Well... today is the day!
I was able to clean off some room by the window in the little room off the kitchen to make room for my seeds. I had to move some large overwintering geraniums, and hope they fair well in their new spot.

I had some difficulty in taking pictures in front of the bright window. I tweaked the photos online so you can hopefully see them better. This double window gets NorthWestern exposure - very late afternoon setting sun, but is bright most of the day. The only drawback, is that one of the windows slipped in its casing, so it's pretty cold in that room. I'm hoping the seeds will be ok as it warms up a bit - it's supposed to be mid 60's by Friday - YEA!!!

Also, still need a good way to label which seeds are in which pellets. I usually end up turning the containers around when they have sprouts in them to strengthen the stems, and if I mix seeds in containers, I need to know where which seeds are...

Any good suggestions?

wow are you going to be busy, post some pics when they start to sprout..
good luck...
penny

Duct Tape!!!!

No seriously, duct tape the containers,
take a permenant black/red marker and put
on it what seedlings they are..

then next year, or next seeding, either more duct tape on top, put a piece of paper with some scotch tape and keep pulling that paper off the duct tape..

But great looking set up you got going on there, Lynne!!!

That looks like a good set up you have going...as far as labeling them...????? Unless you plan to move the pellet pots around (inside there containers), you could stick a label on the container, showing what is planted where in each tray, like a diagram. I will be interested to see what you come up with.

See - I knew you geniuses would come up with something - so simple yet it completely eluded my tired brain. I think I'll use masking tape - doesn't have the adhesive that's hard to get off like duct tape, and I can write on it easily with a permanent marker.

I had been using popsicle sticks in previous years, but they usually ended up falling in the water and the ink would run on them, so I'd have no idea unless I remembered what the seedlings looked like.

Thanks again!

Now, if I could just get myself into using
that method...
My trays are flat, and I can't get tape on them,
unless, I pick them up and check the bottom..

I usually know what they are, once they sprout,
I've got a good eye for them, but sometimes
when I try a few new items, I'm stumped..
or confused.. :rolleyes:

I like the idea of a map. That way all I'd have to do is number the containers and possible put different colored tab dividers like you use in notebooks to tell the difference between front and back so when you rotated them you would still know where everthing was in relation to your map.

Hope that made sense. Sometimes I know I don't.

ooooh - liking the tab idea too, Tammy - thanks!

your very welcome loz. I too am looking forward to any and all pictures. I'm trying to get pictures but it isn't always easy. One at a time I'll work at it.

wow!!! those are like too cool

great job

Great pictures, Lynne! Thanks for showing me that I can keep my clutter organized...

I will be starting seeds soon...

Dianna

When I planted my seeds last weekend, I noticed that the new peat pellets are messier too!!

I think it's cause the roots looked like they were being strangled by the netting before...
I don't like those things...
They are tooooooo compacted for my liking of seed starting...

Lynne, do you have good success with them??
Very curious???

I'm with you weezie I don't like those pellet pots or the peat pots either. I recycle so many containers, and have alot of regular seeds flats I saved from a nursey dumpster years ago...some have duct tape holding them together now, but they can last for years. But the way I do it requires a little more work, then using those 'cute' little pellet pots.

I don't buy the pellets because they are "cute".
I usually do have great success with them, they are very convenient, and I can start and replant them easily.

One year I did not have much luck, but attribute that to the fact that I had trouble finding them and had to use a different brand.

That's a nice set-up Lynne!!!

I'm not crazy about the pellets or peat pots myself. They dry out too fast for me.....seems like I water them and a few hours later they are totally dry again.

I usually use the little cell pack trays with the domes.....

But we all have our preferred way!!!!

Great set up Lynne! Looks like you have come a long way in getting that room cleared and ready for your seeds! Looking forward to seeing green soon!

wow that looks excellent lynne! you've inspired me to clean up my room and get me an area started thanks!

Thanks all!

As loz said... different strokes for different folks, right? Whatever works best for you, is what you should use for anything, seed starting included. I also like the pellets, because if one is not producing a plant, or gets a problem, I can easily remove it from the container and pop in another.I always re-use the peat in my garden if the pellet has failed, so I'm not wasting anything either.

