I'm going to start some flower seeds inside this winter (a first for me). My thought was to make some sort of frame covered with plastic. It would be sitting in an area that only gets morning sunlight. Should I add some sort of "grow bulb"? Or would an ordinary light bulb work? What about "Christmas lights"? I'm assuming that the light would provide enough heat also? Any advice is greatly appreciated!
You will need grow lights in a set up like that. The seedlings will lean to the sunlight and become tall and spindly, falling over. A good plant light works well no need for expensive set ups. Keep the light about 3" above the seed trays and move them up as the little plants grow, a little air movement is also good. ALWAYS water from the bottom!! this will help stop the damping off. Hope this helps!
Cheryl, Starting seeds inside is so much fun--you're really going to enjoy it! Pondlady gave great advice. I would add, if you put 1 tsp. of baking soda in 1 c. water, and use that as a mist, it also helps damping off (which is when the seedlings simply fall over and die, usually with a dried area on the stem just above the soil line). A cover is a must--but that precludes air circulation. I have rigid plastic covers that I prop up about 1/4" with popsicle sticks or whatever, so there is a bit of air circulation. Taking the cover off when your seedlings start to emerge is important. They need the air! Heat helps with most seeds' germination. I use a heating pad that is intended for human aches and pains. I put the seedling tray on it and turn it on low. If it seems to warm, a couple of washcloths added to the pad's cover lowers the temperature. Expect some mortality. Mother Nature doesn't have a 100% success rate, so you won't either. Plant a few more than you think you'll need. If you end up with too many seedlings, you can always pass them off to another gardener.
Thanks Pondlady and Marlin for the advice. I sure appreciate it! One more questions... with the heating pad... do you just leave it on? Or turn it on for a certain amount of time each day?
Well, whether to turn the pad off or leave it on depends on the day. If the day is warm (and that does happen in the dead of winter here in Texas, doesn't it?)and the grow lights are on, I turn the pad off, and turn it back on at night when I turn off the grow lights. If the day is cool and the house heat is on, I check the temperature near the seedlings and if it looks like it's going below 65, I leave the pad on. I got a cheapie thermometer for $1 at WallyWorld, and it works well enough for the situation. I'm not tight-fisted, I'm frugal, and my husband says I toss nickels around like manhole covers!
I know that some seeds take longer than others to germinate, and grow and various rates... but as a general time frame, should I start some now so they will be ready by the first of March? Or shall I wait a little longer? (Again, I'm in Zone 9). Thanks again for the help. I'm really looking forward to getting some seeds started so I'll have some more plants ready for Spring planting.
I usually start my seeds in January, but I'm in zone 8a/b. You have more warmth earlier than we do. When do you usually put in purchased transplants? The seed packets ought to have information like "xx days to bloom from sowing" which gives you a target date for inside sowing. Later we can discuss fertilizing and hardening off if you like. Isn't this stuff fascinating?
Marlin... All of my plants over the last 10 years have been in containers. I finally have the space to do "in ground" gardening. So, there is no "usual" time that I've planted. However, our last chance of frost is usually around the first or mid-March. So that's when I'm planning on starting. The seeds I have aren't store bought... they are one's I got from Toni (and some from my plants). I guess I should ask her if she knows their germination time period? And I'd be so grateful for more info/help as this process moves along. Yep... fascinating... AND fun!
I've found a design I'm going to try. My brother gave me one of his extra shop lights, there's bunches of PVC pipe & connections laying around. So I pretty much have all that I need (except for a couple of things). My one concern with this plan, however, is with using the Christmas lights the way they describe. My first thought was that it would get too hot and melt the plastic. Also... wouldn't the containers sitting on top of them add too much weight? What are your thoughts on this? Here's the link: http://www.tractorsupply.com/content/kn ... ed-starter
I think your concern about the weight of the seedling trays on top of the lights is valid. I also would worry about having an electric wire running under something that holds water (leaks, and oops!). The heating pad I described earlier is designed for wet/dry, so is safer, at least in my opinion. Controlling the heat is also a problem, at least for me. How hot does a string of lights get? What if you need more heat, do you add lights? The design of the mini-greenhouse is good. You will also need some place to put the seedlings that have come up and are growing, and no longer need the heat/humidity provided. I told you this was fun!
Marlin.... I'm glad someone else shared my concerns about the lights.... it just didn't sound right to me. I like your idea of the heating pad (and as we age... can't have too many of them around!) I was thinking of making some potting cups out of newspaper (instead of buying the little peat ones). I remember seeing a post here on the Stew about how to make them. I'd plant the seeds and them and then place those cups in an aluminum pan that would sit on top of the heating pad. Do you think that would work instead of Christmas lights & plastic tubs?
Well... I did it! I got all my materials together and built the stand for my little seed starter station. I followed the directions from the Tractor Supply website (see previous posting for link) using 1/2 inch PVC pipe. But it seemed so flimsy. So I found some old pipe and used that instead. Also, they suggested 16 inch height. I thought that was a little low, so I increased it to 24 inches. Here's how it looks. seed starter stand ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) After clearing a space out for it, I placed down a rug and a towel. I then hug the shop light. I used one regular fluorescent bulb and one that is for plant and aquarium use. Next, I put down heating pads. I then placed the aluminum pans on top of them and then filled with water. I had several small plastic pots and trays that seedlings came in. Plus, I made some pots from newspaper (that was fun!) I got all my seeds and decided what to start first. Then I got out some plastic knives, forks, spoons and labeled them with a Sharpie. Planted the seeds and placed them in the aluminum pans. Lastly, I cut out a piece of plastic and covered the stand & seeds. And here it is... seed starter ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) The only problem I've encountered is that the heating pads shuts off automatically after 2 hours. So, they will only be used when I'm at home to keep turning them on. Hopefully, since the room is heated, it won't make too much of a difference when the pads aren't turned on. Although the instructions didn't call for turning the lights on until the seeds sprouted, I've been using them to also add a little heat. Is there anything else I should do or do differently? Hopefully, I'll have some signs of life in a couple of weeks!
