Thank you anyone for your help! First year starting seeds and worried about messing it up at the finish line. I’ll only be planting one of each plant I think, and giving the remainder of the seedlings away (I have about 4 of each variety).
Eggplants, peppers, and rosemary started 3/20, tomatoes and one set of marigolds started 3/30, remainder of marigolds and zinnias started 4/25. All have at least two sets of true leaves, have been fertilized with dilute fish fertilizer twice, and have been spending most of their days outdoors. I’ve been bringing them inside when it’s going to be below 55ish. Located in Columbus, OH.
Eggplants: Hansel, Violet delight, Rosa Bianca, E-tender (all but Rosa Bianca will go in 10-15 gallon containers)
Peppers: Lunchbox, bastan poblano, goddess banana pepper, flavor burst bell pepper (all going in containers)
Tomatoes: Sungold, Cherokee purple, San Marzano tomato (all going in raised bed)
Flowers will all go in raised garden bed border. The zinnias are leggy as hell, but I do plan to pinch them.
Planning to direct sow some costata romanesco zucchini in a 15 gallon planter as well.
by the_rabid_kitty
9 Comments
How many beds do you have?
Beds are 2’x2’x10’, hardware cloth under, then cardboard and old grass clippings on the bottom (from last year, along with some old soil from last year), and filled with a mix of raised bed soil, perlite, black kow compost, some bone meal, and garden soil about 2 months ago. Shorter flower bed with the same general mix.
They’ll be ready! Just harden them off before sending them into the garden. 1 day dappled shade, one day morning sun, 3rd day full sun. Just to get them used to the outdoors. As long as your temps are not dropping below 50 of course. Peppers and stuff don’t like colder temps.
Get more planters! 🙂
As for planting out, check the overnight lows for your location. Hold off on the if you have temps much below 50 coming. If it’s going to dip below 40 then hold off on the tomatoes too.
Are the pots going outside for part of the day right now? They should, to get used to outdoor weather and sunshine and wind. Take them in for extremes. My tomatoes were outside, up against the house with a light cover at night, for over a week. But then the weather took a turn even colder and they are back inside for a bit again.
Those rosemary are so cute! I only had one sprout succeed and it is so slow to get going! I don’t think those or your basil will be ready as the roots are probably still too small. Everything else looks good.
If you decide to plant the cardboard start containers directly, be sure to poke holes in the bottom-they do decompose but slower than ideal and can prevent the roots from spreading out into the grow bed. I’m also eyeing this weekend, but temps still dropping into the low 40s! 😬 Plants gonna have to figure it out!
So jealous you started rosemary!!! I’ve tried every year, but…nothing. Tell me your secret. 😄
Im not expert but based on my experience this year … They would be fine in a bed, but would probably grow faster inside if you have light for them and keep them closer to 70 all the time…. But if you are taking them out each day, your not gaining much overnight other than avoid a castaphre, which has probably passed.
Tldr. It’s probably fine but not better
Nice set up. I’d just move those metal trellis towards the center row.
just FYI if you weren’t aware, but all 3 of your tomatoes are indeterminates, meaning you’d ideally trellis them as they’ll be vining vs bush types