My peat pots are sprouting, now what??

Ok even though I know that I am the Queen of Seedling Killers, I am still trying. Since I obviously have not done things correctly in the past, I am asking for some info to try to save these new babies. I have sowed some various kale and cabbage seeds and a few other things in peat pellets in one of those lil domed greenhouse like thingys. They are now sprouting and growing. What should I do now? leave them on the shady patio with the top on until they get larger (they are about 1/2 - 1" now)? Put them in the sun? Take the top off? Water? I have been misting them about every other day with a water/peroxide solution. Help! LOL I really don't want to kill this batch. Thanks!

The peroxide can certainly kill them. Move them into part shade and then into the sun very gradually, water only when the soil is dry. Watch them like a hawk for cabbage loopers, caterpillars that chew them up.

I'm curious why you say the peroxide would kill them? I've seen many people post that they use a diluted peroxide solution to help prevent fungal problems on seedlings. I've tried it myself a few times and have definitely never had any problems. Of course if you mist too much and still have the dome on that could cause problems because of too much moisture but that'll cause problems with or without the peroxide.

I would also wean them off of the dome before moving them into a sunnier area--with some seedlings I've been able to go "cold turkey" by just taking the dome off and they're fine, but with others I've found it works better to gradually adjust them to lower humidity by taking the dome off for a little while, and gradually increasing the amount of time that the dome is off until it's off all the time.

Thanks dp and ecrane. I use a 1/10 solution of peroxide/water. I have read numerous places that this helps prevent dampening off and it has helped me in the past. I was just looking at the seedlings and found the peat pots pretty damp so I took the top off. The humidity high is already high so I'm hoping that this won't hurt them. Will see how they look in the morning.

Ems_Garden, if you are careful to use an uncontaminated potting mix and don't keep the peat pots sopping wet, but let them get slightly dry before watering, that is the best preventative measure against damping off. In LA, the days get pretty hot, don't they, even this time of year, so you're probably better off not having them covered. I have some red chard seedlings that are about ready to put in individual 4 inch pots. I just planted them in a commercial potting mix and water as needed. Right now I'm moving them gradually into the sun because they are wanting to get leggy from reaching for light. Chard is an unusual choice for a decorative plant, I guess, but this variety should be as pretty as any cabbage/kale. Our problem here with the latter is their tendency to bolt during spells of warmer weather, even in January or February. Some years it's cold enough that they take on gorgeous colorations, and others they are underwhelming. I'm not much of a seed person, but no one has bedding chard plants for sale. Please keep us posted on how your seedlings do.