To cover or not to cover?

I am shocked, Worms & Gita....California has the strictest rules in the country having to do with everything, but especially to do with anything agriculture and horticulture.

I was told that it was just expanded lava. I will have to look into it as well. I cannot imagine that CA would leave itself open to lawsuits in that way, especially with the state of our failing economy. YIKES!

What a great thread! You've all offered some excellent ideas here. I'm taking notes. :)

I've undertaken my first real attempt at seed starting this winter and so far I've had great success--no damping off and a tremendous germination rate. I'd be inclined to believe I have a natural green thumb...but I think my success was mostly due to the product I used, which has been great for a newbie like me.

I used Burpee's Ultimate Growing System:
http://www.burpee.com/product/seed+starting/ultimate+growing+system+%26trade-.do

I probably sound like an ad for Burpee's, but honestly I have to say this set-up just worked for me. Most of my seeds germinated in just a few days, even when the seed packets told me they would take longer. The pelleted seed starting mix is nice and fluffy and easy to work with, and the system has a mat that wicks up water from a tray beneath the seedlings. It requires added water once a week, so I never worry about my seedlings drying out. Ever. I appreciate any help I can get as someone new to seed starting.

The only fly in this ointment is that the starting kits (with 72 cells) cost $20 each. I know there are much cheaper ways to start seeds, such as inexpensive flats and starting mix. I guess I'll progress to those when I have more confidence. But right now I appreciate how these Burpee kits took all the guesswork out of seed starting for me and made it dead easy.

And no, I don't use the plastic cover that comes with the kit beyond the first few days. Once I see seedlings nosing out of the starting mix I remove it, since with this kit moisture retention isn't an issue.

Kayly,

I can't tell from the picture in the link you posted--BUT--in case those little peat pots have any kind of mesh around them--you need to slit it in a couple of places when you go to plant your seedlings out in the garden.

That thin mesh can inhibit roots from growing into the surrounding soil a bit.

Gita

Thanks for the heads up, Gita! Yes, I've used the pelleted mesh things in the past and I'm not fond of them. While this system does come with pelleted growing material that you "puff up" by adding hot water, there's no mesh, which is partly what sold me on it.

Here's a photo of some seedlings planted 3 weeks ago (each of them had germination time tables of 7 days or more, but all came up within 3 days). On the far right are tomatoes (cherry and Roma). Those are only at 10 days germination.

I admittedly planted the thunbergia way too early--look at 'em go! I do plan to transfer these to larger peat pots to give to family and friends and even sell a few at yard sales. How big they get this year before early May will determine when I start them next year.



This message was edited Mar 11, 2010 8:04 PM

I have this site saved--and I think it is time to post it again. It will help a lot--if you are not faamiliar what newly emerging seedlings actually look like.....This would beoutside--where seeds come up on thir own--not inside--where you know what you have seeded....
This is NOT all-inclusive! But good enough!
Gita

http://theseedsite.co.uk/db1.html

This is WONDERFUL! Hello all! I am a newbie here in Southern CA - I had beautiful little beet sprouts all week and I went out this morning and most of them were wilted and gone! :( I realized reading this that I probably kept the lid on one day too long and also they are in direct sun - I will replant and keep them in the shade - and will also vent the lid when sprouts start...

I bought a deep plastic tub (for deep root room) at Home Depot and made holes in the bottom then I layed a thin (flexible) piece of rubberized plastic over the top. (drawer lining from Ikea) It's about 12" deep - I hope that works - I have been reading about container growing....

I have also planted lettuce and broccoli - all are doing well so far - I am going to vent the broccoli today though.

I am so happy to have found this site. I am just beginning my journey with veggies. Thanks for all the valuable info. You will probably be hearing from me again... ;)

I would not cover any of those veggies that you mentioned. If you want quick germination with the lids, then remove them entirely as soon as most have germinated.

There is so much good stuff in this thread, I don't want to lose it!

(bump)

Art33's question at the beginning of the thread was:

>> "If I make sure the mixture does not dry out, wouldn't it actually be better to not use the plastic cover?"

Yes, if you mist it often enough that the surface, or the seeds, stay constantly just a little moist, until they have emerged, the cover serves little purpose. But it saves you a lot of misting, and you can safely leave the soil less damp, because then it will never dry out overnight.

Less humidity means less chance of mold or fungus or plant-unfriendly bacteria building up on the soil surface. But using clean mix (called "sterile") Reduces that risk also. And removing the humidity dome as soon as any seedlings emerge also reduces the risk of "damping off" (seedling stems rotting right where they touch the soil surface).

Being able to keep the soil surface just SLIGHTLY moist, but not damp, and certainly not waterlogged, is really crucial. Seeds and roots neeed to breath oxygen, and water-logged soil has no air and almost no oxygen. Roots drowning and seed rotting are even worse than high humidity increasing the risk of fungus.

The soil (or rather soil-less seed starting mix) MUST have air channels, which means excess water MUST drain out.

Skilled gardeners seem able to water so lightly that they never get their mix water-logged, but I gave up on that. It seems I can't stop over-watering. I want to see water come out the bottom!

So I may start with expensive, peat-based store-bought seed-startinjg mix, but then I add a lot of screened pine bark mulch shreds or nuggets. Coarser than coarse Perlite, this assures fast drainage, so I can water until it comes out the bottom without drowning the roots and seeds. Since I'm cheap, and the fine bark shreds hold some water, I use lots more bark than mix. The bark nuggets or mulch can be as cheap as $4.10 for 2 cubic feet. I think Pro Mix or Fafards costs four times as much.

I agree with trc65 - it's ideal if your plastic cover has a slight misting, not big beads of water. If big beads collect, the soil is probably too damp. Let it vent so some water can escape.

When the surface dries out enough that air can enter it, the seeds will stop gasping for oxygen and drowning. Listen closely! Youm may be able to hear little seed voices squeaking "we're drowning in here!"

You can speed that up by setting the too-wet tray on top of a towel or cotton flannel. If the absorbant cloth touches the mix through the hole in the bottom, some of the excess water will wick down into the towel and air will return to all of the soil column.

Or, if you have the magic green thumb like trc65, somehow avoid over-watering seeds in the first place.

P.S. I have more seedling trays than I have humidity domes. But I have some 18" plastic food film ("Saran Wrap"). I drape that over a tray until part of the tray sprouts, then I remove the plastic film from that part. Or use dry cleaning bags or other clear film.

If I want to "tent" the film, I prop it up with plastic stakes cut from 1/2 or 1/3 the width of a venetion-blind slat, now called mini-blind slats. I also use those to label rows in the trays. I write on the white plastic slat with a mechanical pencil (0.7 mm lead or 0.9 mm).

The demo method of sow_sow is effective. It was a Science project of one of my tutees and it gave me on idea how to germinate seed easily. I tried germinating my herbs seed in paper towels for the longest time now since germinating them in soil is painstakingly difficult. Since I live in the city my herbs are all in pots by the foyer of the house where sunlight is abundant.