Post by meizzwang on Dec 27, 2011 22:09:52 GMT -5
Here are some pictures of seedlings that were started late fall of 2010. They were grown under two 40 watt fluorescent tubes for most of the winter, spring, and summer.
Around late september, about a month before it started getting cold, I placed them outdoors to harden off. At this stage, it's important to slowly acclimate them to direct sunlight. After about a month of being outdoors, they were gradually placed in full sun. By the time they were in full sun, most of these seedlings had already started to go dormant.
Seedlings tend to grow really fast the following season if they are the right size and given a dormancy. The key is taking them outside at the right size. If you take them out too early and force them to go dormant, they will be stuck in the "seedling" stage "forever." J/K Take home message is that to maximize the benefits of growing your seedlings under lights, take them out when they're about the size you see below and give them a dormancy. The next season, the first leaves are usually double to triple the size!
jonesii's (front, left), rubricorporas, montanas, antho free psitts, flava var. flavas, hurricane creeks-you name it, it's probably there. I have to admit, a few seedlings in this picture are borderline big enough to harden off. Space under lights are an issue for me, so I take them outdoors anyways:
another view of the coveted species seedlings:
Another view:
Southern most location S. purpurea ssp. venosa:
another view:
Last but not least, S. psittacina 'antho free' with purp. purps from Caroline Co, VA in the background:
Around late september, about a month before it started getting cold, I placed them outdoors to harden off. At this stage, it's important to slowly acclimate them to direct sunlight. After about a month of being outdoors, they were gradually placed in full sun. By the time they were in full sun, most of these seedlings had already started to go dormant.
Seedlings tend to grow really fast the following season if they are the right size and given a dormancy. The key is taking them outside at the right size. If you take them out too early and force them to go dormant, they will be stuck in the "seedling" stage "forever." J/K Take home message is that to maximize the benefits of growing your seedlings under lights, take them out when they're about the size you see below and give them a dormancy. The next season, the first leaves are usually double to triple the size!
jonesii's (front, left), rubricorporas, montanas, antho free psitts, flava var. flavas, hurricane creeks-you name it, it's probably there. I have to admit, a few seedlings in this picture are borderline big enough to harden off. Space under lights are an issue for me, so I take them outdoors anyways:
another view of the coveted species seedlings:
Another view:
Southern most location S. purpurea ssp. venosa:
another view:
Last but not least, S. psittacina 'antho free' with purp. purps from Caroline Co, VA in the background: