Posted: 4/3/2013 3:12:50 PM EDT
Well, planted 36 Cabbage seeds Saturday, and noticed today they are sprouting!!! These are the first actual seeds i have started indoors, i normally buy transplants from a local greenhouse and plant those, but I figured since cabbage is a early crop, I'd get a head start this year.
I planted 3-4 seeds per little pellet, and I plan to let them grow and then cut back the weaker ones from each pellet. I'll transplant these to some peat pots when the time comes, and hopefully by Late April Early May, these will be ready to put in my new plot, as soon as it dries out enough to finish tilling it, and add some compost. I also have some West Virginia 63' tomatoes planted, but so far no sprouts from them yet. |
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Cabbage can go out 2-3 weeks before last frost. It loves cool weather. I'll also recommend a row cover. Cabbage moths and their worms will eat your crop up fast. That would put me about first part of May then. As far as moths and a row cover, i have not even considered it, I've never done cabbage here, so i don't know what we have here. |
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Cabbage can go out 2-3 weeks before last frost. It loves cool weather. I'll also recommend a row cover. Cabbage moths and their worms will eat your crop up fast. That would put me about first part of May then. As far as moths and a row cover, i have not even considered it, I've never done cabbage here, so i don't know what we have here. I have friends up around SandStone and they don't have issues with moths but occasionally have problems with worms if they get their cabbage out late... I may have to try some kraut one of these years. |
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Cabbage can go out 2-3 weeks before last frost. It loves cool weather. I'll also recommend a row cover. Cabbage moths and their worms will eat your crop up fast. That would put me about first part of May then. As far as moths and a row cover, i have not even considered it, I've never done cabbage here, so i don't know what we have here. I have friends up around SandStone and they don't have issues with moths but occasionally have problems with worms if they get their cabbage out late... I may have to try some kraut one of these years. RR, the worms are the spawn of the moths. |
| My cabbage seeds have also sprouted, first year attempting my own garden. They are a couple inches in height now and I am worried they may start tipping/falling over. Should I Transplant them to some kind of larger dirt tray? Still to wet/cold here in WI to start tilling my plot. I'll post some pictures when I get home, Not trying to hijack OP thread just figured this was relavent and may answer both our questions concerning cabbage growth. |
Well, all but a few cabbage have sprouted, still no signs from my tomatoes how long should I let them go before I thin them to one seeding a pellet?
I'm thinking of working on the plot this weekend, if the weather stays like it is forecast, I'll have these planted end of the month 
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When did you plant your tomato seeds? Mine took 8 days at 70 deg soil temp to sprout. Saturday, so it's not even been a week. I have no idea what the soil temp is, I put them in some potting mix, and watered them. I keep them moist everyday with a spray bottle. |
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My cabbage seeds have also sprouted, first year attempting my own garden. They are a couple inches in height now and I am worried they may start tipping/falling over. Should I Transplant them to some kind of larger dirt tray? Still to wet/cold here in WI to start tilling my plot. I'll post some pictures when I get home, Not trying to hijack OP thread just figured this was relavent and may answer both our questions concerning cabbage growth. Are you growing these in one of those clear plastic lid mini-greenhouse things? After your seeds sprout, you can remove that lid. A fan blowing gently across them for a short intervals (on a timer for instance) may try to keep them from getting tall and stringy on you. But you will need to transplant them as you mentioned once they outgrow their starting cell, and don't forget to harden them off if going directly to the garden. Awaiting your pics for better help. |
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Have a little patience if you have them indoors you should be fine. Pretty sure the first thing to be grown on the moon or Mars will be tomatoes. If tomatoes won't grow for you, you need to move, because you live on uninhabitable land. The only viable thing to make it through waste treatment is tomato seeds. All the dried cakes of solid waste from water treatment plants (compressed tonnage, to the size of cars) have tomato plants growing out the tops. |
Ok, so here is where I am as of 1 week. Tallest seedlings are about 2" The clear lid was removed after all the seeds had sprouted. So, when do I need to start worrying about thinning them, and transferring them to the peat pots I have?? I'm going to be out in the sticks next week, so I hope they can go another week. Still nothing from the tomato seeds. I have them planted in the peat pots, and have kept them moist. They weren't store bought seeds, but seeds that were sent to me from WVU, as they are a West Virginia centennial seed the university grows and gives out. |
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Great job trying something new!
