SnuffmeisterUK
Well-Known Member
They've not been in there till now haha, but they will be forced to hear miserable folk music played on classical guitar.. perhaps I should play them some bossa nova instead
UK first grow, not sure if seeds dying off: @SnuffmeisterUK
- Thread starter SnuffmeisterUK
- Start date
Your plants looked good to me.
Which direction does the window face?
Do you often have overcast/muggy days?
Does your window have any obstructions in front of it?
I see a wall projecting at 90 degrees, will it block sun?
Personally, I think you had a good setup and may be borrowing trouble for a perceived problem that doesn't yet exist. A propagation heat mat will raise temps. 10-20F over ambient temp. I would recommend a timer to cut the lights on and off to coincide with dawn and night, but leave the heat mat on 24/7.
I had multiple strikes against me my first season, eastern facing low e window plus trees in front (no leaves yet). My plants were really leggy, stalks elongating, leaves facing and straining toward the window searching for light. I feel time and plant energy was wasted in stalk production when the plant should have been devoting that energy toward root production. I added supplemental lighting and the plants are much happier. The leaves stay close to the ground and don't have to reach for light.
There are different strengths of low e windows.
How To Grow Plants Near Low-E Windows - Garden Guides
How to Grow Plants Near Low-E Windows. Homes with "Low-E" glass windows have a special glazing added to the glass that enhances the insulation effects of the glass by blocking some ultraviolet and infrared light from penetrating through the glass. Because Low-E windows modify the sunlight...
www.gardenguides.com
SnuffmeisterUK
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the thoughts @Knucklehead , here is a pic I just took of my new setup, this morning I moved from my living room to this windowsill, with the lights still above (focusing on my second round of seeds) and heat mat underneath. This window faces south and gets lots of light
This spot is far brighter than when they were before, they were previously at the back of a room with tinted windows facing north but with the pink lights right above the lid of the germinating tray
This spot is far brighter than when they were before, they were previously at the back of a room with tinted windows facing north but with the pink lights right above the lid of the germinating tray
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SnuffmeisterUK
Well-Known Member
@Knucklehead @deluxestogie I've read on some threads on here about 'rescuing' struggling seedlings using liquid fertiliser or Epson salts for example, would I benefit from giving them a little something extra next time I water? I've scoured this sub and definitely have stunted my little fellas considering I started them over 30 days ago
Seeded 30 days ago or they sprouted 30 days ago?
SnuffmeisterUK
Well-Known Member
I planted them on the 19th March, first rustica seedling appeared 24th March, the pics in this post are from a couple days ago
Are they a healthy green or starting to yellow?
Yellow can be from overwatering or it can be a nutrient problem. Have they been wet the whole time? I would start letting the soil get dry between watering to force the roots to put down deeper roots in search of moisture. If the moisture is always there, the roots don't have to search, the better the roots, the more foliage it can support.
If you have been overwatering, let the soil dry before watering again. Then you could add a tablespoon of epsom salts per gallon of water. It's magnesium sufate. Let the soil dry again. Then add 1/2 recommended dose of a fertilizer. I use a 20-10-20 urea free orchid fertilizer for new starts. Others use low dose miracle grow tomato fertilizer.
Yellow can be from overwatering or it can be a nutrient problem. Have they been wet the whole time? I would start letting the soil get dry between watering to force the roots to put down deeper roots in search of moisture. If the moisture is always there, the roots don't have to search, the better the roots, the more foliage it can support.
If you have been overwatering, let the soil dry before watering again. Then you could add a tablespoon of epsom salts per gallon of water. It's magnesium sufate. Let the soil dry again. Then add 1/2 recommended dose of a fertilizer. I use a 20-10-20 urea free orchid fertilizer for new starts. Others use low dose miracle grow tomato fertilizer.
SnuffmeisterUK
Well-Known Member
Update! @Knucklehead @deluxestogie , windowsill + watering from underneath has brought my babies back to life. Rustica ahead of the pack still but burley and Virginia have some promising plants with multiple leaves now!
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They look happy. 
SnuffmeisterUK
Well-Known Member
Cheers for everyone one this threads help, I'm a total newbie to this! Fft is a really nice communityThey look happy.
SnuffmeisterUK
Well-Known Member
*ftt
FTT is a community of one-time newbies, who failed often, and eventually succeeded.
