First seedling emerge

dtlove129 · Wed Mar 07, 2012 8:56 am

I read that as soon as the first ones emerge to remove my dome on my pellet greenhouse. Well I have shasta daisies, columbine, delphiniums, black eyed susans and white cone flowers started. Mostly the black eyed susans have started emerging. I would say out of 70 pellets 10 have some seedlings coming up. So I should remove the dome at this time eventhough 85% of my seedlings haven't emerged?

I have my light down within 1-2 inches of the tray, but this dome thing has me confused.

treehopper · Wed Mar 07, 2012 9:05 am

I usually leave the dome in place until the seedlings are 1-2 inches tall-by then most that will germinate, have...can't speak to flowers, as I only use the domes for tomatoes and peppers...

dtlove129 · Wed Mar 07, 2012 9:51 am

Does it hurt to have the light on all of them instead of removing a couple and putting under the light? I use those peat pellets and they are already in a tray. I mean I could repot the pellet and just put those under the light, but I my peat pellet tray is set up for bottom watering and it would be easier to leave them all in there and put the light on all of them.

rainbowgardener · Wed Mar 07, 2012 10:11 am

dtlove129 wrote:Does it hurt to have the light on all of them instead of removing a couple and putting under the light? I use those peat pellets and they are already in a tray. I mean I could repot the pellet and just put those under the light, but I my peat pellet tray is set up for bottom watering and it would be easier to leave them all in there and put the light on all of them.

That would be fine. And I would just remove the humidity dome. I don't use them at all. It may help with seed germination, but it certainly isn't necessary, since I germinate hundreds of seeds each year without them. And once the seedlings are sprouted, the excess humidity and lack of air circulation in there is a real seedling killer. To me, it isn't worth the risk.

Bobberman · Wed Mar 07, 2012 10:23 am

Using domes in the sunlight in a greenhouse is where the danger can be because of extra heat. With watering from the bottom a dome can cause damping off if the area is exposed to the surface of the water once the seedlings emerge!. With the dome up watering from the bottom could make the peat pots too moist with no air circulation. I would not water from the bottom till all the seedlings are up as long as the pots are moist and the dome is in place! Peat pots dry out fast without the dome! I prefer a plastic cover since the lights can be put closer!

dtlove129 · Wed Mar 07, 2012 11:10 am

You guys tell me this stuff while I'm at work and then I panic and think I need to run home and change my set up. I did take the dome off this morning, but now I wish I had a fan blowing over them.

My trays are in one of those small greenhouses that has the zipper plastic cover so they still aren't getting real air circulation now that I've taken the dome off. The only reason I have them in that is for trapping the heat.

Bobberman · Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:49 pm

A soltion to your problem of some seeds coming up but others not yet. Take the dome off and put the sprouting seeds on one end of the container and place a plastic sheet over the others till they come up!

rainbowgardener · Wed Mar 07, 2012 2:12 pm

But they really don't need it, especially inside a greenhouse!

dtlove129 · Wed Mar 07, 2012 2:12 pm

Thanks Bobber! Great idea on your bwib too. I googled it and went and watched it. I use to fish like crazy when I was a kid because my parents and grandparents drug me to the river or lakes all the time (I grew up in Western KY). I don't fish anymore because they burnt me out on it, but I also said I would never garden because my dad always had me working in the garden and now that I'm in my 30's this is my 2nd year gardening. I think it all changed once I got a house and wanted to start growing flowers and then it led to veggies.

Maybe I'll get back into fishing one day. My granddad would have gotten a kick out of your bwib though.

Also Latrobe is home to one of my favorite beers. Ship me some fresh Rolling Rock please for working in my garden this summer! haha

Bobberman · Wed Mar 07, 2012 3:55 pm

rainbowgardener wrote:But they really don't need it, especially inside a greenhouse!

I guess you are refering to covering the seeds that have not come up yet. I had a few flats even in my sweatchamber not covered and the top peat mix crusted and was very hard with no seeds coming through! I think the excess heat will dry the soil fast without plastic or glass cover before the seeds sprout! I still say the biggest prolem with seeds sprouting is the soil crusting and the seeds cannot emerge just like in the movie Hyodini when he got caught under the ice and could not reach the surface!

Bobberman · Wed Mar 07, 2012 5:39 pm

I Would say that peat moss mix does crust and the novice to seed starting will have most of his problems from crusting! If the soil mix has vermiculite or perlite more in the mix crusting may not happen! It seems to me that most bought seed starting mixes do have a alot of peat in them!

gixxerific · Wed Mar 07, 2012 8:32 pm

No domes here.

brandon558 · Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:24 am

Last week I started all my seeds some in peat pots, starter treys with domes, some with nothing. In the last 48 hours 90% of the seeds have come up. It seems the ones in the treys with dome are a tad bit bigger. Although they all sprouted with and without dome. Didnt use heat mats either.