Humidity dome?? YES or NO

gixxerific · Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:58 pm

I just planted a bunch and if I screw this up it's gonna be ugly. I have never used them before with great success. I have them on them now, they were just dropped yesterday. They are only on partially so some moisture can leave. I was planning on leaving them on only for the very beginning.

Do you suggest for or against the use of these. I do have them on heating mats if that matters.

Thanks

Dono

applestar · Tue Mar 20, 2012 6:31 am

I think it depends on the relative humidity where you are starting the seeds. I tend to use them because I start seeds in the house and by this time RH is lowest it could possibly be. But I only use well-ventilated ones such as berry containers or upper half of soda bottles with caps removed. I just want a little bit of help.

This year, I started them inside one of those shelves with a "greenhouse cover" on them -- found a smaller three shelf unit that fits well on a window bench. That worked well zipped closed earlier in Feb. Now, I have to leave one or both zippers open or it gets too humid inside (especially since the sweet potato tray is in there on the heating mat too.)

dustyrivergardens · Tue Mar 20, 2012 10:33 am

I use them but as soon as my seeds start sprouting I slowly take the dome completely off

gixxerific · Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:33 pm

Thanks all. I have been venting them. Everytime I go down there ancd check the lids are loaded with water. I have bee drainig them off a bit and replacing.

This isn't my first go 'round with seed starting but I never really used domes before. No need to I had no problems before. Thing is I don't want to have problems.

Again thanks.

Duh_Vinci · Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:21 pm

Dono - I too use them, also vented ones... Actually, always have. I don't think these are "necessity", but always worked for me. What I do though, as soon as I see a seedling emerging, I immediately move that individual cell onto a tray under the light, so there are no chances of damping of the seedlings.

Either way, it works.

Regards,
D

soil · Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:44 pm

no dome, build a sweat chamber.

gardenvt · Thu Mar 22, 2012 3:58 pm

Using a dome helps to keep the soil warm and moist until germination begins. As soon as seedlings begin to appear, I raise that end of the dome to ventilate. I usually leave it on until many/most of the seedlings hve emerged.

I haven't had a probem with dampening off but have had great luck with the germination using the domes this way. If I take it off to early, the rest of the seeds take a long time to germinate.

I think it is a choice. I like them.

applestar · Thu Mar 22, 2012 4:11 pm

If you offset (or raise) the dome so there is a narrow gap along one entire edge, then make vent holes along the highest point of the dome on the opposite side, you can create a micro thermal flow that basically sweeps over the surface.

gixxerific · Thu Mar 22, 2012 6:56 pm

Thanks again for you advice and experiance.

I do keep them half cocked so there is some circulation.

First one popped about to make a thread about that now.

4 day's is all it took.

rainbowgardener · Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:42 am

"This isn't my first go 'round with seed starting but I never really used domes before. No need to I had no problems before."

So here's my question, if you have been starting seeds in the past without any domes and it worked just fine, what is the point in bothering with the domes now and having to vent it and drain the water off, etc.? What makes it worth the worry and hassle?

I've never had an answer to that one, so I never use the domes.

Bobberman · Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:02 am

I think keeping in the moisture helps in 2 main ways its that the soil does not crust . Second the absorbtion of water from the seeds by the peatmoss or dry soil! All I use is one sheet of clear plastic till the seeds sprout! Even in my sweat chamber my soil will crust because the chamber cover a large area and I notice the difference on flats that have now plastic cover in just a few days! Peat mixes will crust fast and pull the water away from the seeds just like a wick or a papper towel will absorbe water from any surface! The poor seedling is dried out and has no energy to break the surface even if its watered several days after crusting. That is my observance from the past!
+++
The crusting will also suck the the juice from the seed itself through the small seed root emerging even in one dry night. I noticed this in a few boxed of new seedlings that never grew and when I looked at the seeds they had a small opening but were dried out!! Grass seeds grow better when they are covered with straw for that reason! Does anyone else agree with me?

rainbowgardener · Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:16 am

But clearly gixx and I both started tons of happy seedlings without the domes, so whatever crusting might have been happening (I don't see any) wasn't harming the plants. I'm of the "ain't broke, don't fix it" school...

Bobberman · Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:22 am

You may have a really good soil mix with sand or vermiculite in the mix to stop the wick effect. Most of the bought soil mixes have a ton of peat in the mix which dries it out. Also soaking the peat mix well before using it helps as we have mentioned on thi forum! Next year I will make my own seedling mixes and not buy the already mixed. I bought different mixes this year and seem to like the manure compost mix the best with a .o1-.01.01 rating. The mix was very dark and light texture with no dried peat!