in the garden until the middle of April (in Grand Junction) or later, these warm-season vegetables should not be started until the middle of February or even the first of March. When transplants for these vegetables are older they suffer greater stress when planted and produce less. Vegetable transplants should be 6X6 or 8X8 inches in size when set out into the garden. They should be sturdy and stocky without either flowers or fruit.
When they don't receive sufficient light, seedlings get leggy. They reach for the sun and their stems get stretched out of shape. The resulting weak tissue is much more susceptible to injury and invasion by disease organisms; and when set out into the garden, wind and sun can burn these weak seedling back to the ground in just a few hours. To prevent such weak seedlings, supplemental lighting must be used. Twelve or more hours of light per day is recommended for most seedlings, something you don't get this early in the year.
When if you wait until mid-February your seedlings still won't receive sufficient natural light to keep them from getting leggy. The use of LCD or fluorescent lights to extend the natural daylight will be necessary. These light sources work best when placed within four inches of the plant. Incandescent lights are not recommended within two feet of plants unless they are of the type that reflect heat from the lamp away from the plants.
When you start your seedlings, you should consider providing supplement heat under the flats or pots to speed germination. The temperature of the air, however, should be kept cool. While different plants prefer different soil temperatures, most of the heat pads available for starting seedlings are set for one temperature. Some heat pads have rheostats allowing the temperatures to be adjusted according to the needs of seedlings. The latter is, however, more expensive and seldom worth the difference in price unless you are a professional grower.
Some vegetable transplants are easier to grow than others. Broccoli, cabbage, onion, tomato and pepper are easy to grow into quality seedlings. Cucumber, melon, squash, and watermelon are hard to grow as transplants as they don't like their roots disturbed. Some vegetables are not worth starting as transplants. Carrots, beets, radishes and spinach do best when planted directly into the garden.
It seems I've covered a few of the items you need to know about starting transplants, but I haven't covered the topic sufficiently to ensure you are truly successful in your goal to produce quality seedlings. To obtain the information you need to grow great seedlings give us a call at 244-1836 and we can send you a packet of information that covers everything you need to know to produce great seedlings.
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Dr. Curtis E. Swift is the area horticulture agent with the CSU Extension. Reach him at Curt.Swift@mesacounty.us, visit WesternSlopeGardening.org, or check out his blog at http://SwiftsGardeningBlog.blogspot.com.
What should I plant? How about butternut squash, tomatoes, peppers, and pole beans. If I start them now they should be covered with blossoms and even fruit by the time the weather is warm enough to put these leggy transplants in the ground. They most likely won't have the strength to stand up so I'll need to tie them up to a stake or fence or I could just let them sprawl on the ground where they will be likely to contract a fungal rot disease. On second thought maybe I'll wait a few more weeks before I start my seedlings except for asparagus and celery. Asparagus should be started eight to 10 weeks prior to planting and celery should be planted 10 to 12 weeks prior to planting. But then you already knew that!
Most vegetable transplants should be between five and seven weeks old when they are set out into the garden. Since it may not be safe to plant squash, tomatoes, peppers, and pole beans in the garden until the middle of April (in Grand Junction) or later, these warm-season vegetables should not be started until the middle of February or even the first of March. When transplants for these vegetables are older they suffer greater stress when planted and produce less. Vegetable transplants should be 6X6 or 8X8 inches in size when set out into the garden. They should be sturdy and stocky without either flowers or fruit.
When they don't receive sufficient light, seedlings get leggy. They reach for the sun and their stems get stretched out of shape. The resulting weak tissue is much more susceptible to injury and invasion by disease organisms; and when set out into the garden, wind and sun can burn these weak seedling back to the ground in just a few hours. To prevent such weak seedlings, supplemental lighting must be used. Twelve or more hours of light per day is recommended for most seedlings, something you don't get this early in the year.
When if you wait until mid-February your seedlings still won't receive sufficient natural light to keep them from getting leggy. The use of LCD or fluorescent lights to extend the natural daylight will be necessary. These light sources work best when placed within four inches of the plant. Incandescent lights are not recommended within two feet of plants unless they are of the type that reflect heat from the lamp away from the plants.
When you start your seedlings, you should consider providing supplement heat under the flats or pots to speed germination. The temperature of the air, however, should be kept cool. While different plants prefer different soil temperatures, most of the heat pads available for starting seedlings are set for one temperature. Some heat pads have rheostats allowing the temperatures to be adjusted according to the needs of seedlings. The latter is, however, more expensive and seldom worth the difference in price unless you are a professional grower.
Some vegetable transplants are easier to grow than others. Broccoli, cabbage, onion, tomato and pepper are easy to grow into quality seedlings. Cucumber, melon, squash, and watermelon are hard to grow as transplants as they don't like their roots disturbed. Some vegetables are not worth starting as transplants. Carrots, beets, radishes and spinach do best when planted directly into the garden.
It seems I've covered a few of the items you need to know about starting transplants, but I haven't covered the topic sufficiently to ensure you are truly successful in your goal to produce quality seedlings. To obtain the information you need to grow great seedlings give us a call at 244-1836 and we can send you a packet of information that covers everything you need to know to produce great seedlings.
--------------------
Dr. Curtis E. Swift is the area horticulture agent with the CSU Extension. Reach him at Curt.Swift@mesacounty.us, visit WesternSlopeGardening.org, or check out his blog at http://SwiftsGardeningBlog.blogspot.com.
