Growing Spring Vegetables from Seed

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Growing Spring Vegetables from Seed

• Gerard Ballanco, M.D.
• St Tammany Master Gardener
• LSU AgCenter

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May
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Why Grow from Seeds

• Variety selection
• Care of plant from germination
• Timing of transplant to garden
• Sharing
• Fun
• Economical ?

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Variety Selection

• LSU Dept of Agriculture recommendations
• Heirloom seeds, local recommendations
• Commercial seed packets feed and seed store bulk
  seed
• Experiment with different varieties
• Saved seeds from open pollinated varieties
• Seed Exchange and swapping
• Seed quality testing germination percentage

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Steps To Germination

• Imbibition of water.
• Digestion and translocation.
• Germination (root primordia breaks seed coat).
• Slide from Texas ag center

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Seeding Indoor or Outdoor

• Indoor tomatoes, peppers, eggplants
• Outdoor beans, peas, beets, carrots, greens,
  corn
• Either cucurbits, broccoli, cabbage,
  cauliflower, lettuce, herbs, onions

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Planting Seeds Indoors or Out

• Light germinating seed dark germinating seed
• Presoaking, Scarification, Stratification
• Seed packet directions
• Plant as early as possible fewer bugs, generally
  friendlier environment to spring vegetables

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Germination Media

• Compressed peat wafers
• Commercial mixtures and kits
• Peat based
• Coconut fiber based
• Home made mixtures
• Sterile soil mixtures
• Germination vs growth media

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Medias for Seed and Cuttings
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Germination Environment

• Moisture
• Maintaining appropriate humidity
• Temperature
• Ambient /- mats
• Light
• Natural vs artificial

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Seeding Indoors

• Determine preferred plant date and go back six to
  eight weeks to plant seeds indoors (Average last
  frost zone 8 in St Tammany Parish
• is March 18)
• Containers
• Moisture, light, temperature
• How many plants of how many varieties
• Soak seeds appropriately

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Seeding Indoors

• Put seeds into germination medium, add milled
  sphagnum moss to cover to appropriate depth
• Scatter seeds vs accurately spacing
• Cover to retain moisture
• Keep moist and warm /- light
• Germination will occur in several days to weeks

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Planting Seeds Indoors or Out

• General rule seed planting depth should be three
  times the seed width. Seed packet.
• Check for light or dark germination
• Seed spacing techniques
• Packet instructions
• Care when seeding
• Dilute small seeds with sand or dead seeds
• Aggressive thinning

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Seeding Indoors 1/17
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Seeding Indoors
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Seeding Indoors
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Seeding Indoors
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Heat Mat
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Seed Leaves 1/21
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Seed Leaves 1/21
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Lighting

• Critical after germination
• Use fluorescent grow bulbs or combination of grow
  bulbs and sunlight bulbs. Natural sunlight
  difficult window, cold frame
• Keep this kind of artificial light source 2-3
  inches above top leaves of plant
• Sixteen to eighteen hours of light per day
• Use a timer for ease and consistency

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Seedling Care
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Seedling Care 2/2
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Seedling Care
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Proper Method for Handling Seedlings
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Get Your Soil Tested

• Get your soil tested
• Get your soil tested
• Get your soil tested
• Get your soil tested
• Get your soil tested
• Get your soil tested
• Get your soil tested

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Row Preparation

• Till and ammend soil and make rows about a month
  before planting in garden get soil test if none
  within two years
• Remove weeds from the rows and keep weed free
• Loosen soil a day or two before transplant day

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After Germination Indoors

• After germination, /- remove plastic cover
• Fertilize with weak, balanced solution
• Monitor distance from light daily
• May need to mist plants fan
• Transplant to garden or larger container if roots
  reach edge of wafer (container) or more than four
  true leaves grow

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Transplanting Outdoors

• Harden off over a 7-10 day period
• Place in shade or dappled light for 2 days, then
  gradually increase sun exposure continue indoors
  at night with lights, decreasing one hour per
  night.
• Start with exposure to morning sun or dappled
  light

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Transplanting Outdoors

• Hardening off cont
• Gradually decrease water to plants
• Keep outside overnight for 1-2 nights before
  transplanting (no frost)
• Water at transplant and protect from bright
  sunlight for a day or so, if needed
• Caution direct, hot, western sun is poorly
  tolerated by plants in small cells or pots

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Transplanting Outdoors

• Spacing
• Transplant solution, fish emulsion, and/or
  seaweed spray
• Row covers
• Stake, cage, trellis, or pole
• Cut worm collars

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Resources

• Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide by LSU
  AgCenter, available online
• Louisiana Home Vegetable Gardening by LSU
  AgCenter ( 20.00)
• Individual information sheets on particular
  vegetables Vegetable gardening hints and/or
  Vegetable gardening tips online at LSU AgCenter