Hello! I somehow got lucky enough to stumble across this website. It's great and I can see I will learn a lot here. I have a question. I'm pretty new to seed starting, this is my second year trying. I was given a little portable greenhouse and have some wintersown seedlings now, as well as some seedlings I've started indoors. My question is, how big do they need to be to be transplanted into my garden? Okay, one more question. How do I prevent myself from sowing more seedlings than I need? I am out of control.

Welcome droughttolerant!

So glad you found us. We've got a great community here.

I can't help you with sowing too much. I've got serious problems there myself!

Welcome !

Most seedlings (if you are talking vegetables and annuals) are transplanted when they are 4-6 weeks old - but it really depends on what you are growing.

To many? out of control? - thats the norm

These are some of mine from last year, hardening off on the porch - probably about half?

Beautiful photo, those look terrific!

If you go under "Goodies" on the left of screen.
There is calender which will tell you best time to start each kind of seed for your zone.

Very few of us on this site can help you with the out of control sowings.
We are all guilty of that too!

Hi Bonnie and welcome to ATP!

I usually sow an "heir and spare" when I start seeds and grow the extras in pots. That way if one of the plants I've put in the ground doesn't make it or is slower than the rest, I have something to replace it with.

Mine usually go into the ground when I have at least 3 sets of true leaves and I'm sure of no more frosts. Some seedlings don't like their roots disturbed so I make templates of the pot they are in in the ground and just plop them in. Here is a link to No Stress Repotting. I do this also with plants going in the ground:

http://garden.org/ideas/view/X...

, Bonnie,

As someone else has pointed out the planting calendar is very helpful in determining when to start seeds and when it's safe to plant them outside. As to size ... I just want them to be big enough to survive the transplant (at least 3 sets of true leaves ... more is better), but at the same time I don't want them too big. Four to 6 weeks is a good estimate for a lot of plants; for peppers, I usually figure about 8 weeks before I can transplant them. They seem to take longer to germinate on the whole and they don't seem to grow as fast as some other plants, at least for me. I don't grow a lot of flowers from seeds, but I'm guessing they would be close to these generalizations.

As for controlling the number of plants you end up with ... well, if you figure out how to fix that, please share ... there's a bunch of us who could benefit from that

Hello and Bonnie!!!

Thanks to all of you for the great info. At least I'm not alone in my out-of-controlness. Now I'm off to take a look at the links you all have posted. Thanks again!

Bonnie!
The seed disease it very contagious and no known cure What did you start?

Hi Bonnie,

Thank you for all the warm welcomes! I winter sowed:
Gaillardia 'Arizona Apricot'
Agastache 'Sunset Hyssop' (didn't germinate )
Hysoppus 'True Hyssop'
Agastache 'Anise Hyssop'
Agastache 'Raspberry Daiquiri'
Lychnis 'Rose Campion'

I indoor sowed:
Cosmos 'Candy Stripe'
Gaillardia 'Sundance Red'
Salvia 'Coral Nymph Sage'
Coreopsis 'Early Sunrise'
Gaillardia 'Arizona Apricot' (just want to see the difference between winter sown and indoor sown )
Basil
Oregano
Italian Parsley (didn't germinate )

I still plan to wintersow this weekend:
Allium 'Nodding Onion'
Rudbeckia 'Cherokee Sunset'
Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy'
Blackfoot Daisy
Perry's Penstemon
Rudbeckia 'Cherokee Sunset'
Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy'
After I pick some weeds, that is. We're getting gentle rain that germinates tons of weeds
I have a new out-of-controlness issue: ATP

Bonnie,
You are fortunate to live in a warm climate, Zone 9b. I wonder if your area is cool/cold enough for winter sowing? Perhaps stratifying seeds in the fridge might help with germination of some of the more stubborn seeds.

Don't forget to take lots of photos. We love, love, love to see photos of everyone's plants and planting methods.

Bonnie!

I started my first batch of Italian Parsley seeds wrapped in a moist coffee filter, which I placed inside a plastic bag, and then set the baggie in a warm well-lit area. In my case it was under a brooder lamp on top of my water heater. They were showing the beginnings of growth the following day, so I then sowed the seeds into a container of growing medium.

No help here for tempering your seed starting addiction or your new ATP compulsion, but you are in good company!

So far I haven't had any trouble winter sowing in 9b. I just follow the advice I've read, since I'd never heard of winter sowing until last year. I start with hardy perennials around Jan. 1st and end with half-hardy perennials and annuals through the first week of February. it seems like January is our 'winter month' for sowing. Most suggested if the temps are in the 40's, it's great for winter sowing. I do have trouble with the spring setting out in Late/Feb and March, which is all due to my inability to not sow too much. Plus last year I wasn't sure how big my seedlings needed to be to plant out. Good thing for me they know what to do!

Hi, Chelle, thanks for the parsley tips. I'll try that!

I needed that parsley info as well! Thanks, Chelle!

Welcome Bonnie!

Karen

Hi Bonnie, and

My problem is the opposite: not "how big is big enough to plant out", but rather "how long can I get away without potting up or planting out?"

Try to harden off and plant out after 2-3 pair of true leaves, but before the seedling cell is root bound. That seedling will get unhappy pretty fast once root bound. Maybe flowers are more tolerant than vegetable seedlings, I don't know.

When I run out of space indoors under lights, SOMEthing has to go outside. I really need a cold frame or small hoop tunnel.

Maybe this is less of a problem in Zone 9 / Arizona, but I can't plant out until I think Spring has settled down. We might have months of pretty warm weather followed by the only hard snow of the year.

Some years the slugs are so active that a seedling has to be big enough to give up 1/2 of its leaves and still survive.

Hi RickCorey,
I will give that a go. Right now they have one set of true leaves so they should have two to four after they are hardened off, which I'll start in about two weeks. I run out of space, seedling soil and time. Both years so far. My husband bought me a little greenhouse for the back porch. I can't be sure...but I think he's hinting at something. It didn't work so much. Now there are seedlings on the porch, in the house, AND in the greenhouse.

I got a winter sowing surprise this morning. My Sunset Hyssop germinated after all! I am going to try Chelle's parsley idea next. I don't think it's too late yet.