From

Location

Message

Date Posted

norway , maine

i have a generic ag plant going that is at the 5 true leaf stage. i dont plan on growing this one but it got me to wondering if i should try it with a couple of my intended seeds.is this a bad idea ? thanks cheddah

3/6/2009 9:01:16 AM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Likely a waste of time. If you are lacking in the seed department, email me. jordan.rivington@gmail.com

3/6/2009 10:14:03 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

plenty of good seeds available out there.

ydpumpkins@yahoo.com

3/6/2009 10:41:52 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

cheddah, from what little I know...approx 10 days before time to put yer lil monster grower in the ground (earlier if you have a hoop house) is when you need to start your prize winning seed!!! Peace, Wayne

3/6/2009 5:32:20 PM

norway , maine

thanks guys

3/6/2009 6:17:50 PM

Rhode Island

cheddah
the idea of putting a larger plant into the ground come spring time is not a bad thing.we have all thought of doing this at one time or another.
id guess at the five true leaf leaf stage where you are presently at would be large enough to get a spring planting jump. my only conserns would be two things

1. root compaction in the holding container if its to small.
2. hardening a larger plant off correctly so there is no weather related and/or transplant problems.

personally? if i wanted a bigger plant come planting time by say between may 1st and may 5th?

i would start my seed around april 15th. after seed germinates i would transplant the young seedling in a one gallon black plastic nursery pot.(cut and tape sides for easier removal later on)
grow it daily under a grow light positioned a couple inches above the leaves.(on 14 hrs a day off 10)--- if you place the light source to high above the leaves the plant will get to leggy.
after 10 days of this id start putting the pot in the garage or any other cool place every night to harden it off.then back under the grow light during the day.

by may 1st to the 5th you should have a nice stocky 4 to 5 leaf seedling to place in your garden.

pap

3/7/2009 8:08:06 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

I'll add to Pap (if he'll let me)

I line my gallon cutaway pots with 1-2 sheets of plain newspaper (no color, just the black print). Then right before planting pull off any newspaper sticking over dirt line of pot(usually comes right off) and plant the rootball with the newspaper on it. It dissolves in the ground very quickly yet protects those tender roots during transplant.

It's very cheap and helped to prevent the roots from being disturbed. Peat pots don't always break down or break down fast enough for my liking. My .0000002 cents worth ...

3/7/2009 10:25:00 AM

Bloomington, IN

In my climate it seems peat pots take about 2 years to disappear completely.

3/7/2009 12:46:43 PM

Long Island,New York

I would put it in the ground 15 ft from the competition plants future plant spot....innoculate the early plant and the comp plant with myco.....then let the Comp plant grow into myco ready soil....might save a couple weeks if the comp plant doesn't have to wait for myco spores to develope.....

3/7/2009 2:04:00 PM

norway , maine

thank you everybody.
pap - im gonna try that with 1 of my 3 plants and see how it works out.
okiegal- last year i grew some crap prize winner hybrids and germed in peat pots and had a tough time transplanting,i had seen a couple cutaway pots pap mentioned in some of the grower diaries and had planned on using that method the newspaper sounds good too.also i am growing that 616 bosworth....man i want one of those freaky green space pumpkins. i realize it probably wont happen .

3/7/2009 7:48:45 PM

norway , maine

lipumpkin- i planned on using mycor ..i didnt realize it could be done like that ,but it sounds good. i really need to learn alot more about soil,soil ammendments,ferts and pestisides.
thanks again everybody

3/7/2009 7:59:23 PM