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Baby F-1 Hybrid Ramapos Popping

thebutcher
11 years ago

After 4 and 1/2 days, my baby Ramapo F-1 Hybrids from Rutgers started to come alive with my trusty old GoPro HD camera taking a time lapse for several days. I used an old PC to generate more heat while the Jiffy dome covered them.

I took the cover off the Jiffy dome today because 3/4's of them started to pop and putting it on and off at intervals. To the left is the 4th of July Tomatoes (not shown but they have also popped...I will post them soon). I will cover them tonight half way. I hope to deliver a nice time lapse on their progress on this thread.

Also as some may know I am a first time seed starter and 2nd year grower, so my methods may not be correct but I am having a blast.

I am also looking for suggestions and advice since I am a novice. I purchased a 2ft' Hydrofarm grow light which they will be under very soon and plant o transfer them into red party cups with holes in them ect..(I will put espoma organic potting mix which I bought yesterday unless there is any other suggestions ?)

Thanks all in advance for any advice.

Best - Mr. Beno

This post was edited by thebutcher on Tue, Mar 19, 13 at 20:03

Comments (6)

  • thebutcher
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I am not one for double posting, please excuse me for the additional photo and concern. But after putting the 3 Ramapo's under my grow light that sprouted the highest out of the others.... is this a concern? Look at the middle one, it looks like a root going through the Jiffy web. (I put 1-2 seeds per peat pellet). The rest are just coming up with the cover on the jiffy dome.

    Should I transfer them ASAP to a larger container or let it grow out for a few days? I am off to bed an will be back after my lunch break tomorrow..

    Thanks again all,

    -Mr Beno

  • missingtheobvious
    11 years ago

    I wouldn't worry about the roots. When I grew in peat pellets, lots of roots were torn off when I transplanted (which I do when the smaller seedlings have at least one set of true leaves). Growing in seed-starting mix in multi-cell inserts, the roots often go down into the bottom of the tray or into the next cell. The plants aren't bothered by losing a few roots.

    I hated dealing with what you call "Jiffy web" around the peat pellets. If you don't start enough seeds to use multi-cell tray inserts, seed-starting mix in small plastic drink cups would work well (just make sure to add drain-holes). Yogurt containers. Anything you have that's the right size.

    You can also make newspaper pots:
    http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2007/03/seed-starting-pots-from-newspaper.html

    Square pots (stand up better; these are held together with staples or tape):
    http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2013/01/square-newspaper-seed-starting-pots.html

    Simple folded newspaper (without staples or tape):
    http://www.forgreenies.com/origami-newspaper-seedling-pots

  • thebutcher
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Many thanks missingthe,

    I ended up putting them in red drinking cups with wholes on the bottom, now I don't know if this matters but it helps me have more room under my 2ft grow light (I cut the top of the cup a 1/4 so that the diamater now is about 3 inches rather then 4 inches) I don't know if this is bad but I had the other idea of that I can also still use a full size 16 oz red drinking cup underneath it when I start to harden off.

    The soil mix was part of the pellet and Espoma Organic Potting mix. They now site about 2-3 inches under the light. The 1-2" would not work yet since they still tiny.

    I will post a link here within a day or two of my time lapse video of the "Ramapo" and "4th of July" tomatoes popping up. I set my GoPro to take a photo every 60 seconds and can shoot up to 5 days while plugged in.

    I just want to make sure that I got the right potting mix to transplant them into. I will also keep half of them in Pellets to compare. I sowed many extras so I can afford the loss. My next tomatoe to sow is the Black Krim.

    Thanks again,
    -Mr Beno

  • missingtheobvious
    11 years ago

    thebutcher, I'm not quite sure what you're saying about the lights, but here's what I do so I don't have to keep raising my fluorescent tubes (they hang by chains from a wire shelf and it's a real pain to move them). I save pieces of styrofoam from things that have been shipped to me, and use pieces of appropriate thickness under the plants so the leaves are 1-2" below the fluorescents.

    As the seedlings grow in height, I remove some of the styrofoam to lower the top leaves.

    If you don't have styrofoam, you could use pieces of wood, cardboard, or whatever you have.

    Even when the seedlings get really tall and grow up among the tubes, the leaves don't burn.

    - mto

  • thebutcher
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here is an update on Baby Ramapos F-1

    1 of the tomatoe plants maybe a 4th of july, but I am prety sure the majority except for 1 is Ramapos. To the right is my Bell peppers incase anyone is wondering but pretty much off this photo.

    How do you think they are doing? The soil mix for the Ramapos and 4th of july are Espoma organic, the Black Krim which will be a seperate thread with the other Ramapos is MG organic.

    I think my total seedlings are about 12 Ramabo, 5 Black Krims and 8 4th of july's to date. With a back up round begining in 2 weeks just incase.

    Thanks again for comments and looking,

    -Mr Beno

  • thebutcher
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Update on the Baby Ramapos. Aprox... 100 days since germination.

    Many blooms are popping as well with them green marbles. In some other posts I thought I had a problem with losing blossoms, but patience is the right aproach and the key as many experts at this great forum mentioned. (The photo is dark I know but just got done work and had to check on them babies,)

    More Photo updates coming soon.

    Many thanks to everyone once again.

    -Mr Beno

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