is it works too well!!! I am just about outgrown it. My first seedlings are ready for gallon cans. They have such cute, pudgy stems!!
The only trouble with the PVC seedling light stand
and my newer ones are growing so fast!
I also have learned not to even bother with the seedling soil mix. The ones I put directly into my usual mix have done much better.
Thanaks PoppySue for giving me this huge clue on the light stand!
That is unbelievable. Sure wish I had something that looked like those do.
I just raised the lights on mine. They are as high as they can go. Wonder what I'm going to do next? Your seedlings look great Kell. At least you will be able to get them outside before long or into your hoop house. I am stuck with mine for quite a while yet.
Kell your seedlings look great. They look better than mine that I have in the greenhouse. I guess that light right above them all the time makes a big difference. Mine have not grown nearly as fast as yours and they get sun during the day.
I forgot to say my biggest seedlings are R X RK!! I can't remember even having that cross so early but I must have!! I have 3 pods on it now that are X RK.
How old are those seedlings, Kell? And in the second picture, are those babies growing in flats? Please share some more of your great growing secrets :) Thanks -- Gretchen
PS I have 100+ brug seeds sown in three separate domed flats of rockwool. I have the flats positioned under a 48" double tube flourescent shop light with plant/aquarium tubes. The lights are 8-10" above the flats. Does that sound reasonable? I do not have them on a heat source, so they are room temperature, aside from the little bit of heat that the light fixture emits. Thanks so much for your input :)
Kell those look great, you have a real green thumb. I have not started seeds yet I am looking at all the ways folks are doing them. Rockwool, Sponge Method as well as Monikas method and others, so I will get started pretty soon.....
Dee
Gretchen, drop your lights to about 2 or 3 inches above the flats. Raise them as needed as they grow. The closer they are to the seedlings, the more blocky they will grow. Too far away from the light produces leggy seedlings. Some of my seedlings are even touching the bulbs.
Me too Brugie! Listen to Brugie Gretchen, I do !! LOL
I must admit my methods keep getting better and better because I listen to everyone on the different brug forums and make their way work for me!! Last year I was successful also, just not as much. I had my seedlings on every window sill in the house and they did fine. This PVC stand is just better for them! I never use heat. The paper towel method was a great improvement last year, it made me much more successful than I was before. But now I find rockwool works even better for me.
The light stand was so easy and inexpensive to build. Just ask my DH! LOL. I use one cool light and one warm lite (as I was advised) in shoplight fixtures (they are the cheapest ones). I keep them right down maybe 1 inch from the top of the plastic bags and later on the top of the seedlings. I have 3 shelves instead of 4 so I can have a shelf for 1 gallon cans of very special cuttings I have. The top shelf has been raised twice as the seedlings have grown. The middle shelf is for my smallest seedlings in rockwool in plastic bags or the ones just out of the bags. It is easier for me to watch the little ones daily at this level.
My best brug advice to brug success is do not over water them (and cuttings)!!! It is so easily done and it is the fastest way to kill them!
And the main reason for my incredible success is no secret! I am so lucky to have such good friends like Susie, Brugie, Monika and Tracey, all who know much more than I do but all who freely share their knowledge with me and never get sick of helping me! I can not tell you how many SOS emails I send to them for help!
Just today I told Monika if she charged me per each question, she would be rich!
They look great Kell! I need to get busy and order some of that rockwool stuff.
Thank you Kell! I think I'm going to have to get busy and build the seed stand. Here's what I did for the brug babies, but it is definitely an inefficient use of space. I did lower the light (raised the containers) to get the light closer to them. Thankfully we don't use that room! I have tons more seeds (non-brug) and I am outta space in my GH.
OHHHHH!!!I like that Idea,PVC right on the floor!!!!
I think I may have to get right on one of these!
Wow! They look awesome.
Do you put the light on them before they've germinated (as seeds)?
Jenks, I don't know about others, but I use light 24/7 until they have germinated. Then I cut it back to about 14 hours a day.
Oh really Brugie. I was turning it off when I slept.
Kaufmann..I saw a thread last night that talked about a metal rack you can buy at Sam's Club or Costco that some thought was cheaper and better than the PVC rack. I will have to look for it for you.
well, can we compare germination times between the 2 of you? (Brugie and kell) which is faster? LOL :o>
I'm only leaving my lights on until germination because someone who knows a lot more about growing them than me, told me that is the way to do it.
LOL Brugie, well that makes me think I better too! I am always afraid of fire when I sleep. I have so many shoplights on that thing! LOL
I also think it depends on the seed and how old it is Jenks. If we had the same seed from the same pod it would be a better gauge! However, I am switching over if my DH thinks it is safe to run them with no breaks.
Your seedlings look great! I have place mine a little bit cooler to slow down their growth. I have to adjust them early to cooler temperatures.
This message was edited Jan 30, 2004 3:38 PM
This is the unit from Sam's Club....pretty but only good for seedlings.shelves are too low =(
................................IMHO
MY EDIT ~ ~ ~ By the time you sqeeze light fixtures in, there is not much room left.
Features
6-shelf
Commercial grade chrome wire
NSF approved
Triple-Truss support
Commercial wheels
No tools required to assemble
Holds 600 lbs. per shelf
Dimensions: 48"L x 18"W x 72"H
This message was edited Jan 30, 2004 2:10 PM
Scooterbug, are the shelves not adjustable? If so you could leave a shelf or two off. The ones I purchased at Lowe's are adjustable and I left two of the shelves off.
They are adjustable,if I remember right,I have one for a bookcase.
U R Right Rooty,
.......... That is what I thought .......... I called and asked them for info and looks like I was given the wrong info =(
.......It really looks like the same manufacturer of the components that Menard's sells , with which you can design your own configuration.
............My local Sam's do not carry this and the shipping would be a killer.
Anyway, I don't need more chrome to polish ... LOL
Hugz, §hirley in Smallfrozentownrednecktractorville, WI
Can you take it apart?
That is why I liked the idea of the PVC. I need to take mine apart for the rest of the year. I can take mine apart and stick it in a box and then next year take an hour to put it back together. I wish I had more room!
I think it would be a pain,it is very heavy,I think it is rated at 700 lbs.I remember having to get help getting the box in the house.
Well forget that then! The PVC I can move all over by myself. Thanks Root!
I agree Kell,since I am only starting one tray right now,I just set up the lower section of my PVC stand,I can build up as needed.
I think I'm going to stick with what I have right now too. I started thinking about where I'm going to put all theses babies once they have to be potted in 4" pots. I'm about out or room in my little GH, as I didn't know what a brug was when we bought the little thing...so, no more seed starting for me for a while :( I'll probably direct sow everything else I have, in the Spring.