Not rocket science... I use regular heating pads (old fashioned, with no automatic timed cut off) set them on medium and forget them. I don't know how warm that makes my soil exactly, but it feels a little warm. Seeds like it, so I don't care. I'm not in that sense a very scientific gardener. I don't measure all this stuff, soil temps etc, I have never had my soil tested, I don't keep very much records. I just give the plants what they want and do what works and it all works out somehow.
I'm into keep it simple!
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
OK, I know this is unrelated to the question, but you may find this tip helpful down the road as your seedlings begin to grow.
OK, you will read the term "damping off" in this forum when we are talking about seedlings a lot. This is a fungus that attacks the seedlings at their base and causes them to look like they have been "pinched" off and killed.
It flourishes in damp conditions with no air flow. Some of the measures you can take to reduce this fungus is to allow the soil to dry out a little bit in between waterings, have the seedlings in an area where air curculates, have a fan blow on the seedlings periodically, sprinkle some cinnamon around the seedlings (natural anti-fungal), or water them with some chammomile tea (natural anti-fungal).
If you use the tea, you don't have to boil water or anything, just toss a chamomile tea bag into your regular container of water and let it sit for a while before you water your plants.
Now, if you do get a case of damping off, you can still save the seedling sometimes. This method works better for tomatoes seedlings than it does for peppers, but it worth a try with both.
when you see the base of the plant "pinched" or "kinked" and the seedling looks fallen over, cut if off just above the "pinched" point.
Next, re-bury the them up to the first set of leaves and give it a light watering. In many cases, the plant will root itself from the stem and live! I did with several tomato seedlings and a pepper last year and it worked!
I hope this helps. Happy gardening
.
OK, you will read the term "damping off" in this forum when we are talking about seedlings a lot. This is a fungus that attacks the seedlings at their base and causes them to look like they have been "pinched" off and killed.
It flourishes in damp conditions with no air flow. Some of the measures you can take to reduce this fungus is to allow the soil to dry out a little bit in between waterings, have the seedlings in an area where air curculates, have a fan blow on the seedlings periodically, sprinkle some cinnamon around the seedlings (natural anti-fungal), or water them with some chammomile tea (natural anti-fungal).
If you use the tea, you don't have to boil water or anything, just toss a chamomile tea bag into your regular container of water and let it sit for a while before you water your plants.
Now, if you do get a case of damping off, you can still save the seedling sometimes. This method works better for tomatoes seedlings than it does for peppers, but it worth a try with both.
when you see the base of the plant "pinched" or "kinked" and the seedling looks fallen over, cut if off just above the "pinched" point.
Next, re-bury the them up to the first set of leaves and give it a light watering. In many cases, the plant will root itself from the stem and live! I did with several tomato seedlings and a pepper last year and it worked!
I hope this helps. Happy gardening
.