PLanting seeds inside - Question

[Avonnow]

I have bought and am using two different domes or germination kits. I also have a heat mat. I am getting alot of mixed info from sites and needed some expert advice. Alot of them come with their own medium to plant the seeds in, and they recommend if you have small seeds to just place them on top. Well I did one dome with tomato's and peppers they seem to be coming along, but some it seems are growing super tall and then dying from obviously too much moisture, but they do not have two leaves yet so I didn't want to move them. Others are growing and it seems they are not going down in the little pots, it looks like all the growth activity is on top. Should I be pushing these seeds down into these plugs half-way , all the way. I took some out and transplanted them into smaller pots and they are still in my laundry room under lights. They had two leaves and I was afraid they would also die. I guess I am confused because you see these ads and every plant in the dome is growing at the same time and they look fuller - mine look all leggy. They also show them with this miraculous root ball. What should I expect and when should I move them out into a small container. I was also told one they germinate they should be taken out and off the heating pad - is this good advice. Thanks!

[rainbowgardener]

Pretty much as soon as any seeds have sprouted, the humidity dome should come off. Once they have 1-2 pair of true leaves (not the cotyledons/seed leaves that come first), they can come off the heat mats.

Tall and spindly is a sign of not enough light. Are you using supplemental lights (I.e. not trying to grow just with window light)? If so, how close to the plants are the lights? Should be just a few inches above the plants and on for 16 hrs a day.

It isn't too much moisture that make it super tall. Either not enough light or it could be too much nitrogen fertilizer. Does the potting mix they are in come with fertilizer in it? Are you adding any fertilizer? Baby seedlings don't need any fertilizing at least until they have a couple pair of true leaves.

When you say growing super tall and dying, what happened? Did they just suddenly keel over and lie flat on the soil? That is most likely damping off. It's a fungal condition that occurs under conditions of too much humidity and not enough air circulation - exactly the conditions under your domes. Personally, I never use the domes. Seeds sprout just fine with out them and too much risk of problems with them.

I doubt much of what you experienced has anything to do with how deep you planted the seeds.

[Avonnow]

Well they did come with a small packet of fertilizer the instructions said to mix with water and put in bottom of tray, that may be it, they have lights on 16-18 hours a day - the lights may not be as close as you mentioned, but I have overhead, and two moveable lights I move around ( I have them in my laundry room on a counter we have. There are under the counter lights that run the length of the counter, then I have two I move around. I know they do just as well in some other plstic cups I have - I was just trying three different ways to see what happened and get an idea. Well maybe I made a mistake in moving the others, only time will tell, they did not have the "TRUE" leaves, I just freaked and wanted to make sure I didn't lose everything. So now that I have a bunch that have spouted, I should just take the lid off - correct? Wait till they have there first set of true leaves and then move them on out into another container. Whew - this is like raising a kid - well almost! Thanks

[rainbowgardener]

Well they did come with a small packet of fertilizer the instructions said to mix with water and put in bottom of tray, that may be it, they have lights on 16-18 hours a day - the lights may not be as close as you mentioned, but I have overhead, and two moveable lights I move around ( I have them in my laundry room on a counter we have. There are under the counter lights that run the length of the counter, then I have two I move around. I know they do just as well in some other plstic cups I have - I was just trying three different ways to see what happened and get an idea. Well maybe I made a mistake in moving the others, only time will tell, they did not have the "TRUE" leaves, I just freaked and wanted to make sure I didn't lose everything. So now that I have a bunch that have spouted, I should just take the lid off - correct? YES Wait till they have there first set of true leaves and then move them on out into another container. At LEAST one set of true leaves, better would be two. With just one set, it is still very early to be disturbing it. Whew - this is like raising a kid - well almost! Thanks

Re the lighting:
Light diffuses by the inverse square law. That is, if I have a light bulb 4 inches above the plant and I move it twice as far away, 8", the plant is now getting 1/4 the light it was. If I move it 4 times as far away, 16", the plant is now getting one-sixteenth the light it was! So not as close as I suggested makes a BIG difference.

[Avonnow]

So it would be better to raise the seeds to meet the light then - I also have tow other slights I can manually move so I will adjust them to be closer. Thanks for the great advice. Will give this another try.

[applestar]

I guess I am confused because you see these ads and every plant in the dome is growing at the same time and they look fuller

That would be the magic of photography*. (They probably pick the best looking ones out of several trays (gown under completely different conditions, mind you) and pop them in, arranging for the best visual effect, then -- more than likely -- photoshop them.)
I tend not to like the multiple-cell trays exactly for that reason. I prefer growing in individual or small group containers. latter half of my seed starting weeks are spent moving them around under the lights and elevating the shorter ones to maintain even canopy(top of foliage) so they are all equal distant under the lights.

*P.S. I recently heard a radio ad in which they were inviting volunteers to participate in a skin care product trial for a chance to bein a national advertising campaign and for a chance to look amazing for a few seconds or minutes I forget which. I immediately thought of the movie Catwoman.

[garden5]

I like the 72 cell trays because it allows me to maximize my growing capacity in limited space. I can grow 2 of these trays under one light. The down side, of course, is that I have to start them later so that they do not get too root-bound. Therefore, they go into the ground smaller.....I hope for volume to make up for size .

Oh, and by the way, Apps: did you know that when you see thick, rich, luscious milk being poured on a commercial....it is oftentimes Elmer's glue ?