Comments on: Inside and out… http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/ Daily photo-journal of organic market gardening: growing local food with two acres and some tools...! Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:24:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Sara http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-22433 Sara Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:47:03 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-22433 Thanks for the info! I'm in CT so I'm attempting some long day red onions. They've only been planted for 6 days, so hopefully it's still early enough to reduce their light intake. They sprouted two days ago... and that's when it occurred to me they were probably getting too much light! I have all my different seedlings in one tray, so I think I'm going to build a shade to cover just the onions for several extra hours of darkness... we'll see how it goes! This is my first time with onions from seed too. Thanks for the info! I’m in CT so I’m attempting some long day red onions. They’ve only been planted for 6 days, so hopefully it’s still early enough to reduce their light intake. They sprouted two days ago… and that’s when it occurred to me they were probably getting too much light! I have all my different seedlings in one tray, so I think I’m going to build a shade to cover just the onions for several extra hours of darkness… we’ll see how it goes! This is my first time with onions from seed too.

]]> By: Mike (tfb) http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-22353 Mike (tfb) Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:06:51 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-22353 <b>Sara:</b> A good question! I keep my lights on for 14-16 hours for the veggies I start, but onions are very day-length sensitive, and if bulbing is triggered too early, which can apparently happen even to small seedlings, you'll only get very tiny bulbs, like, marble-sized. You should be growing either short-day varieties (11-12 hours sun) if you're in the south, or intermediate or long-day (12-16 hours) the further north you are (Northern Hemisphere). And for the seedlings, you should keep the artificial light well below the trigger level, so depending on the variety, only 10-12 hours. If you've already left them too long, you may want to take a chance on planting them out, but I dunno. I've found that there's quite a bit of latitude when it comes to what plants will do when compared with the various advice and instructions you get, but in this case, I don't have any direct experience with how strict this rule is! I'll find out for myself, because my earliest starts were left under for long days for a couple of weeks, until I pulled them out (this is my first year of growing onions from seed). You can find out how I did later in the season! Sara: A good question! I keep my lights on for 14-16 hours for the veggies I start, but onions are very day-length sensitive, and if bulbing is triggered too early, which can apparently happen even to small seedlings, you’ll only get very tiny bulbs, like, marble-sized. You should be growing either short-day varieties (11-12 hours sun) if you’re in the south, or intermediate or long-day (12-16 hours) the further north you are (Northern Hemisphere). And for the seedlings, you should keep the artificial light well below the trigger level, so depending on the variety, only 10-12 hours. If you’ve already left them too long, you may want to take a chance on planting them out, but I dunno. I’ve found that there’s quite a bit of latitude when it comes to what plants will do when compared with the various advice and instructions you get, but in this case, I don’t have any direct experience with how strict this rule is! I’ll find out for myself, because my earliest starts were left under for long days for a couple of weeks, until I pulled them out (this is my first year of growing onions from seed). You can find out how I did later in the season!

]]> By: Sara http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-22344 Sara Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:14:45 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-22344 Looking good! How long do you leave the grow lights on for the onions? I just planted mine but I read they shouldn't stay under the grow lights for too many hours. My tomatoes & peppers are on for 16 hours. Too much for the onions? Looking good! How long do you leave the grow lights on for the onions? I just planted mine but I read they shouldn’t stay under the grow lights for too many hours. My tomatoes & peppers are on for 16 hours. Too much for the onions?

]]> By: Mike (tfb) http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-21195 Mike (tfb) Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:55:16 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-21195 <b>cathy:</b> It could be my imagination, or anxiousness for things to warm up in general, but I'm also finding the peppers and eggplant seem to be taking a long time to germinate. In the 72-cell sheets, 4-5 came up, and then it's been 3-4 days now and only a few more are appearing. This is across all varieties...except the Gypsy peppers. Well, maybe it's the moon... We'll see in a few more days... <b>Steve:</b> Well, the early lettuce (which turned out to be started a month too early) and arugula are out in the greenhouse, but it's been going down to 5-10°F many nights recently, and the lettuce is taking a bit of a beating. It's not worth trying to heat when it's down to 10... other than a few salad greens, there's no space to plant any real production quantity. But I'm not running out of indoor space just yet... cathy: It could be my imagination, or anxiousness for things to warm up in general, but I’m also finding the peppers and eggplant seem to be taking a long time to germinate. In the 72-cell sheets, 4-5 came up, and then it’s been 3-4 days now and only a few more are appearing. This is across all varieties…except the Gypsy peppers. Well, maybe it’s the moon… We’ll see in a few more days…

Steve: Well, the early lettuce (which turned out to be started a month too early) and arugula are out in the greenhouse, but it’s been going down to 5-10°F many nights recently, and the lettuce is taking a bit of a beating. It’s not worth trying to heat when it’s down to 10… other than a few salad greens, there’s no space to plant any real production quantity. But I’m not running out of indoor space just yet…

]]> By: Exuberant Lady http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-21115 Exuberant Lady Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:49:21 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-21115 what a beautiful sight! especially with winter still reigning outdoors. Back in the 20s today in Minnesota, with snow cover hanging on. Nothing like what you've been getting! i feel such gratitude to my own green and growing things under lights. nothing nicer than being greeted by their vitality on a (still!) winter morning. what a beautiful sight! especially with winter still reigning outdoors. Back in the 20s today in Minnesota, with snow cover hanging on. Nothing like what you’ve been getting!

i feel such gratitude to my own green and growing things under lights. nothing nicer than being greeted by their vitality on a (still!) winter morning.

]]> By: Steve Mudge http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-21055 Steve Mudge Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:20:09 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-21055 Amazing its still snowing so much...but you can plant up the greenhouse if need be? Some of those tray plants must be getting pretty big now! Amazing its still snowing so much…but you can plant up the greenhouse if need be? Some of those tray plants must be getting pretty big now!

]]> By: cathy http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-21052 cathy Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:01:41 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2008/03/25/inside-and-out/#comment-21052 beautiful picture of the snowy scene i feel that i am behind on my plantings this year....the peppers are slow to germinate .....i saved all my heritage tomato seeds ...they are doing well. beautiful picture of the snowy scene

i feel that i am behind on my plantings this year….the peppers are slow to germinate …..i saved all my heritage tomato seeds …they are doing well.

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