Reflective wall around your seeding area

Just learned of this little tip:

Attach an emergency blanket (silver) around your seeding shelves to create a reflective wall. Light weight, big sheet and easier than foil. The light from your fixture will reflect off the silver sheet.

thanks, joanna, for the great tip.

How about a white poster board, which is cheap

The emergency blanket is very inexpensive. Should be less than $3

That is a great idea. I had read about doing that and then promptly forgot. Thanks for posting it.
Linda

This is how I did it. There are 2 sheets for the 3 tiered shelf unit. The emergency blanket is about 54" X 80"

Here's a close up of how reflective it is

Great idea. Just remember to provide some air circulation. I've got a big roll of mylar-like Christmas paper I'm going to use. Probably not as flexible as the emergency blanket but more reflective than foil. And I don't have to run out to find it - snowing, wind out of the north at 20 to 30 mph - I'm staying indoors today.

Yes, a fan is very important. I use a tower type one that has a whole bunch of different settings

Joanna,
Where did you find your blanket?

I bought them at outdoor sports place that sells hiking, camping, hunting & outdoor activity stuff. I would think a department store or drug store would have them in a 1st aid supply area

Joanna - love the fan. Looks like it's real convenient for the multi-tiered plant stands.

Got it at Costco quite a few years ago. It's our bedroom fan for hot summer nights. No A/C

If you have a light meter, you could actually find out what difference the reflective material makes.

I've never used, nor found the need, for a fan.

Walmart has the blankets in the camping area, look by the ponchos/rain gear. I've got one in my car for emergencies, I think this is one.

Altagardener - Years ago on a previous gardening forum, the thinking was that a gentle breeze from a fan not only provided some air circulation because it can get warm and stagnant under those lights but also helped the little stems on the seedlings to grow a little stronger, kind of like a young tree. I have several little cheap clip-on fans that I use.

Well, each to his own, but I don't get seedlings that seem weak or compromised in any way without a fan. (I'm not one for fussing with unnecessary things, LOL!)

Thanks for the tip Joanna. I had an emergency blanket on hand and deployed it; it can't hurt! And I put a small oscillating fan down in my 'seed room'.

I am a hit an miss seed sower and forget a lot of what I learn from sowing to sowing:

If I am going to keep my newly germinated seedlings under warm/cool florescent lights, why do I always put the setup right by the large southwest-facing picture window. Does that not in fact encourage legginess, at least from the seedlings along the window side of the tray, and wouldn't they actually be better off in a very low-light room (given they are under florescent lights) and maybe add reflective blanket like Joanna recommended?

The one advantage I can think of is that the window area is quite warm during the day but I am starting to wonder if having the set-up in the window is actually self-defeating.

michaelangelo, LOL cause I am somewhat a haphazard seed sower too. I try to make notes each time, but they are incomplete (I lose interest in that part of the process real quick). Oh, and I usually don't think to look at them before beginning the seeds the next year.

I am trying to use my DG journal this year for the notes and hoping this will make me more organized about it.

Michaelangelo -
I'm thinking that light from the window by itself (not the strongest light this time of year) would encourage the plants to lean towards the window. The lights should be stronger and prevent the seedlings from leaning towards the window. You could add the reflective blanket where they're currently set up but being near that sunny window may keep it warmer under the blanket than you want. Heck, there's a lot of seed-sowing in basements with only the fluorescents for light. Just my non-professional opinion.

I would probably add a cardboard/foil wall around them to reflect as much light back on them as, and turn every day. But I have to admit, I had no luck in just a window, I had to add light, then nearly everything did great.

Sorry if I didn't make this clear - I DO use florescent lights 16 hours a day - the question really is if having them in the window with florescents is better than having them (and the florscents) in an otherwise darkened room.

thanks for the reflective light idea !! will definitely try it!!

I have always used alumunium wrap for reflection, but this year I tried using mirrors. Has anyone tried this and did it work. I am running out of space for the babies.:)

I too set up in front of a window,had to use my car sun shades 3 of them,glad they were not being used,work great ,also running a fan.This is the 1st time ive started under lights,doing great so far!!Iam on 14 on 10 off,iam going to be potting up a few later today they have 2nd & 3rd sets of leaves, when do i need to change to 12 12 or not ???any help greatly apreciated.