Bob
SnuffmeisterUK
Well-Known Member
Ugh. I'm an idiot (I think)
I went to my local garden centre the other day to get soil to start my little dutch seeds that just arrived,
It was raining hard and I was getting more wet by the minute whilst trying to pick a new seed starting soil to try.. I grabbed this (below) as I figured 'it's miracle gro it will be fine'
www.lovethegarden.com
I didn't read about the soil until after sowing some seeds.. it looks like I might have just wasted my time as I don't think this soil will work due to its acid level
@deluxestogie @Knucklehead should i take the loss and use different soil or could this soil work? Thank you for tolerating my ignorance haha..
I went to my local garden centre the other day to get soil to start my little dutch seeds that just arrived,
It was raining hard and I was getting more wet by the minute whilst trying to pick a new seed starting soil to try.. I grabbed this (below) as I figured 'it's miracle gro it will be fine'
Miracle-Gro® Peat Free Premium Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron Ericaceous Compost
How to use. How to use. It's time to repot when: The plant is overgrown and root bound (roots are densely wrapped).
www.lovethegarden.com
I didn't read about the soil until after sowing some seeds.. it looks like I might have just wasted my time as I don't think this soil will work due to its acid level
@deluxestogie @Knucklehead should i take the loss and use different soil or could this soil work? Thank you for tolerating my ignorance haha..
This is what I use in the 1020 tray to start seed.
Seed starting mix has very few wood chunks that can slow root development. The soil is also formulated to wick up the proper amount of moisture for bottom watering. The wood chunks can hold pockets with too much water and don't provide even moisture.
I have never used the soil you show from the link and it doesn't provide the pH level info so whether it is too acid or not is anybody's guess.
This is what I am using in the grow bags. It's a general purpose. Push come to shove, you could screen out the wood chunks and use the screened soil for seed starting.
Seed starting mix has very few wood chunks that can slow root development. The soil is also formulated to wick up the proper amount of moisture for bottom watering. The wood chunks can hold pockets with too much water and don't provide even moisture.
I have never used the soil you show from the link and it doesn't provide the pH level info so whether it is too acid or not is anybody's guess.
This is what I am using in the grow bags. It's a general purpose. Push come to shove, you could screen out the wood chunks and use the screened soil for seed starting.
Azalea, blueberry, etc. require an acidic pH to thrive. So I would guess the Azalea soil has a pH in the range of 4.5 to 5.5. (Usual practice is to add sulfur to soil when growing those plants.) Tobacco thrives between 5.8 and 6.5 pH. Rather than taking a loss, I (being rather frugal) would just add some lime or wood ash or baking soda or even Alka-Seltzer (once), then use the soil. How much? I would just take a random, wild guess.
Bob
Bob
SnuffmeisterUK
Well-Known Member
Thanks @Knucklehead @deluxestogie , I'm not sure whether I should just relax and see what happens with the 4 seed pots I used that soil for, as soon as I googled it I stopped using the soil and did 4 more using a generic seed starting soil.
Should I try salvage the seeds in the 'potentially' wrong soil? It's tempting to pluck a few of them off the surface and simply repot em.
Should I try salvage the seeds in the 'potentially' wrong soil? It's tempting to pluck a few of them off the surface and simply repot em.
Seed germination requires zero nutrients. I would suggest waiting for the seeds to show a white radicle emerging, then re-pot, if that's the way you want to go. (Once you produce your own seed on a mature plant, properly bagged for varietal isolation, then that single plant may produce up to ¼ million seeds.)
Bob
SnuffmeisterUK
Well-Known Member
@deluxestogie perhaps in that case ill not worry about the seeds in the acidic soil as I'll just move them into more appropriate soil when I'm repotting them for the first time anyway? I was under the impression acidity would affect them germinating at all,
Hopefully this soil works well enough to get em going at least
Hopefully this soil works well enough to get em going at least
SnuffmeisterUK
Well-Known Member
My plants are looking much much happier and more like tobacco by the day!
@deluxestogie @Knucklehead are the largest of these seedlings ready to be transplanted to a bigger pot yet or should I hold off a little?
@deluxestogie @Knucklehead are the largest of these seedlings ready to be transplanted to a bigger pot yet or should I hold off a little?
