TatiEva
Full Member
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2016 8:52 am
Location: Eastern Central Florida

Question about watering...

So I went out and bought a seedling starter tray which comes with a plastic greenhouse type cover. Instructions said to water soil before planting, I did so and covered.
It stays pretty humid in there. Should I still water everyday? The organic soil is so dark it's hard to tell if it's dry or moist.

I planted some strawberry seeds and some herbs seeds.

Thanks in advance!

Taiji
Greener Thumb
Posts: 921
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 3:19 am
Location: Gardening in western U.P. of MI. 46+ N. lat. elev 1540. zone 3; state bird: mosquito

This is only the way I do it. I use the plastic dome for only a couple of days, because I don't want to risk mildew. I do use a heat mat now, and it works wonders shortening sprouting time. I don't think you want to water too much, only when the mix starts to get dry. (and from the bottom!) As long as the dome has moisture condensing on it, you certainly don't need more water.

I know lots of the folks on the forum don't use the dome at all. Others are more expert than I, but I have had good success in recent years.

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

yeah, I'm one that hates the domes and never uses them. They are often seedling killers. Too much humidity and no air circulation is perfect conditions for fungal diseases. It is easier to know when to water without the dome.

But yes, if the soil was well moistened before you put the dome on, you probably don't need to water every day. Open the dome and touch your soil to see.

TatiEva
Full Member
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2016 8:52 am
Location: Eastern Central Florida

Thanks for responses!!! I'll keep a closer look at the soil. I have also taken off the dome. Thanks for the advice! :)

pepperhead212
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2852
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

I use the lids all of the time for starting, but only until I see some just starting to pop up, then I remove it. And here's something I do every year, to prevent fungus, is to use my leftover Actinovate from the previous season, by adding 2 tsp to each gallon of water in the beginning, and I have had no fungus or mold problems in my seedling trays.

Taiji
Greener Thumb
Posts: 921
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 3:19 am
Location: Gardening in western U.P. of MI. 46+ N. lat. elev 1540. zone 3; state bird: mosquito

I usually don't keep my seed starting cells in one giant cluster, I cut them apart into 6 or 8 packs; it makes it easier to move them around and do what I need to do with them. Easier to keep track of what's in them too.

I've found the best way to tell if they need to be watered is just pick up the 6 or 8 pack units and I can tell by the weight if they need water. If extremely lightweight, add water. If they have some weight to them, I wait maybe another day. After awhile, it's easy to decide if the soil is too dry by how heavy the packs are. :) Just the way I do it!



Return to “Seed Starting Discussions”