Small Seeds! seed starting help

[DGBAMA]

my first seeds arrived in the mail today, WOW I cannot beleive how small they are.

My thoughts for starting them are to use the 9x9 foil cooking pans that come with the clear plastic covers. A mix of vermiculite and potting soil to sprinkle the seeds onto. Can use one pan for each variety since they are pretty cheap. Then transplanting to 72 cell starting trays after they get the first set of leaves. Seems this would eliminate trying to seed the cells individually and the possibility of having one cell with 4 starts and the one beside it with none if germination is erratic. Am I on the right track here or am I missing something other than I will have one extra transplant compared to trying to start the seeds in the individual cells right from the get-go?

 

[Randy]

I use those k-cups the ones flavored coffee come in to germinate. But like your idea of 9x9 pans

Randy

 

[Aaron]

I'm sure that would work just fine. Last year I put 3 seeds in each cell and just thinned out the extras. For me it was easier to separate out a few seeds at a time than to transplant the sprouts into trays. That and I figure the less I have to disturb them the less chance of me killing them.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

One way to do it if you don't want to waste a single seed is to wet a paper towel and sprinkle just enough seeds as you want on it then place paper towel in a zip lock, seal it and place somewhere warm. Once the seeds crack use tweezers to move each individual seed to soil. Easy to see the tiny seeds on the white paper towel.

 

[DonH]

BigBonner germinates the seeds by mixing seeds with moist starter medium in a sealed glass jar until they germinate and then moves them to trays. He put a picture of it somewhere on the forum. That method avoids the problem of trying to handle the small seeds.

 

[DGBAMA]

I use those k-cups the ones flavored coffee come in to germinate. But like your idea of 9x9 pans

Randy

Thank you. I have found some locally that are intended to be "disposable covered dish" baking pans, so they come with a clear plastic lid (humidifier?) just like the expensive seed starting trays. Bulk starting just seems like it will simplify the seeding process a lot and at 3/4 - 1" tall they should pretty much have just a straight "taproot". Theory is gently pull straight up to remove a start from the pan; putting in the individual cells should be easy too, just make a hole with an ink pen or small dowel, lower in the seedling, and lightly fill soil in around it. Know right out of the gate that each cell gets to start with a healthy seedling in it.

I welcome everyone's thoughts and advise here. I am a lifelong gardner but this is my first year of tobacco. Don't want to screw something up early and wind up on the sidelines for the rest of the growing season because I started off badly or too late.

 

[BarG]

I'm sure that would work just fine. Last year I put 3 seeds in each cell and just thinned out the extras. For me it was easier to separate out a few seeds at a time than to transplant the sprouts into trays. That and I figure the less I have to disturb them the less chance of me killing them.

Any seeds I have abundant supply are plantinting directly into grow cell, cup, or container to avoid extra labor transplanting with several seeds per. [I used a piece of plastic tab tapered on the end and scooped a few and dribbled a few in each cell. Varietys with limited amount are being planted the same with just 2 or three seeds per cell. They can still be trans planted when they break the outer seed pod , thinned or replanted if germination fails. I had 2 seed starting failures last year ;

1- Bonners method worked great till I screwed it up by addind a miniscule amount of liquid fertilizer to misting bottle . I had to wait another year to try growing Ct. Shade leaf

2- Fungus gnats invaded all my seed starting containers and there tiny eggs turned into tiny larvae that demolished my second attempt.

I still started over and managed a good crop.

This year I sprayed an insecticide [Gnat killer shit] on the surrounding area and a light coat on my seed trays full of starting mix [ miracle grow] before placing seeds.

As soon as I built my new green house I noticed flys and fungus gnats adopting as new home, not now after a little hindsight.

 

[DGBAMA]

Not sure this would even work, due to the size of tobacco seeds, but has anyone tried one for seed starting? We used to have one for growing alfalfa sprouts for salads. Possibly would keep the seeds too wet? Just a dumb idea that I remembered from when I was small. Probably doesn't apply here but figured I'd ask.

http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/hometown-seeds-3-tray-kitchen-seed-sprouter-review-and-giveaway/

 

[BarG]

I think temperature and moisture are key to sprouting most seeds. The tobacco seedling is so small it is barely visible when it sprouts. If it drys out at any time it will shrivel and die. Cover your seeds with something till sprouted to block most light and maintain moist soil till sprouted .

 

[Randy]

Thanks BarG, that good {simple} advice!! One of the 5-key things my granpa just to say:1 "good woman" 2 "good smoke" 3 "good beer" 4 "good dog"
5 "good advice"

Randy

 

[BigBonner]

Another method I use
To add one seed at a time . I use a tooth pick with a tiny piece of wet napkin or paper towel . One white paper plate . Pour a few seed on the plate , shake plate to scatter the seeds . Take the tooth pick and place a small piece of the wet paper towel on the tip . Touch the wet paper to one seed and take finger nail and rake it off the tooth pick .Keep moist and don't cover with soil . A dusting may be ok but covering tobacco seeds with too much soil and they will not grow .
Remember you will not get 100% germination . So add extra pots for the plant loss .

