Adam I am anxious to get going but that's what everyone tells me on fb. They said by end of January its to late.
I only bought 250 seeds. Now I'm wondering if that's enough to use a 1020 for. Or if I should order another packet of seeds. Or maybe find something similar to those baskets lori used. Although I don't have a soil block maker.
from google seem your right. i have bunching onions, which should be start at 6 weeks. 250 seedlings will takeup alot of space! how many grow lights do you have!
I have one 4 ft right now. I'm ordering another by the time I plant peppers and tomatoes. I built a grow shelf yesterday where it has 3 shelfs and the lights hang above then.
250 seeds is a good number of onions. IF they all germinate. how far apart do you need to plant your variety? multiply that by the number of plants you have to see how much of a row or how many rows you will need to plant up. usually a packet of seed is enough to plant a 50' row. then again 250 seeds isn't much if they don't germinate well. I would get another packet. its easier to share them or compost them than to wish you had more.
I believe my packet says 250 seeds will do a 12 foot row or make 140 plants. Would that make sense or am I looking at something wrong? What about watering them? I always bottom water my tomatoes and peppers. But I won't be able to do that with using the tray? What about just keep the soil damp with a spray bottle?
bad idea. you need to get all the soil wet, so with a spray bottle, it might LOOK like its wet, be really its just the top layer thats wet and the bottom half of the cup is always dry. bottom watering is better because its easyer to see when the cups are fully watered ( you see the top soil go dark) top watering is just fine, but its harder to know how much to water...
btw... if each onion is spaced 3" on center(1.5" of space on each side) that makes a 17 feet row. some maths tells me that ~96 onions will fit in a 12foot row ( spaced 3" on center ). and thats alot of onions man. almost enough for a year for 1 person. (unless your like me and put onion on everything )
i'm looking this up for my own education and ill post what i find here so that anyone can correct me if i'm wrong if you cure your onions they will last 3-4 months. ( lets say 3 because probably you wont have the most optimal long term storage ) so 100 onions feels like just the right amount to grow. assuming you can eat ~7 onions a week ( which feels just about right ya thats totaly fine, it just makes it a little harder to water/feed. with bottom water you can over water, and then when you see the tops are moist, and you throw out the extra water from the tray with top water you have to be more carefull, and try not to over water / under water. but its really not that hard and it's not like your plants will die because you didn't give them the exact amount of water needed. last year i did bottom water at first, then i started others in a big flat that i just top watered as needed. i think we over thing these things.... its not an exact science and the plants will do just fine as long as you don't totally forget them
Brian you can start them in a 1020 seed tray and on top of the fridge is good. When they germinate put them under the lights. They will germinate under lights if the temperature is between 20 to 24 Celsius. Once they get to 3 leaves, you can transplant them about 2 to 3 cm apart into deeper pots and in April plant them out 10 to 15 cm apart.
