right now

right now

Jul 24, 2010

A quick question...

I am planning & ordering my fall seeds and have a question for you all. Do you bother with indoor seed starting or do you sow in flats outside in the summertime? This is my 1st year starting my broccoli, etc from seed instead of plant starts. It sure is hot enough for germination out there, but I am sure I would have to bring them in during the heat of the day. Inquiring minds want to know!

11 comments:

  1. I start broccoli/cauliflower/kohlrabi/lettuce in six packs and put in a ziploc, out on my porch(no direct sun). Works great! Once the seedlings pop up, I uncover them and move them into the sun, increasing the time slowly.
    Good luck!

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  2. Ha! When we start seeds up here, it's still snowing outside so we don't have a choice. Sure does illustrate the widely divergent climates we live (and garden in!) in, doesn't it?

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  3. Thanks Sue! That's what I was thinking, I have a rack on my deck that is covered by a pergola, so it's filtered sunlight, right now its over 100 degrees so I'm thinking as soon as they germinate, I might have to move them inside under lights until the daytime temps come down some.

    Mama Pea - so do you have fall garden-specific plants or are you able to grow things like broccoli, leeks, garlic & onions all summer? Here I can grow broccoli reliably until the end of Nov, spinach and lettuce "sometimes" all winter and in Nov the garlic, leeks and onions go in and winter over.

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  4. I start mine on the patio, on a table where they get morning sun but shade during the hot part of the day. Although I did start some cabbages by direct sowing in the garden last week, and three of the four germinated (I replanted #4). I'm also going to be direct sowing some carrots, lettuce and spinach tomorrow, under my lattice semi-cover.

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  5. I think I didn't understand what you were asking. You were asking about starting seeds NOW, right? (Geesh, that's just such a foreign concept to me!)

    If I were to try for some fall crops by starting seeds right now, I'd put them directly in the garden as they'd probably do as well there as inside. I'm not going to do that this year as I've got other things I need to put my time on and a second planting of things such as broccoli, carrots, cabbage might or might not mature because of an early frost date. I can grow all of those things all summer because we don't have the extreme temps you do.

    I'm still not sounding very intelligent, am I?

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  6. This is a great question! I was wondering the same thing.

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  7. Mama Pea, you crack me up! If you are not sounding intelligent and I am understanding you, what does that make me? LOL! I know what you are saying... so although you can't grow monster tomatoes and eggplant, you get to have fresh greens and broccoli and such all summer!

    Gran, I'm glad I got some verification from you all! I was cleaning house and saw my empty "seed table" folded up and thought... hmmmm, I should order my fall stuff! I went up into the attic to get my lights and stuff and when I was hit with the 145 degree attic temps, I thought "duh"! I can just start them outside! I will have to adapt a funky schedule though as temps are in the 100's and have been for weeks now. Funny I always start spring seeds but this is the first time I haven't bought starts for fall so this part is new to me!

    Meemsnyc, I love this blog for exactly that reason! I can think a question and then I think "oh... such & such will know" LOL

    I have been planning the fall garden all day and maybe it will be a better one this year. Since our heat wave has put a damper on my activity as well as the garden's, I have had more time than I usually do to plan. Most years I am knee deep in canning or something and have to run and buy plants because I "forgot"...

    Get this: It's 11 pm right now and it's 92 DEGREES!! blech!

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  8. Do you really want ME to get in on this??? Hmm...peas on both sides of the fence...What a concept. I just made a note to investigate this tomorrow. When I am awake! Hope you find what you need from the smart ones! :)

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  9. I do mine like Annie's Granny. :)

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  10. Apple Pie Gal, while you are investigating the engineering of the pea trellis idea, I'm going to investigate why we would need SUN to grow corn LOL (see today's post!) Told you so... we all have our moments!

    Thanks, Dani - I am getting my trays out today! I really hope fall does better for me than summer, the heat has been unbearable, even the critters have stopped venturing out to steal my garden stuff!

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  11. I have been failing miserably at all Fall sowings, both indoors and out. It looks my garden will be bare. The critters eat them in the garden, and I forget about them indoors (or outdoors) in flats.

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