Wednesday, February 1, 2012

They're Baaack

I now officially have seedlings. Whoohoo! It took them about a week, but even last years seed germinated. Not every cell is up but most of them are. Above is Copra the most vigorous of the germinating onions. I tried to put three seeds in each cell since the seed was old, but it looks like in many, there are four coming up. Now THAT is vigorous germination. Either that or I can't count.

This is my Redwing plants. They are coming up fine too. But not so many in a cell.

And my Ailsa Craig is the slow poke in the bunch. They are coming up but slowly and feebly. They are supposed to be huge onions when they finally get big but as baby onions they have a lot to be desired.

And last time I showed my set up Mark was asking if it was to help harden off the seedlings. I answered there, but figured most of you haven't read it yet. So on to the plant vocabulary lesson. Plants grow more spindly and tall inside than they do if grown outside. Plants will change how they grow if they are touched. This could be by your hand, by the wind, or by the rain. The word for it is thigmomorphogenisis. If the plants get touched enough they will grow much more stocky and branch out sideways more. For onions I always just pet them. Yes I pet my plants. I just run my hand over them every day or two. For mixed plantings I'll use a fan as the mixed heights are harder to pet. I'll turn the fan on every couple days and let it run for a bit. If you want to read more about it there is a nice article on it. I warn you there is a lot of science involved.

But to answer the Mark's question, yes it helps to harden them off. Tall spindly indoor plants don't react well to being planted outdoors. My hope is that when I harden my plants off outside all that they need is to harden against the sun and the temperature fluctuations. I'm hoping they are mostly hardened off to the wind already. With the soil blocks they don't get a lot of root disturbance. So transplanting is a lot less stressful than it otherwise would be.

21 comments:

  1. So what you're saying is I should run my hand over the new seedlings so the get stocky instead of spindly? Amazing! I will have to remember to do that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It looks very cute newly sprouted and poking out a bit from the soil. Nice close-up.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You know, I seldom harden off my plants. They usually just get put out there and may wilt for a day but they are fine the next day.
    Your seedlings are looking great. Isn't it nice to have something growing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Our Prince Charles (the Prince of Wales) is famous for talking to his plants. Presumably he gives them words of encouragement (or perhaps threats of dire consequences if they don't grow up big and stong!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have noticed that my Aisle are also slow to start and don't look as healthy as the Stuttgarters do. I need to get a fan net up in the room where I have most of my plants. The air circulation will also help to prevent dampening off as it helps to keep the surface a little drier.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I planted some onions yesterday, so hope my germination is as good as yours. I got my small clamp-on fan out the other day, and the clamp broke on it. I'll have to figure out how to attach it to the shelf now, or use the big fan. Or maybe I'll just pet everything this year.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I knew that about tomatoes, but not that it was generalized. Our basement is so cold the plants almost have to be tough to survive. But things are hit or miss here because I'm so overly casual. I'm sure your seedlings appreciate you.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Chuck Norris just stares at his seedlings (pictures Norris in a gardeners apron and hat...haha) and they stand at attention.

    It makes sense. Nature is very dynamic whereas inside our homes is quite pampered.

    Our onions are coming up nicely as well. Great posting Daphne.

    ReplyDelete
  9. your seedling look lovely!! I am going to have to remember to pet mine...i wonder if that is the reason my house plants are dying...lol

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your blog has been chosen by me for the for the Versatile Blogger award. I think your blog is special. I have linked to you on my “ And the Award Goes to...” post. If you want to find out how this all works go to the post on Plants and Stones and click on Donna.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm going to plant some onions tomorrow, even though I said that I wouldn't!

    I will try petting them and hope it works. I know I like it!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thigmomorphogenesis! I love it! I had heard that before, the idea, not the term, and ever since then I've put a low fan on my seedlings from the start. Petting sounds more fun! The fan helps with dampening off as well by keeping moisture from collecting at the soil level. My tomatoes and peppers are always very strong and stocky because of this and I have not lost one seedling to dampening off since the first time I started seedlings indoors!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lovely! Thanks for sharing. I'm going to have to look into the Copra onion. I planted my bunching green onions today - from seed I collected last fall. I even put up my grow light for the first time - it's always been window sills for me. I can't wait to see what happens this year. I love all that I learn at your blog. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love the way onions poke out of the soil when they sprout. I "pet" my onion seedlings too both to stimulate them and because I like the way they feel.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I just ran in and petted my lettuce. I think I petted too hard, I knocked some of the over :-(

    ReplyDelete
  16. Annie! hilarious. :)

    I was spacing out the onions earlier in their flat. Amposta and Stutts. It is amazing how such a tiny twig can have a bold onion scent! The flavor is intense even at only a week or two.

    Evolution.....

    ReplyDelete
  17. With your thoughts on "petting", it's no wonder we're not all like Annie, knocking our plants down. And thanks for your posts about seed blocks. They've been an encouragement and also helpful for us to do it here too.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Becky thanks. I first read this as the Valentines Blogger award. I guess my mind is being weird today.

    Marcia, yup, just don't pet them as hard as Granny said she did. And start when they are just up.

    Granny, poor babies. I'm sure they will recover. They know you love them.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yes Marcia, I do this all the time with my seedlings. It doesn't always work though because my tomato seedlings are still limpy. I don't bother germinating onions from seeds as they seem to take forever to grow in the garden and take up precious space for other veggies. This is one of those things that I buy instead. Although I have a few left that didn't die from last season.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I pet my plants too. I especially love to handle the tomatoes and onions - because I love the scent they leave on my hands. :D

    ReplyDelete
  21. After using a fan to gently wiggle the tiny plants for a bit now, you can see a definitive difference in their overall strength.

    ReplyDelete