Just few seed starting questions

[m00s3]

Hello Helpful Gardeners

I have germinated seeds successfully using the moisten paper towel in baggie method and now I am ready to get them going.

is it ok to use an organic potting soil to start them off in?

also shop lights with 32 watt flourescent bulbs or could you recommend something else for me?


thank you all and happy healthy growings.

[rainbowgardener]

You should be fine with the organic potting soil (as long as it has nutrients, not sterile seed starting mix) and shop lights (as long as they cover the area with light and can be within 3" of the plants).

What kinds of seeds did you start?

[Gary350]

Miracle grow potting soil works great it already has fertilizer in it.

Fluorescent lights are not good unless you use natural day light bulbs and a window fan.

Put plants outside in real sun light every day then bring them inside at night, this works best.

[rainbowgardener]

Well I have grown literally thousands of plants from seed under my fluorescent tubes, which are just shop light, not anything fancy.

Out in the daytime is great if temperatures allow. In NJ you are probably getting there. But in and out can be a pain if you have a lot of plants and staying in all the time works just fine for getting them started.

[m00s3]

wow thanks so much for the replys

I have germinated and just started Mortgage lifter tomatoes and some basil. I am trying for heck of it two of each sugar pods and some longer bean inside even tho it recommends not to but I figure two seeds what the heck.

I just started some catnip and a variety of peppers in that same germination prep.

tomorrow ill share my shoplight set up

on that note how far should the bulbs be from the newly planted seeedlings?

[rainbowgardener]

Just 2-3 " above the plants, hung so they can be raised as the plants grow...

[JayPoc]

Just 2-3 " above the plants, hung so they can be raised as the plants grow...

Or alternately, fix the lights and raise the plants (on top of several books, say). Then, as the plants grow remove a couple of books and lower the plants...lol....just seemed easier to me than rigging some moveable system for the lights.

[rainbowgardener]

The shop light fixtures for fluorescent tubes come with chains for hanging them. If you hang the chains from hooks, then you just put the hooks through different loops of the chain. Not very tricky or high tech.

[JayPoc]

The shop light fixtures for fluorescent tubes come with chains for hanging them. If you hang the chains from hooks, then you just put the hooks through different loops of the chain. Not very tricky or high tech.

It is if you don't have any hooks to hang them from.