HelpfulGardener.com

For all those people buying jiffy seed dome mini greenhouses, and misting or watering daily to makes sure their fragile seedlings survive.

I kept track of my watering schedule this year. Tomato seedlings are in a 48cell flat (8-four pack inserts with cells about 1"x2" with four seeds/seedlings in each cell). I started the seeds in damp potting mix and then more or less submerged the flat in water to fully hydrate the mix, and then drained. Temps were around 68f-70F in the spare bedroom where my lights are.

Seedlings emerged on days 5-6. First watering was on day 8 because of a few cells that were dry on top. Today is day 16 and several cells are looking like the need water. Seedlings have true leaves and are crowding each other and are ready to pot up so they will get a soaking before I pull the roots apart tomorrow and then get their own 3" pots and go outside unless temps go into the 40s or there is rain. I don't have the room to baby them inside.

So I guess that is one watering per week whether they need it or not.

Higher temps and more air flow (fan) would dry things our faster. Peat pellets/pots would also dry out faster. Packing the mix in the pot (rather than loose fill) seems to hold water longer.

Try the Burpee self watering seed starting kit with a heater in the water or on a heating mat.
Cells stay at 80 degrees.
Tomatoes were up in less than 3 days and peppers in 5 days,.

Packing the mix in the pot (rather than loose fill) seems to hold water longer.

I agree TZ. I pre-moisten my 50 / 50 choir perlite and pack it in pretty tight. I fill 4" nursery pots by hand, then compress it down with a second 4" put. The tamping pot has to be full also, or it will just collapse.

Eric

A couple of extra days for tomato germination doesn't bother me. It won't be noticed when it comes time for planting. For peppers, until germination starts, I usually put the flat on top of my computer in the bedroom where the temp stays higher.

The way I pack my mix (thinking that maybe it gives me some sort of standardization) is to fill the pot/cell insert and heap as much mix over it as will stay and then press down. Then either use a pencil for a dibble stick, or if dense planting, scratch away the top 1/2 inch of mix add seeds, more mix, and tamp down.