Huggergirl - you're over by Ft. Wayne? I don't think I'd cut back on the light. Ideally, they should be on closer to 16 or 18 hours. If feasible, you could start setting them outside in the sun for a couple of hours a day once you pot them up. Bring them back in at night though since it's still too cold for them (especially this week - brrr). You can gradually leave them out all day (if it's above 50 or so) but keep them out of the wind. Once they start going outside, keep an eye on the watering because they'll dry out faster outdoors than under the lights.

cindymzone5-20 miles west of ft.wayne,not too far from you,iam bumping up to 16 hrs,the 12 12 i was referring to is bloom cycle ,like for christmas cactus,poinsettia,sounds like that wont be an issue here. my zinnias have 3 sets of leaves,am right in my thinking to pot then in to 3in pots,there are 2-3 in a cell right now,nice healthy compact plants,or am i wasting time,i read that zinnias dont do as well when you dont direct sow ??? i hope thats not true !! this is what growing here,zinnias,kale,verbena-moss-tenuisecta,rockcress-aubrietia,alyssum,lobelia,wave petunias,coleus,sweet william,godita,african daisy,lavendar-munstead,phlox-drummondii.i kept to the easy ones to start out.hurry up warm weather

Huggergirl - supposed to get rain/snow tonight. I'm so done with winter this year. Back to topic - I'm sorry I didn't think about special lighting for forcing blooms. I'm all about seedlings at the moment with tunnel vision. Your zinnias - if you want to keep all of your seedlings then, yes, I would transplant before they get much bigger. I think 2 to 3 per cell (you are talking about 6-packs?) is too crowded. I've never done zinnias (I'm just about all shade here) but I'm sure others can advise on whether there's an issue about transplanting but they are sold in 6-packs all the time. If you transplant to a bigger container, don't keep the babies too wet. As for the rest, the same probably holds true about not wanting to crowd them. However, aren't alyssum and lobelias sold as multiple little plants in each cell? I'm thinking you still have another 6 weeks before planting out and you'll just have to keep an eye on the plants to see if they're outgrowing their cells (roots coming out of the drainage holes, drying out every day) to determine if you need to transplant.

I got some sun deflectors that are meant for a car windshield at the dollar store. I have a very large light set up and I will need 6 to do the entire back. So $6 -pretty cheap. I only have one side done at the moment because I am not using the other side yet. I don't know how much of an improvement it will make. Time will tell. : )

cindym zone5,transplanted the zins,looking good,iam going to run out of room,that will make my hubby grumble,i think another set of shelves will do.lol ,keeping a close eye on crowding and drying out,iwill be kept busy for sure.


ha,hubby working on another set of shelves!!!

This message was edited Apr 6, 2009 3:42 PM

mereidith79,i used the reflectors i had on hand ,just on one side,window side,because they still wanted to reach for the window light even though i use lights.i hope that makes sense!!

Huggergirl - have run into the same grumbles from my DH but on the other hand, he's my chief enabler. Yeah, waiting for the seeds to sprout is the "quiet" time. I've been potting up seedlings for 3 weeks now and still have a little left to do. Have resorted to making paper pots (free!) for all of them. I've been running the perennial seedlings in and out of the garage for a couple of weeks now so they can harden off. Too cold to leave them out overnight yet. The annuals are still huddling in the GH, waiting for some warmer weather.

cindymzone5,you have a green house??if so you lucky girl,only in my dreams.paper pots youve got me thinking,I will have to try that,the greener the better.cant wait for the weather to warm up a bit,so i also can start setting things out on the screened porch,you know the drill.

Tamara

Hi Tamara, bought a greenhouse on E-bay 7X7X12. New from mnf..I like it but don't like the 'cold' weather we are having. It is a walk in one. Has a few 'bugs'. The windows which are closed with small strips of velcro are not efficient, I have taped windows shut. It is only temp. for 2 mo...but I do enjoy it. It all came to about $120.
Have shelves inside, resused from cellar. Check them out...have tomatoes started inside home, waiting for 2nd leaves to put into greenhouse. Will have more ideas to make greenhouse more efficient later, liked the idea of bubble wrap from furniture co.. for added warmth. Will try it out next year.

geraldine87,unfortunately we live on a rather steep hill, and a lot of shade,so flat sunny spots are few,i keep telling my hubby its time for flat ground !!! or cut trees down,dont want to do that, i will keep on dreamin,good luck

Tamara - DH gave me a lean-to GH for Christmas a couple of years ago and it's attached to the south side of the garage. I did have a little walk-in plastic one (temporary use) I bought at Menard's half price (I think I paid $90) several years ago but could only use it after March 1 and then I still had to heat it. I have lots of shade to but over winter the leaves from the trees are all gone and I get plenty of light inside. The shelves and frame are all snap-together plastic. Even though the flexible plastic tends to tear, a little packing tape patches it up for more use. Daughter in TN now has it and uses it in spring after starting her veggies indoors so getting full use out of it.
Geraldine - I tried bubble wrap this past winter. Bought a 120 ft roll at office supply store and used double layers on every exterior surface on the inside. I used blue painters tape to hold it in place. It works better than masking tape and doesn't leave adhesive residue behind. I'm sure it helped some but can't affix any exact $$ savings to it. Check out the GH forum for more tips. Lots of experts over there.

Here's the Bubble wrap thread
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/959872/