Hello all, brand new to the forum. This is my first time starting seeds indoors. I'm having a bit of trouble. I bought a 4' shop light with 2 plant bulbs. I am also using a 72 cell Jiffy greenhouse. I started them out in my rec room where it is NOT heated. So I instead bought a head pad, put down a towel, and folded it up over the sides to keep the heat in. Every now and then, I'd take them in the house and put them over a heat register. This seemed to work ok and my tomatoes germinated in about a week and a half. They started out GREAT. After a week or so, a jalapeno came up, but was extremely leggy and drooped over in a matter of 2 days. Since then, everything else has come up (green peppers, banana peppers, serrano, basil, eggplant, etc etc) but quickly stopped. My tomatoes have not gotten any bigger and everything else has also halted progress. Now a lot of the seed leaves are getting some discolored tips. Another big mistake I think I made was watering them from the top and leaving the heat dome on through most of the process.
Today I finally moved them in the house with the plant lights and all. I have them about 4" from the tray hoping to rejuvenate them. Is it too late? Should I cut my losses and start all over?
One more issue too is I soaked my habanero and pablano seeds for 4 days before planting them and they still have yet to germinate. It's coming up on 4 weeks now.
HELP!!! I'm as green as they get with this stuff. Any tips or recommendations would be extremely helpful! Thanks!
- ozark_rocks
- Senior Member
- Posts: 128
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2010 7:58 pm
- Location: Arkansas
Hello, welcome to the forum. You mention that you used a jiffy greenhouse, but not what type starting medium. Did you use jiffy peat pellets? I've never had any luck with those. Also , I don't start everthing in the same tray because, most seeds have different germination times.
As soon as the first sprouts appear , I take them off the heat and place under my grow lights. If I use a dome, sometimes I don't, that comes off too.
As soon as the first sprouts appear , I take them off the heat and place under my grow lights. If I use a dome, sometimes I don't, that comes off too.
Thanks everyone!! Since I posted this, I moved my entire setup indoors, took away the heat mat, took the lid off, and my seedlings seem to be coming back to life. I have had a hungarian wax pepper shoot up, taller than my biggest tomato plant now. The cold was definitely a major problem, even with the heat mat/dome. Most of my seedlings are too far gone to resurrect now, but I still have time to start over.
About the habs...on the packet is said to soak for 4 days prior to sowing, but everywhere I have read online said in warm water overnight. I'm thinking that may be part of the problem. Serrano's aren't sprouting yet either. I may start a 2nd tray and do it RIGHT this time with seeds I think are too far gone to do anything.
Thanks for all the advice! Greatly appreciated.
About the habs...on the packet is said to soak for 4 days prior to sowing, but everywhere I have read online said in warm water overnight. I'm thinking that may be part of the problem. Serrano's aren't sprouting yet either. I may start a 2nd tray and do it RIGHT this time with seeds I think are too far gone to do anything.
Thanks for all the advice! Greatly appreciated.
Sorry all the chain of posts, but one other quick question. I see everyone's suggestion to get seedlings under light AFTER they germinate. It wouldn't hurt to keep them under light after sowing would it? Right now I planted two more tomatoes in peat pots under a 4' shop light. I wouldn't see any harm in that, but I'm also brand new.
- ozark_rocks
- Senior Member
- Posts: 128
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2010 7:58 pm
- Location: Arkansas
No harm in it, but it isn't necessary .JLudin wrote:Sorry all the chain of posts, but one other quick question. I see everyone's suggestion to get seedlings under light AFTER they germinate. It wouldn't hurt to keep them under light after sowing would it? Right now I planted two more tomatoes in peat pots under a 4' shop light. I wouldn't see any harm in that, but I'm also brand new.