I start alot of seeds indoors under lights. It looks like your seedlings are not getting enough light and that is why they are stretching out. This can lead to weak stems that fall/break/wilt when they get to 2 1/2" or so. You could try more light to keep the stems shorter and stronger. Leaving the top off the mini-greenhouse lets the pellets dry out pretty quickly. Leaving the top on too long under lights promotes algae growth (they get green). It a balancing act that's only learned through trial and error. Once the sprouts have their first true leaves you can transplant them into a better soil and/or start using mild fertilizer...those puppies need some nutrients at this point. Tomatoes need a warm soil/medium to sprout. You want to make sure they have plenty of light or they too will grow long weak stems. I leave my tomatoes under lights 24/7. Tomatoes should be buried deeper each time they are transplanted. The fine hairs you see on the stems will grow into roots if buried. I trim the lowest two sets of leaves when I transplant mine. By the time mine go into the ground (late May or even June here in MA) I have short plants with very thick, very strong stems, and deep, strong roots. Of course, lots of this information can be found online or in books but trail and error efforts teach the most! Keep planting! |
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Great job trying something new! I start alot of seeds indoors under lights. It looks like your seedlings are not getting enough light and that is why they are stretching out. This can lead to weak stems that fall/break/wilt when they get to 2 1/2" or so. You could try more light to keep the stems shorter and stronger. Leaving the top off the mini-greenhouse lets the pellets dry out pretty quickly. Leaving the top on too long under lights promotes algae growth (they get green). It a balancing act that's only learned through trial and error. Once the sprouts have their first true leaves you can transplant them into a better soil and/or start using mild fertilizer...those puppies need some nutrients at this point. Tomatoes need a warm soil/medium to sprout. You want to make sure they have plenty of light or they too will grow long weak stems. I leave my tomatoes under lights 24/7. Tomatoes should be buried deeper each time they are transplanted. The fine hairs you see on the stems will grow into roots if buried. I trim the lowest two sets of leaves when I transplant mine. By the time mine go into the ground (late May or even June here in MA) I have short plants with very thick, very strong stems, and deep, strong roots. Of course, lots of this information can be found online or in books but trail and error efforts teach the most! Keep planting! Well, I have these seedlings sitting in a window right now, about the most light I can give them without putting them in direct light, which would burn them. I keep them moist with the mister bottle everyday. When should I expect the true leaves to form?? As far as the tomatoes go, I'd be happy if they'd just sprout up out of the dirt 
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| Put the tomatoes somewhere warm, or even better, on a seedling heating mat. If you have them also sitting in a windowsill (which can get quite cold, especially at night) they can take forever to germinate. That is, if they do at all. Warm weather plants like tomatoes need warm soil in order to germinate. |
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Put the tomatoes somewhere warm, or even better, on a seedling heating mat. If you have them also sitting in a windowsill (which can get quite cold, especially at night) they can take forever to germinate. That is, if they do at all. Warm weather plants like tomatoes need warm soil in order to germinate. Well, I'm not exactly sure where that's going to be
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Cabbage can go out 2-3 weeks before last frost. It loves cool weather. I'll also recommend a row cover. Cabbage moths and their worms will eat your crop up fast. That would put me about first part of May then. As far as moths and a row cover, i have not even considered it, I've never done cabbage here, so i don't know what we have here. I have friends up around SandStone and they don't have issues with moths but occasionally have problems with worms if they get their cabbage out late... I may have to try some kraut one of these years. RR, the worms are the spawn of the moths. Yeah, those yellow butterflies seem so innocent fluttering around the cabbages, brussel sprouts, etc. The life cycle: 
What the caterpillars look like: 
Butterflies: 
Use whatever pyrethrin-based spray you can find locally. It kills the caterpillars and is a natural insecticide derived from Chrysanthemums. They break down quickly from light, moisture and oxygen. It's probably the most harmless insecticide you could use. There is also a bacteria that can kill the caterpillar but I haven't tried it yet. Watch the cabbages like a hawk because the infestation can seemingly come out of nowhere. Brand does not matter as long as it is pyrethrin. 
ETA: I'm growing nettles and the buggers got into them as well last summer! |
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Cabbage can go out 2-3 weeks before last frost. It loves cool weather. I'll also recommend a row cover. Cabbage moths and their worms will eat your crop up fast. That would put me about first part of May then. As far as moths and a row cover, i have not even considered it, I've never done cabbage here, so i don't know what we have here. I have friends up around SandStone and they don't have issues with moths but occasionally have problems with worms if they get their cabbage out late... I may have to try some kraut one of these years. RR, the worms are the spawn of the moths. Yeah, those yellow butterflies seem so innocent fluttering around the cabbages, brussel sprouts, etc. The life cycle: http://www.organicgardenpests.com/images/cabbage2.gif What the caterpillars look like: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR-dmzfX5y_NW0F3IKMFyubQHNRwuEymCM2R8G0cWQXlvOTPfrOCw http://www.howtogardenadvice.com/images/Challenges/cabbage%20worm.JPG Butterflies: http://www.installitdirect.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Cabbage-worm-butterfly-pest.jpg Use whatever pyrethrin-based spray you can find locally. It kills the caterpillars and is a natural insecticide derived from Chrysanthemums. They break down quickly from light, moisture and oxygen. It's probably the most harmless insecticide you could use. There is also a bacteria that can kill the caterpillar but I haven't tried it yet. Watch the cabbages like a hawk because the infestation can seemingly come out of nowhere. Brand does not matter as long as it is pyrethrin. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41edsvMgFBL._SY450_.jpg ETA: I'm growing nettles and the buggers got into them as well last summer! Thanks, I'll keep a look out for that stuff. What about Seven dust?? Can you still even get it? |
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[ Thanks, I'll keep a look out for that stuff. What about Seven dust?? Can you still even get it? They still sell liquid and powder sevin around here, purchased some the other day... Cool, I'm pretty familiar with it. I have a tomato sprouting today!!!! |