When I had my larger Garden I used to start a lot of indoors plants around the second week in January. Making a Nick is called scarification and is used to expedite germination. Some seeds I would use a nail file, some like the Moonflower I would Nick with a knife and like you did leave in water. Outdoors I directly sowed my summer squash, zucchini, melons, pumpkin, corn, radishes, lettuce, spinach, beans, peas, cukes, I'm sure there's more that I just can't recall. I prefer starting my own seeds rather than purchasing plants, because you can get varieties that are just not available at local nurseries. Today I don't start seeds any longer, I purchased a few plants for the pots, I do miss it. My recommend time in this area for Setting plants out is May 15th, I have never set my plants out that late, I've had them out as early as the middle to the end of March. Usually you only put cool weather plant plants out at that time, but I did tomatoes, peppers, eggplant. To protect them at first I use hot caps, then I start using gallon milk containers to save money I cut out the bottom and placed the containers over the plants. I was getting tomatoes a whole lot earlier. My neighbor used to say why put your plants out that early there not going to grow. Not true, the plans did get stocky, not much taller but the root system was well developed, so as soon as the weather warmed the plants took off.The only Difference was because the milk containers had a Milky color plants would turn emerald green, but did return to their normal color once the milk container was removed. For tomato plants I found for the best results plant them using the horizontal method. Start by removing the branches and leaves along the main stem except for the very top of the plant leave those branches and leaves, and leave the false leaves at the very bottom just above the root ball. Dig a hole for the root ball then a trench for the stem. Bury the root ball as normal then curve or slant the stem horizontally to fit in the trench, then curve the very top of the plant vertically so that's a branches and leaves at the very top of the plant are above the soil. Eventually Roots will Sprout along the stem, I found this additional root system made for a healthier plant and a better Harvest. The pictorial below will explain better how to do this then my description.
I'll try your method with my tomatoes. Maybe I'll do half one way and half the other and see which produces sooner. I'm starting lots of things inside. I'm surprised at your recommended date for setting out plants. It will be hard for me to wait to that date to get them planted outside. I don't know why I waited until my old age to start gardening. I get a lot of pleasure seeing things sprout and grow, both flowers and vegetables.
I TOO enjoy watching plants sprouting and develop into beautiful flowers or Bountiful Harvest it's a beautiful thing. As far as planting very early in the season I would try one plant, obviously the ground is Frozen can't do it, I would wait for the ground to be workable. It can be chancy because you might still get some severe storms. I remember one year we had an early warming trend so I took the milk cartons off the plants, 2 Days Later we had a hail storm which wiped out a third of my plants. Fortunately I never plant all my plants early so I had backup just in case. I used to start between 250 and 400 plants so there was always plenty of backup. .
I never achieved the same results planting straight down, if you have a 12 to 15 inch stem that you're putting under the ground the root is in the cold zone of the ground, Tomatoes like it warm. Plants won't die but I found some plants did not give the best results. I'd rather plant them the normal depth.
We sowed seeds last month inside, now they are in greenhouse. Of course here in Florida it doesn't cost as much to keep it warm. Glad to see yall are gardening. We have been busy clearing vines small trees off fence lines.
What's the general opinion on this thread about using plant food, both when starting seeds and later outside? I have the Miracle Grow stuff that is green and granular. I've experimented with dropping tiny amounts into seedling pots (not mixing it with water per directions). Also, last year I just sprinkled some lightly over beds right out of the box and then watered it down. I have a feeling I'm doing it wrong.
We don't usually fertilize till the seedlings have true leaves which means at least 3. We start most of ours in growing pellets leave them in them till we transplant into pots. According to plant too ,some grow faster than others. Hope this made sense and helped.
Chemical fertilizers in particular can reduce germination percentage, so I wouldn't fertilize until at least the seeds are germinated. As @Marie Mallery has said, it is best to wait until the first true leaves form, as the plant can live easily from the nutrition in the cotyledons until then.
We try to stay organic but that is not easy. Hubby did put Master Blend we use for Hydroponics in this years plants because we didn't make compost. I made some a few weeks ago with leaves and eggs I had from hens who were molting. I won't eat the eggs for a couple weeks after they molt so Ic beat the eggs and put them alternate layers of leaves in compost bin.
Dropping the Miracle Grow crystals directly around your seedlings is playing with fire, it's very easy to burn delegates seedlings. For most of my seedlings I wait until the false leaves start turning yellow then I use fish emulsion as the fertilizer. In the bed I love Ipanoma (not sure of spelling) products, Plant tone, tomatoe tone or Vegetable tone.
Thank you guys. I'll wait for leaves before fertilizing. Cotyledons, huh? Something else to look up...sigh.
Your welome and I think you'll like the experience of growing. Can or do you watch YouTube? I can load you some good ones to help you,we learned so much from YT gardeners.