it's double or more here Rick.. just nuts

>> it's double or more here

Yuck. I hope some of that is shipping cost! I know that NY/NJ is horribly over-priced, BUT!

(Do you know what prices are like down around Princeton farm country?)


>> I need to organize the seed packs by # week before average last frost and get my greenhouse ready

I made a table in Word, for 11x17" paper, listing things according to seed pkt and online sowing guides. The "avg last frost date" is just a row across the top, so it could be modified quickly for other regions (if "last frost date" were the only variable that mattered).

Following the usual seed pkt convention, I made boxes for
2-4 weeks before,
6-8 weeks before and
10-12 weeks before,

and also
4-6 weeks before and
8-10 weeks before

I assume those figures are to be taken "inclusively", so each box overlaps by one week before and after.

I currently have two major rows: Inside and outside. I should probably split "outside" into "direct sow outside" and "set out transplants".

But all of this is based on what I read, not experience. For example, where I live, snow peas should have two different boxes: one for "direct ROT peas outside 0-4 weeks before last frost", and "direct SOW peas 1-6 weeks after last frost".

Joanne,
Your seedlings look wonderful. You have been very busy.

I have not checked down there.. Holly out in PA bought me a bunch of bales .. and I picked them up at her swap.. was like christmas!!!

Pro-Mix is expensive here, too. I don't remember exactly what I paid this year, but I think it was $48 for a compressed bale. That was from a hydroponics store. When I first started using it, about 10 years ago, Home Depot sold it. Now, they only sell Miracle Grow.

Karen

think this $54.00 is the best I found here.. crazy talk

http://77hydro-store.stores.ya...

Last year I bought the last large bag from a farmer/supplier here for $26.00!!

Cheapest way are the bales .. the bag prices are ridiculous! I pay $35.00 a bale.

nice Teri!!!

I think that Miracle-Gro must have the biggest markup, and that's why chains carry it.

I shouldn't bash it as hard as I want to - I killed seeds using it while I was learning to start them indoors. Some of that must be my fault, since some people do use it successfully.

I'd rather start seeds in Jell-O.

One of the neighbors that I give plants to came over with a huge bag of this stuff. Another very knowledgeable gardener says that this stuff is GREAT!!

http://www.fafard.com/Products...

I just had a chance to really look at your babies Joanna! You're setup and babies are awesome! I noticed you only have the lights a few inches above the substrate - do you have any problems with the heat from the bulbs drying things out quickly? What color bulbs are you using .. hard to tell from the pictures .. when I used florescents I had one warm white and 1 cool white in the lamp. When I move in a few years to the upstate I'm planning on a greenhouse 3 times the size I have now and may go back to starting seeds under lights .. just not enough room here.

My only complaint with ProMix is that once it dries out completely it's not easy to get it hydrated again. I might also add that it's very flammable when totally dried out.

I've decided to winter sow oriental poppies. I can't tell the difference between young plant leaves as opposed to young weed leaves and I want to avoid direct seeding as much as possible so I don't need to worry about what I'm pulling. I'm sure that I take out some things that I don't want to every year. How difficult is it to transplant the clump of poppies right into the garden in spring.

Oriental poppies don't seem to have a problem with being transplanted, although I've only started them individually, not in clumps.

I'll try picking some of the seedlings out of the clump to pot individually before they go into the ground. The others I'll break up the clump and plant. Do you see any problem with moving the seedlings into individual pots for a while.

If they survive the pricking out, they should be fine. At least in my limited experience. I started mine in the GH in 4-packs, then moved them into larger pots before I finally set them out. Mine did fine; just hoping to see them come back this year for me. I'm a bit worried about our conditions being too soggy for them. What kinds are you starting?

I looked at the link for the ProMix. This is what I buy. Didn't see it on the site. I paid $14 a bale for it. I didn't think it was that expensive. In fact I went and bought four more today just so I don't have to deal with looking for it later.

It is just peat, perlite, limestone, and wetting agent (whatever that is)

My favorite for seed starting is Metro-Mix. I'd love for it to be as readily available as Miracle-Gro. It's usually not available at my local nurseries until after I've started most of the season's seeds, so if I happen to run out I usually buy enough for a two-year supply.

Woofie, so far I put out Victoria Louise and Beauty of Livermore. I will look thru and see what else I have.