 

[DGBAMA]

ok. so picked up a couple 72 cell starting trays today, but couldn't decide on a soil. They had a "starting mix" which felt super light in the bag, said it contained pearlite, vermiculite & peat; not sure if this would have the required nutrients or how well it would hold water. Also "potting mix" which was very fine, and contained peat, vermiculite, and a time release fertilizer. Is one to be preferred over the other?

 

[indianjoe]

mix a good potting soil 50/50 with peat moss. Wet it good after filling starting pots. Sprinkle seeds over surface, rewet with spray, cover with light clear plastic cover. Place in warm area, keep moist, when you see sprouts, place them in light.

 

[skychaser]

Either of those will probably work fine. I use a fine starting mix made by a local nursery. It is well composted bark and saw dust mixed with peat. I hate pearlite because it floats and becomes a pain in the ass when dividing. The time released fertilizer isn't necessary but won't hurt. If you use it, don't fertilize the seedlings. It will give them all they need.

I start all my plants in 72 cell trays. I put 2-3 seeds in each hole (often more due to shaky hands) and thin to 1 plant in each. I mist the seeds every day or two and cover the trays with a dome or sheet of plastic. Leave a corner propped up to allow some air flow. As soon as they sprout, I remove the plastic and move them into full light. I water from the bottom up by setting the tray into another tray without holes, filled an inch deep with water for about 1/2 hour. I water only when the soil on top first starts to show signs of drying.

Tobacco seedlings are very easy to divide too. Wait until they have at least 4-6 leaves, then carefully pop them out of the six pack and gently wash away the soil from the roots in a small bowl of water. (this is where the floating pearlite pisses you off) Re-pot the bare root seedling into another pot or into any vacant holes. Water them in well and put them out of direct sun for a couple days. They won't even wilt or know they were transplanted.

 

[Boboro]

The new growers should start a few gust to get a feel for it.

 

[DGBAMA]

The new growers should start a few gust to get a feel for it.

i am a good few weeks from actual starting time but that was my plan, just to get feet wet and test germination rate of my seeds.

 

[DGBAMA]

Either of those will probably work fine. I use a fine starting mix made by a local nursery. It is well composted bark and saw dust mixed with peat. I hate pearlite because it floats and becomes a pain in the ass when dividing. The time released fertilizer isn't necessary but won't hurt. If you use it, don't fertilize the seedlings. It will give them all they need.

I start all my plants in 72 cell trays. I put 2-3 seeds in each hole (often more due to shaky hands) and thin to 1 plant in each. I mist the seeds every day or two and cover the trays with a dome or sheet of plastic. Leave a corner propped up to allow some air flow. As soon as they sprout, I remove the plastic and move them into full light. I water from the bottom up by setting the tray into another tray without holes, filled an inch deep with water for about 1/2 hour. I water only when the soil on top first starts to show signs of drying.

Tobacco seedlings are very easy to divide too. Wait until they have at least 4-6 leaves, then carefully pop them out of the six pack and gently wash away the soil from the roots in a small bowl of water. (this is where the floating pearlite pisses you off) Re-pot the bare root seedling into another pot or into any vacant holes. Water them in well and put them out of direct sun for a couple days. They won't even wilt or know they were transplanted.

thank you. the trays I bought have both a dome and a sealed "watering tray" to place underneath. Figure I can use drinking straws in the corners to support the dome/cover and allow for airflow when they are small without loosing all the moisture from the soil too quickly.

 

[johnlee1933]

thank you. the trays I bought have both a dome and a sealed "watering tray" to place underneath. Figure I can use drinking straws in the corners to support the dome/cover and allow for airflow when they are small without loosing all the moisture from the soil too quickly.

Keep a close eye on them when they are damp like that. Mold is a real possibility. If they start to mold take the cover off and add a gentle air flow for a while.-·-

 

[Chicken]

the fool proof way ive found to start them with 100 % sucess is this,

. i put regular potting soil in the strating trays, then i line the top of that with a solid inch of VERMICULITE,,, and i put the seeds in a saucer, and use a moist q-tip, to gather 5 -8 seeds, and tap. the q-tip on the sides of the '' square'' depositing the seeds,

and then i just regularlly mist each square, and they a GROW<=====

 

[docfitch1]

I think temperature and moisture are key to sprouting most seeds. The tobacco seedling is so small it is barely visible when it sprouts. If it drys out at any time it will shrivel and die. Cover your seeds with something till sprouted to block most light and maintain moist soil till sprouted .

"block most light"? Usually with very small seeds, they need direct sunlight to germinate.