Anyone starting seeds inside? Temperatures still in the 50's in Michigan.

I have some winter sown (outdoors) started but none inside quite yet. Woke up this morning knowing before I even opened my eyes that we had a winter wonderland outside. Even with a raging case of spring fever, it was nice to see the snow because it covered up all the March ugly mud and yuck.

I know what you mean. The snow muffles the sound - its always so peaceful to wake up to snow.

I am about to start my seeds for my vegetable garden. The wild flowers seeds got slung out the door a month or so ago.

Daisy

BeKind said:Anyone starting seeds inside? Temperatures still in the 50's in Michigan.

Hi BeKind -- I'm assuming you're somewhere in the lower peninsula, since we've been lucky to get into the 40s here in the "southern" UP... you can definitely start some seeds now, I have quite a few flower seeds and onions started, and will start peppers around April 1, tomatoes April 15, for planting out around June 1. I have room for 12 flats of seeds under my lights and things are getting pretty crowded... looks like I'm going to have to put the heater out in my greenhouse soon so I can move some of the hardier things out there to make more room!

I started indoors around Thanksgiving and really got cranking in January. Now have ~ 1,200 started. With the exception of veggies, you name it, I have started it. Lotsa Milkweed and Tropicals.

Sigh, I only have a few tomato plants started, that I'm getting ready to pot up. And a few alyssum. I think I need new seeds, because half my tomatoes didn't come up and so far none of the peppers. Grrrr. Fingers crossed that some of the petunias will germinate. I'm really getting a slow start this year.

Woofie - even under the best of conditions, I have found starting pepper seeds indoors can be less than joyful. Too old seed only adds to the angst. Tomatoes usually pop right up, so old seed may be your biggest problem. However, for our Master Gardener plant sale, we use tomato seed as old as 3 years. For the older seed, we plant a lot more and use this general rule:

This year seed - plant as normal
Year old seed - plant twice as many
Two year old seed - plant 3 x as many
Three YO seed - plant 4 x as many

Good luck

Weedwhacker - sound like you are cranking!

Both of you - love yer pics.

I think the problem with the pepper seeds is that they're too old (I think this is the third year); last year I had no problem and ended up with LOTS of plants using the same method. And I've grown tomatoes from seeds that were 15 years old and I swear they ALL germinated (ancient Sungold seeds). But maybe different varieties stay viable longer than others. And I know that petunia seeds don't last more than a couple of years, but I'm hoping to get at least a few.

woofie said:. But maybe different varieties stay viable longer than others.

Yes - and it depends on if it is hybrid and non-hybrid. Open pollinated heirlooms seed will last much longer and be more viable than hybrids.

Our Master Gardener group has proven as much in the tomatoes we grow. We grow them for several purposes - sell at plant sale (we sell a couple 1,000 tomato plants each year), use them in our demo garden, for Tomato fest and pure trials for KU. Last year we grew like 72 types and we cut back this year to ~ 50 or so.

The hybrid seed cost much more and come with fewer seeds in a bag - of which we buy very large size. Some of the heirloom seed packs will easily last us 2 - 4 years.

Interesting about the OP seeds staying viable longer than hybrids, David -- I never really thought about that. (As far as I know, though, there are no GMO seeds being sold to home gardeners.)

I meant hybrids generally. And many of the hybrids, don't try to save seed from crop cause most will revert. I am gonna edit the other post so as not to confuse others.

I agree, most of the hybrids won't come back the same as the parent plant (and seeds may even be sterile and won't grow at all). I've had good luck with some hybrid peppers, though, in terms of the "first generation" after the parents; I've never gone farther down the line than that with them.