Well my mater seeds are in (finally) and I have a question.
I know heat speeds up germination but I don't have any heating pads and we have no extra cash. The babies are in the basement where the ambient temp is about 60-65.
So I'm cheating....if you guys think this will work.
We have a small heater down there and I turned it on and set it about a foot away from the plants. I really don't have a good way of checking the temp, but will turn the heater off at night.
Good enough? Too much? I'll be pretty upset if I fry them, but this late in the game I don't have 12+ days to wait for cold germination like last year....
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gixxerific
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The heater you are using is better than nothing. I would think it would help. I did the same thing last year with a small oil based heater. What I have doesn't really heat so well at a distance. But sounds like your basement is warmer than mine. So that is a plus. Just to let you know that my mators are doing great in my cold basement. I do have a heating pad now though for germination.
You probably know you only really need the heat for germination after that is not that big of a deal.
Oh I also picked up a nice digital thermometer, that I love, last year at Wal Mart for right around $5. It does super high temps as well as very cold that is why I got it and it was cheap and it works. Good for soil and air temps I even use it for cooking.
You probably know you only really need the heat for germination after that is not that big of a deal.
Oh I also picked up a nice digital thermometer, that I love, last year at Wal Mart for right around $5. It does super high temps as well as very cold that is why I got it and it was cheap and it works. Good for soil and air temps I even use it for cooking.
I start my seedlings in a room that is 60-65 degrees and I don't use bottom heat. The lights and dome provide heat and keep the soil moist during the germination period.
I planted eggplant, herbs, lettuce and peppers last week and everything was up in 3-6 days except the peppers - took 8 days and these are not new seeds.
The first year I started seeds, I pondered "to dome, or not to dome" and found that the dome just makes it cozier for the seeds and they take off much quicker.
You can tell if the space is warm enough when your germinating mix gets that nice earthy smell.
I planted eggplant, herbs, lettuce and peppers last week and everything was up in 3-6 days except the peppers - took 8 days and these are not new seeds.
The first year I started seeds, I pondered "to dome, or not to dome" and found that the dome just makes it cozier for the seeds and they take off much quicker.
You can tell if the space is warm enough when your germinating mix gets that nice earthy smell.
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applestar
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In an old Organic Gardening Magazine, the then Editor (in Chief?) Mike something... McG? described whipping the cover of the ironing board, setting his grandmother's ugly old side table lamp with 100W bulb UNDERNEATH it, and setting up his seed starting on the metal surface of the ironing table, with shop light hung from the ceiling above.