peppers started. onions trimmed

[Hockeydudde]

Just saw this for the first time. Why did you trim your onions?
Curious about starting from own seeds. We mail order onion starts every year, but they are SPENDY!

 

[halleoneagain]

6 each black pearls and cayenne, 10 jalapenos, 5 each cherry bombs and habaneros.

man, i really like these heat mats - all but 2 sprouted within a week.
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Really nice set-up you have, and yes, the heat mats do make a big difference. Mine pooped out this year, wouldn't heat up, but it had an honorable life/run. I think it was at least five years old. I'll buy a new one for next years seed starting effort; I couldn't see paying for shipping again for just one item. Shipping is getting higher every year, and sometimes it's just for a small mailer with a few seed packets. I like your seed starting cell packs, too, they look to be high quality for several years use.

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

Looks great. We regularly buy green onions since they are so cheap here in So Cal. Recently I have started saving the bottom 1/4 of them and planting them in my barrel planter. It is surprising how fast they regrow when you do that.

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

I have a bunch of rare varieties of peppers I am getting accustomed to the real sun. I killed the first batch by placing them directly in the sun.

I have more starting that will be a few weeks behind.

 

[netspyder]

Just saw this for the first time. Why did you trim your onions?
Curious about starting from own seeds. We mail order onion starts every year, but they are SPENDY!

well, 2 reasons really... first was that everyone on the interwebs recommended it. they don't really share their reasons... but i suspect that it encourages more leaves/lower growth. the second reason is so i don't have to adjust my shelving - they'd get too tall and i don't want the tops poking up above the lights... the tops would just die off anyway.

 

[netspyder]

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if you're interested in a couple tips... lower the lights (or raise the trays) so that the lights are just a couple inches above the seedlings - this will give you shorter plants with thicker stems. i tried that this year, and was amazed at the difference in the plant growth. last year all of my pepper plants were super leggy and slow to take off when i put them in the raised beds. this year i can't tell the cayennes from the jalapenos. also plant them out before they get root bound -- if they start to flower in the starter pots, pick those off when you transplant them (or you'll get some tiny little peppers before the plants mature). transplanted them about a week and a half ago, but it looks like they're doing ok. year before last i planted them out without hardening them off and all of my peppers died. last year they were all spindly and leggy and had to be staked. there's definitely a learning curve.

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

if you're interested in a couple tips... lower the lights (or raise the trays) so that the lights are just a couple inches above the seedlings - this will give you shorter plants with thicker stems. i tried that this year, and was amazed at the difference in the plant growth. last year all of my pepper plants were super leggy and slow to take off when i put them in the raised beds. this year i can't tell the cayennes from the jalapenos. also plant them out before they get root bound -- if they start to flower in the starter pots, pick those off when you transplant them (or you'll get some tiny little peppers before the plants mature). transplanted them about a week and a half ago, but it looks like they're doing ok. year before last i planted them out without hardening them off and all of my peppers died. last year they were all spindly and leggy and had to be staked. there's definitely a learning curve.
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These LEDs are super bright. I fried the first seedlings when I had it closer. That's why I moved them up.