Day 96
UPDATE#5
Grower update
Update #5
The yellow pansy finally started to bloom about 7 days ago. I can't believe how bright the yellow color is--it's almost neon!
GrowLog
TransplantedMixed Seed Starting for Tomatoes, Cantaloupe, Pansies, Petunia, and Viola
Grow log by lynnee · Original thread
5 visual updates6 photos17 replies
View recapCrop🍅Tomato, cantaloupe, pansy, petunia, viola
VarietyGreen Zebra, Black Beauty, yellow pansy, Superbissima Giant Alba petunia, green viola
MethodAeroGarden
EquipmentAeroGarden Harvest Seed Starter, AeroGarden Farms
Plants10
AudienceExperimental
What you can learnA mixed seed-starting diary showing different germination speeds, extraction from seed-starter sponges, transplant timing, and successful outdoor flowering.
Actions:2 Transplant1 Planting
Useful practices
- start multiple crop types in a Harvest seed starter
- move tomatoes at about ten days when roots and seedlings are ready
- transplant oversized petunias before they take over the unit
Problems encountered
- flowers germinated more slowly than tomatoes
- petunias outgrew the Harvest before flowering
- some flowers did not initially germinate
*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.
Conversation
U
Mother nature has always amazed me. All flowers use the same limited pallette of nutrients, nitrogen, potassium, phosphate, and trace elements. Yet, they create and produce the complex chemistry that yield such beautiful designs and vivid colors as your pansy.
S
I love the color
T
Hi Lynnee, I see in your pic of the seed starter that you only have sponges in some of the slots. Is it necessary to cover the slots not being used like we do when using regular sized pods? I'm considering getting a Sprout just to grow seedlings so I have a constant supply of developed seedling plants to plop into my Harvest machines after lettuce / herb harvesting. Has anyone done this? Is it worth it? Any thoughts appreciated ...
L
tracey, what a good idea, to have seedlings ready to jumpstart lettuce after you've harvested a crop!Don't remember whether I covered the empty seedstarter holes. Probably I didn't, but it wouldn't hurt to cover them with foil or paper.Rather than purchase a Sprout for starting seeds, I'd recommend purchasing a Harvest. The Harvest has both a seedstarter and a microgreens insert available. For starting seeds, the extra light is a very good thing, and the microgreens insert is easy to use and works great. (The Bounty microgreens insert is fiddly to use and doesn't give better results).
T
Thank you for the helpful insight Lynnee!
Day 71
UPDATE#4
Grower update
Update #4
The Superbissima petunia is continuing to delight.
Conversation
S
These are so beautiful
Day 64
UPDATE#3
Grower update
Update #3
The Superbissima Giant Alba Petunia has finally bloomed, and I think you'll agree that it was worth the wait! The photo doesn't really do it justice.
Conversation
S
That is gorgeous!
S
That is beautiful!
Day 36
UPDATE#2
Grower update
Update #2
Actions taken
TransplantTransplanted the oversized petunia seedlings into outdoor soil.
TransplantAlso transplanted Cosmos and Celosia from another Bounty.
Today I transplanted the petunia(s) to soil outdoors, because they were taking over the Harvest! Usually I wait until a plant blooms, but these were getting very big.I also transplanted Cosmos and Celosia from another Bounty, to keep the petunias company.
Day 1
UPDATE#1
Grower update
Update #1
Actions taken
PlantingSowed ten pods containing cantaloupe, tomato, pansy, petunia, and viola seeds.
After seeing @fsullom 's beautiful developing cantaloupes, I couldn't wait any longer! Today I started seeds for cantaloupes (2 pods), Green Zebra tomatoes (2), Yellow Pansies (2), Black Beauty tomatoes (2), a fancy petunia (1), and a green Viola (1).Once I have healthy seedlings, the tomatoes and cantaloupes will go into Farms, and the flowers will go into pots outdoors. Right now, I don't have time to tend to extra gardens, but that should change. Having seedlings will provide the motivation!
Conversation
U
Yea! lynnee! Can't wait to see how you wrap the melon vines around your farm. The petunias look great... I don't think I can bring myself to eat a black tomato.
L
Eat a black tomato? "No way!" was my first reaction, too, @fsullom. But my husband loves tomatoes, and he'll eat pretty much anything, and it looked like it would be fun to grow ....
L
At day 10, the tomatoes were ready to go into an Aerogarden. One cantaloupe has germinated and has a strong little seedling that I'll transplant soon. The flowers haven't done anything.In moving the tomatoes, I wondered whether there was a good way to get the sponges with the roots out? I picked up the deck and pushed the sponges up from below, but could also have stuck something into the sponges to lift them up from the top.How do you do it, campingcorgis?
C
I probably do it a silly way, but I lift the deck and then use a toothpick or similar item to kind of lift/push them from the side. It works?
L
That would work! Thanks, campingcorgis!