No Wintersowing for me this year. This year I tried a different method. On feb. 10th.. I chose to start my seeds indoors. I only have acess to a north window. I used my portable greenhouse (48"tallx36"widex24"wide)as a grow room! Complete with two 24" Florescent Light only 20w ,a fan, 4 flats x 9 cellpacks, and a pan of water for humidity! I went out and bought a temp/humidity meter! I have kept temp. at 70-74 degrees and humidity at 55-70 percent. I have had good germination rate. Some cells had more than one plant so I moved those to fill all the cells. Some of the plants are getting very big and I have started pinching them back.
Heres are some of the plant I have growing and there size....I have added some notes!

Morning Glories 10-12" (just pinched back)(growing like mad)
Rose Mallow 5-6" (some pinched)(growing nice)
Impatients 3-4 inches (very nice plants)
Salvia (3 kinds) 2-3" (a bit wobbly)
Coleus 2" (lots of red color in leaf already)
Verbena 2" (Growing slow but surely)
Nicotiana 2" (Growing slow but surely)
Zinna Mixed 3-4" (kinda Leggy)
Zinnia CandyCane 3-4" (kinda Leggy)
Birds eye 2" (this one grows wierd...why?)
Cosmos 4-5" (pinched back)(kinda leggy)
Purple coneflower 1" (I started this one later)

I am guessing the ones growing leggy are due to the low light level.

My plans for the future is....To keep pinching them back til it warms a bit more...Around april 7th I hope to move them outside on the north side of the house. At night I will keep the house zipped tight to keep them warm. Daytime open time will depending on weather. And as the weather warm the more air I will give them and eventually harden off! Hope to have them in ground or container by april 23rd...my birthday!

I am open to any advice or questions and plan to learn from this experience...thanks wayne


Wayne Thompson
North Tonawanda,NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

How high above your plants are your lights? 2 inches is what is recommended so you can raise short ones with something under them to even out the distance to the lights over the taller ones.

Growing from seed is so rewarding and fun.

Forum Editing Tech
Zone 5b

Well, maybe for those of you who can do so successfully, Ruth Ann, but for me, it is sheer torture. I am not a good seed mama.

USDA Zone 7/8
Copper Canyon
North Central Texas

Wayne, sounds like your way ahead of me. I have tomatoes, watermelon, eggplant, morning glories, etc. all about 2 inches high, indoors, under a grow light. What kind of heater do you have in the portable greenhouse?

Ruth Ann, I agree - growing from seed is SO rewarding. And thanks for the info regarding the 2 inches _ didn't realize that and will have to put something under my seedlings so they are closer to the light.

Carrie - I know what you mean. Seeds are tough and sometimes frustrating. But oh, when they finally DO germinate...

Kathy
USDA Zone 5
Connecticut

Carrie, it took me getting to 55 years of age to learn how to do seeds successfully!!

Forum Editing Tech
Zone 5b

You're way ahead of me too Wayne and it sounds like they all are growing great for you.
I haven't started one seed yet and probably won't till I start the GH up April 1st. I have a light setup in the GH and will start all my annuals there.

Terry
Woodsville,NH
zone 4a

I'm starting very few annuals this year. Some tomatoes for the garden, some cassia plants, white justicia, and datura are about it.....I'm sure there are others, but many of the hot weather plants do just as well seeded directly in the ground, for me.

ChSam (Shirley Morr)
Chariton, Iowa
Zone 5

That is what I am doing today, Shirley --- sowing in the ground. That is really the ONLY way I have success.

USDA Zone 7/8
Copper Canyon
North Central Texas