Aaron the Great - Celtis occidentalis North America - #1

[rutulus]

If perlite is part of your mix, check if there are any hydroponics supply stores in your area. I just bought a 4 cubic foot bag from a hydroponics store near me for about $20. I use it for seedlings.

 

[Aaron the Great]

If perlite is part of your mix, check if there are any hydroponics supply stores in your area. I just bought a 4 cubic foot bag from a hydroponics store near me for about $20. I use it for seedlings.

Good idea

 

[Gabler]

I have been using the saf-t-sorb because it is what I had access to. I can't drive and it's hard for me to get someone to stop at NAPA even though one is just 3/4 of a mile from my home. My personal mode of transportation is a recumbent trike. I hobbled a homemade trailer for it so now I can go get it on my own.

I worked at a tree nursery in Pennsylvania for a few years in the mid 1990's and got hooked on using perlite. However I am out and have been having a hard time finding some at the big home improvement stores. Hopefully this spring they will restock some. In my case the perlite does rise up to the top of the pot. My trees look like they are planted in Siberia for awhile until the wind comes sweeping down the plains and carries the top layer of pearlite away. I don't see this happening in any of Nigel Saunders videos.

For the compost, my son makes it for me. He is 22 and High Functioning Autistic, he puts a lot of work into making it. I mean he measures the temp and dampness everyday and puts it in a logbook along everything he puts in it and how much he takes out. So when he puts down his game controller to make me some compost, I'm gonna use it.

Right now I'm completely out of everything but compost, so I'm at a good place to change my soil mix. I'm going to stick with the stuff from NAPA and compost. So I'm going to try to figure out what I can add to it that can fit the budget.

I buy four-cubic-foot bags of perlite and vermiculite on Amazon. You can also get it from A.M. Leonard, etc.

 

[Aaron the Great]

Major update!

My seeds are 30 days into their 90 chill getting closer!

 

[Aaron the Great]

Greetings Earthicans!
My seeds are almost ready for removal from the fridge.
I have one of those seed starting trays right here in my radio shack. I have those peat disks that are like those little dinosaurs where you add water and they get big and bite you on the elbow! I have it on a heating pad that my cat found and tried to remove the seed tray and keep the heating pad for herself. She won so I had to get her a heating pad of her own but made for pets, I think it is safer for her. Anyway I have some crepe myrtle seeds in there that is about time for them to sprout into beautiful bonsai trees.
Any tips that I should know about celtis occidentalis - NA seeds before I move them from fridge to seed tray?
Thank you so much for all of your help.

 

[Aaron the Great]

I took the Hackberry seeds out of the fridge to make more room for some tea lol. I forgot about them for a couple of days and they were left in the zip lock bag and paper towel. I opened them up to put them in the peat pellets that I have in my radio room. I found some that were already growing!


I have them in a seed starter tray on a shelf in my radio room. The seed tray is on a heated pad (my cat recently passed so now I can take back my heated pad and use it for what it is intended) and I have some "grow lights" above them.


In the seed tray I also have some seeds for Eastern Red Juniper and some Crepe Myrtles (these never sprouted) so I do hope that they all can get along. So things are growing and I'm on my way!

 

[Aaron the Great]

Things are starting to happen now!

I have a total of 6 slightly out of focus Hackberry growing good. Two of them have their first set of leaves and a few more are getting there.

 

[DaveNuts]

Nice, that's much faster than I'm seeing. Do these need light to germinate?

 

[Aaron the Great]

Nice, that's much faster than I'm seeing. Do these need light to germinate?

I'm using cheap LED grow lights and a heating pad under the seed tray. A couple of them germinated when they were still wrapped up in the moist paper towel that I had them in when they were in the fridge. Other more knowledgeable than I can step in and correct me but I'm guessing that they can germinate without light but they pretty much need it like immediately after germination.

 

[Aaron the Great]

I have a question. These are growing in my ham shack room on a desk. obviously I keep them inside forever. How big do they need to be before I start acclimatize them outside?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I would get them outside as soon as possible and slowly get them into full sunlight. All mine are outside at this point. Just put them in shade first and shift them slowly into the light.

 

[Aaron the Great]

I would get them outside as soon as possible and slowly get them into full sunlight. All mine are outside at this point. Just put them in shade first and shift them slowly into the light.

I've neve really gotten this far with seeds before. Since I'm using peat disks, can I just transfer them from the seeding tray to a different pot filled with soil and use that for moving them out doors?

 

[Kievnstavick]

I would only stress them with one thing at a time.

I'd recommend getting them acclimated to the outdoors first before planting them in their first pots.

Lucky with peat pods, the root disturbance can be almost zero. I'd also suggest removing the mesh before planting them in pots. The peat pods work great for annual crops, but long term plants can be restricted by the mesh until it breaks down (which could be years)