One good thing I will say about the pellets and peat pots is that they make for easy transplanting!

That's a good thing ......when I tried them before I cut the bottom out of the pots and the netting on the pellets before I planted them....just so the roots can get out better.

loz - I always removed the netting before planting - it doesn't seem to be as biodegradable as they'd like to think, and I don't want to restrict the roots in any way if I can help it.

That's also why I like the pellets better than the pots - the netting comes off very easily, the pots are kinda dense!

The first year I tried the pots I went around pulling up plants at the end of the summer...and lo and behold----the pots hadn't decomposed at all...it was still a solid pot..bottom and all....the second year I learned and cut the bottoms out...

The netting does come off easily on the pellets....If I had to pick between the 2 it would be the pellets definitely!!!

I think in either case I would take off what is on the outside, just from reading what you all are writing. Last year I did nothing and left both on. Everything grew ok, but I bet they would have done better without. This year I have a lil of everything going as well.

I experienced the samething as loz did with the peat pots, at the end of the season the peat pots were still intact. So If I had to choose between the peat pot and the pellets, I would chose the pellets, I have used them but also have the same problem with keeping them moist enough. They do look good in those white containers!

You know, the concept of those peat pots
and jiffy pellets are for gardeners' to transplant plants with out disturbing the roots...

But I can not help myself by removing all of that stuff too, and I feel like I'm doing a point moot, but removing it...

Has anyone ever done a test/experiment where you leave some on and some off and see which ones' do better if either or!!!??!?!?!?!!?!!?

Just wondering...

Weezie - in my limited experience...
all the ones where I've left the netting on did not develop to their full potential.
I really think it restricts the root growth.

Thought I'd update on my progress this morning.
I took TK's idea of using colored tabs, but used some small stickers I had instead
and put them on the outside of the containers. One for each pellet.


I then recorded the stickers and corresponding plants in my new garden journal - I'm hoping to keep writing this time - I usually don't have the patience for that, but am determined this time!
I wrote the name of the plant, where I got the seeds, what year they were from, and how many I put in each pellet. I'm hoping to also write how long they took to germinate.


Here are some of the containers with lids on, ready to start those babies!


I hope this is as helpful to you, as it is for me.
Keeping it all here willl help me in the future.

Oooops - meant to tell you what I started so far today.

Catalpa Tree
Blue Columbine
Clematis Sweet Autumn
Butterfly Weed
Nasturtium Dwarf Jewel
Blue Flax
Baby Blue Eyes
Blue Pimpernell
Orange Dwarf Zinnia
Pink Dwarf Zinnia

I also potted up some wonder egg seeds in a 4" pot,
and some sensitive plant seeds in a 4" pot.

Great Job Lynne,

I love the sticker idea. How perfect. Organized and pretty now that's a match just made for the indoor seed starting garden. Way to Go. I'll have to put a note about that im my journal.

I'm finding that if I put my posts in the seed starting string in my personal journal I have most days covered. Then I just add personal notes about different things to it and I'm all done. Then I highlight those things that I will want to know when I start next year. Or things that need to be checked on a certain day. Like remembering to take cuttings for Miss Jamie after my caladiva finishes blooming. It's working great so far and I started shortly after New Years Day.

That is VERY NICE Lynne!!! I gotta job for you!!)

That looks really nice..
***I always start out with good intentions,
then the kids and mother and the neighbors, etc. etc. etc, alllllllwaaaaaayyyyyyyyyssssss have other ideas for me... :rolleyes:

Nice job, looks really good, I just had to say that again, cause it is.....

I love the sticker idea..very colorful and also very attractive. I too have started a garden journal, and am trying to record everything in it...Good luck on keeping up with it!

Great idea, again Tammy! Keeping in your journal what you write here - a very good way to be able to look back at what's happened.

Thanks Weezie and Comfrey - I'm trying to be organized, and since I don't want an entire 8 pellet container of most things, I needed to find a way to keep track of things. Hopefully this will work.

Looks really good Lynne. I am already falling behind in my journaling. I need an easier system or something.

Thanks for reminding me by showing your journal, it reminded me to record some stuff in mine!