How early do you start plants in AG for the summer?

[bluetech]

I got the seed starter tray and I wanted to try a few plants, how many months in advance or weeks do you guys start your plants before transferring them to outdoors for the spring/summer season? I know it will vary from plant to plants but just looking for a rough ballpark.

[maskedsonnet]

I don't generally garden outdoors anymore, but my Dad started his peppers and tomatoes at the start of this month. He's in Texas, though, and will be able to start transplanting outside in mid-April. I'd say for nice, strong plants you want to start seeds indoors about a month to a month and a half before it's safe to put them outdoors. He also moves the sprouts from the seed tray into cow pots to get bigger indoors before taking them outside, so it's going to depend on how large you want the plant to be before you take them outside. He's always got good-sized plants by the time he's ready to go outdoors, a tad bigger than the size of the starter plants you'd buy at a store.

[LoveSalads]

I second maskedsonnet reply. Usually for cherry tomatoes in 30 days you can have flowers. Peppers take longer usually just because they seem to germinate slower for me. After 10-14 days I transplant to 32oz or 44oz cups with potting soil. within 30-45 days of planting in the seed starter they can be outside and growing. Back up your last frost date by 30-45 days and start then. I transplant mine to cups because the roots will get very tangled in the seed starter tray if the plants get to big. I am starting stuff this weekend for the summer and my last frost date is may10th. I may be jumping the gun abit . 

[bluetech]

I'm a bit nervous to try this cause I want to get the timing just right, so when moved to soil, I assume you just let them hang out around the AG to suck up the light. Then when they go outside do these have to be hardened off, 7 days of shade or something? (The date I'm getting is the 10th of May also)

[lynnee]

The official AG blog says (or used to say) that you should harden off your transplants before moving them outdoors.

I ignore this advice, and am very blase about transplanting AG seedlings. I just remove the seedling from the deck, and stick it in a pot filled with Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. Then I put the pot on the display rack pictured in my avatar, and water the heck out of the plant for about three days. That way the seedlings transition well from growing in water to growing in soil.

Probably horticulturists and serious gardeners all cringe at my rough handling of the poor transplants, but they do okay. The potting mix has fertilizer in it, which is probably the secret of my success. That, and the plants' will to live.

[swimmom500]

I do the same thing. I transplanted some tomatoes to my Earthboxes and cukes to my raised beds yesterday. Going to plant more today. I was worried since it was windy but they are all fine!

[slw]

I also don't bother hardening off seedlings; they just go from the AG seed starter directly to the raised beds.  I almost waited too long this year; I had a "root overgrowth" problem and it really turned me off the seed starter trays.  I have much better results by starting seeds in the old-fashioned seed-starter trays filled with potting soil under a grow light.  (Y'all know I am a "lazy gardener."  )

[maskedsonnet]

Dad doesn't harden off his plants either. From the AG to the pots they sit under grow lights until the weather's okay to plant in. Then they go from under the growlights into the ground where he's going them with no transition/shade period

[bluetech]

Trial by fire for the seedlings! lol, I will try the same then 

[Shawn]

I do not plant at all outside so I am of no help LOL

[bluetech]

So I took 4 tomato plants out of the AG and potted them, watered heavily and put them around the AG to soak up the light (still cold outside here) been about 3 days and their leaves are curling in, soil is pretty drenched, I can't water them anymore really, I did it the first day and second. Anyone else see this before? Not sure if this is a normal part of the adapting to soil process.

[LoveSalads]

I am under the assumption these are seedlings not fully developed plants.
If the roots remained intact, you used potting soil not garden soil, your plant has good drainage so it doesn't drown. You should be ok. I just recently transplanted 15 Tomato's from seed starter harvest Aerogarden to, Solo cups with many holes drilled into the bottom. I had some curling leaves but after a few days they have all perked back up. I do have them directly under a 45w Aerogarden led panel. So hopefully your Tomato plants will be happy shortly.

After the Weather Forecast has changed again it might be about 10 days before these go outside. I usually put them in 32 or 44 oz cups but was somewhat behind so, quick transplant I hope. Tomato plants do not enjoy living in cups for to long. They will use the nutrients in the potting mix up within 2- 3 weeks if you need to wait longer then you will have to give them nutrients when you water them.

20240505_185145 

[bluetech]

Mine are a bit bigger than that, I'll post pics

[bluetech]

I'm guessing I should start pulling out the other plants as well before they get as big as the tomatoes?

[LoveSalads]

May 5, 2024 21:20:51 GMT -5 bluetech said:

I'm guessing I should start pulling out the other plants as well before they get as big as the tomatoes?

Those plants look good. It is usually easier to transplant at about that size otherwise the roots get more difficult to separate and deal with. I like that size for transplant. Mine were stalling in the harvest. I usually start in a bounty and they seem to grow faster.  I was just out of Bounty's .Those plants should be fine in those pots for awhile

[bluetech]

This is what I'm talking about, the leaves are doing this and they are some what droopy now.

[LoveSalads]

Possible root damage ?. Did most of the roots make it with the plant ? Is this potting soil that will drain excess water and do the pots have a drain in the bottom ? Does this soil have any nutrients in it for the plants ?   
If the roots were damaged when removing from seed starter tray it can take some time for the plant to recover.
If that isn't potting soil your plant and roots will take longer to adjust to dirt. Droopy in this case could be transplant adjustment symptoms.  Your plants need water, air, light and, some nutrition to survive and thrive.   

[lynnee]

May 5, 2024 16:32:28 GMT -5 bluetech said:

So I took 4 tomato plants out of the AG and potted them, watered heavily and put them around the AG to soak up the light (still cold outside here) been about 3 days and their leaves are curling in, soil is pretty drenched, I can't water them anymore really, I did it the first day and second. Anyone else see this before? Not sure if this is a normal part of the adapting to soil process.

Hold off the water for now. I transplant to pots and drench the plants a couple of times a day for two or three days. Then I water them normally. That is, I let the tops dry out between waterings. When I water, I water until water drips out the drainage holes. My pots are on a gridded rack so the roots don't stand in water.

The curling leaves are probably due to the transplanting process, but the plants should be okay. I agree with LoveSalads that you may have some root damage. When you take the seedlings out of the AG, pull straight up (grasping the basket), and try to preserve the longest central roots.

When I put the plants into pots, I make a hole in the soil of a partially filled pot, and gently curl the roots inside. Then I fill in the soil from the sides while supporting the upper part of the plant as much as possible.

I would remove the leaves with the worst curl, and let the plants grow new leaves, as long as the plants have some leaves left after the removal. Or I would just let the plants dry out some, and give them time.

I have had plants make a full recovery after transplanting when they started with so few roots after separation from other AG seedlings that I really didn't expect them to survive in soil.