MethodAeroGarden seed starting, soil or potting-mix transplant
EquipmentAeroGarden seed-starting setup, AeroGarden Bounty light, solo cups, larger pots
Plants4
AudienceExperimental
What you can learnA valuable failed seed-starting diary showing strong germination followed by transplant stress, yellowing, drying, and likely hardening-off or medium-management issues.
Actions:2 Transplant1 Pruning
Useful practices
starting two compact tomato cultivars hydroponically
transplanting only seedlings with roots below the cups
removing yellow leaves
testing both solo cups and larger pots
Problems encountered
yellow lower leaves
transplant wilt
seedlings becoming crisp
continued decline in larger pots
no hardening-off process
*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.
ell I am going to ditch the two in solo cups as they are crisp. Here is just one, no sense on taking a picture of two.Also the ones in pots are not looking or doing well either. Yellowing leaves and looking a little drier. They are not sitting in water and the mix is moist not wet or drenched to kill. I just do not have the tint of green needed in my thumb for outside plants (other then flowers I guess) I think I may just buy some to plant in the EB especially now that I have all the stuff for it OR I will plant all flowers (can you plant flowers in an EB?)Feeling a bit defeated in the outdoor veggie department.
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I agree that they do not look healthy, Shawn. I have no idea what should cause that yellowing except for wet , wet soil or too much fertilizer. They seem to be in a warm area with plenty of light. I would not plant them in the EB and chance an entire summer. But I have 2 EB's that I plant flowers in and they love the EB. I plant mostly varieties in them. The guinea impatiens especially thrive and spread out like mad. Geraniums love it , as well as other bush, ball plants .
Oh ok, even better! Hopefully I will be able to go there. If not I do have flowers to try. I may go look for some taller ones. Any other suggestions for seeds?
Shawn, have you tried leaving the plants in the Aerogarden until they are big enough to transplant? Then you can harden them off by setting the Aerogarden bowl with the plants in it outside in the shade for an hour the first day. Then bring them in and plug them back into the Aerogarden, and increase the time outdoors each day for a few days. Then you can take them out of the Aerogarden and plant pod and all. I have had good results doing that with some things. I just did it to my tomatoes, so we can see how they do.
The roots were getting larger that they were ready. I really do not want to try to rinse soil out of the roots.
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How about the Vinca Pacifica that I am growing in my Feb Gal project? They do fantastic from seed outside in sunny spots, and go through the late summer! search.parkseed.com/search?w=vinca%20pacifica
I misread your post. I had food being delivered at the door and was half watching them at the same time. (side note, I love the people at the food store I use. They are always so careful with food and pick the freshest there is). That is a good Idea. I just hope them having no hardening off would not kill them.
They are hardened off outside. It's like Aerogarden's instructions for hardening off the starts in their seed starter. Oh well, my brain is fried from too much stress today. I am probably not making sense, even to myself!
Day 23
UPDATE#8
Grower update
Update #8
🔧Actions taken
🪴TransplantTransplanted one Roma and one Bushsteak after roots emerged from the cups.
✂️PruningRemoved yellowing leaves during transplant.
I transplanted a Roma and a Bushsteak into larger pots as they had the roots coming out the bottom and look the healthiest. I did remove any yellowing leaves. The other Bushsteak may get transplanted this weekend. We shall see how it goes but the second Roma is still sickly looking.All Four:The Romas:The Bushsteaks:
These are the Romas. The one on the left still looks sickly, however the one on the right has long roots coming out the bottom. Still not looking the best but a little better.These are the Bushsteaks.Not the best looking but one does have roots coming out the bottom
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If roots are coming out the bottom, they need a bigger pot!!! Roots are supposed to be in the soil. The plants look much better than they did the other day,though.
Oh My Word!!!! I would snip off those yellowing leaves. Things to troubleshoot: Are the roots sopping wet? Are there drainage holes in the bottom? Are they cold? Were they fed with something??? Did you have a 'guest' trying to help?!
Here is my first transplant. Question, how often do I water it? Should I use premixed (with ag nutes) water to water it? Also should I add more mix or wait for it to grow some?It is sitting under a Bounty light.I guess they will go thru a shock period? The one already looks a tad wilted
perfect. I will do that this week. Now where to put them. I do not want insects inside
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This afternoon I opened the screened windows and put all the geraniums(some flowering) on the sills and the bees sensed the pollen through the screens and were going bonkers..suh temptation for them. I just hope they dont find an inlet.
I know, I had the windows open yesterday and I hoped the same.Do you think if planted in potting mix (not soil) they will be ok in the house?
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Well mine are on a very sunny enclosed porch. They need light. If you put them on top of a grow deck or next to one or better yet, in a nice sunny window they will be fine. Otherwise they will get leggy from searching and stretching for some light. Another alternative is to place them out on a porch during the time that the sun is there and bringing them back inside.
I will put them in a Bounty Bowl and let them get light from that. I will just not use the deck. If it is nice out I will put them on the deck and bring them back in late afternoon. I just do not want the bugs to come in with them LOL
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Oh Yeah...I didn't think about the bugs hitching a ride inside.
Maybe I will just keep them under the LED's until they can stay outside. When it is time I will put in the garage at night and back in the sun during the day until they can safety stay out. I may need you help in this area and I have no clue when they can be put outside for some time and then all the time.
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It is not difficult. When the ground is warm, then they can go in the EB.. I find that here that is usually around the 3rd week of May. By then you will have transferred them to even bigger pots and gotten more of the stem(up to the leaves, even) under the soil to make real strong roots . The bigger and deeper the pot the better.Anything on that stem that is covered in the soil will develop roots on tom plants). You should have flowers and even perhaps baby toms by then. The secret is to plant DEEP. You could even use some of your EB soil because it will just go into the box along with the plants. Give them time. Relax.
I really need to remove one of the two in the Romas. I will also need some solo cups to plant in. @cornne , at what height do I put in said solo cups? Can these stay in here for a while longer?
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Those can definitely stay, but the way I tell is by the roots in the water. If I see roots dangling in the water, I just stick them in soil and they take off from there.I guess I use the starter just for germination and to get a start of the roots. I remember a few years back leaving them in so long that the roots all got tangled up in the water. What a mess trying to separate!
@cornne , do you think 16oz cups would work? If not I will get the 18oz.EDITED TO ADD: I bought some 18oz.
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That is a good choice because the smaller the container, the sooner one has to transplant into a larger one. Tomatoes grow roots from anything that is in soil, so the deeper they are planted, the more roots will form and grow downward nice and strong. Good Choice. I just chose some real deep buckety pots from the garage earlier to transplant next week. Here is Ray talking about the next step after the cups or smaller pots.