This is my seed starting station

[jbest123]

This is my seed germinating station. I have room for five standard trays and two half trays. On occasion, I have been known to place two flats on top of the florescent lights also.

p2220038 by tsebmj, on Flickr

p2220039 by tsebmj, on Flickr

The three and one half trays in the center are setting on three ins. of heated sand at 75 DEG F. Once a flat is fully germinated, it will be moved to the GH and one from the right or left will be moved into its place. When all veggies are germinated, then I will start on the wife’s posies.

p22200401 by tsebmj, on Flickr

All flats are empty except for the one on the left setting on the heated sand.

p22200431 by tsebmj, on Flickr

I pored about a quarter cup of water on the bottom for demonstration purposes. The thermometer shows 73 and ½ DEG F and 100% humidity. You can see the condensation draining from the sides back into the bottom of the flat. I do not think I will have to add water until I remove the humidity domes.

p22200421 by tsebmj, on Flickr

[rainbowgardener]

Nice! What heats the sand?

[jbest123]

I used a soil heat tape with a built in 75deg thermostat similar to the photograph below. I placed 3/4"polystyrene on the bottom and sides of the box, laced the tape back and forth and put 3" of sand on top.

coil-websize by tsebmj, on Flickr

[DoubleDogFarm]

Again very nice John.
I started with a similar set up. To conserve space I now have a progation chamber. "Sweat Chamber" It does take up one of the greenhouse windows.



Eric

[lily51]

Very nice, both of you! Makes me want to get started, but think I'll wait for Christmas .

[rainbowgardener]

Yeah, John is starting very early because he has a heated greenhouse for growing things in the winter. Without that, if you are just starting things indoors to move outside in spring, I would think even Christmas is too soon, especially in zone 5. I'm in zone 6 and I start the earliest things - cold hardy perennials and cold weather crops like broccoli - mid Jan and still people think I'm jumping the gun. Depends on the year. Some years we have an early warm up and I'm glad I started early and some years they end up having to wait for a long time...

[jbest123]

Wait wait that was a post from my journal. It would have been mid Feb. at the earliest.

[gixxerific]

Very nice John, I remember years ago seeing this in not as great of condition. You have made a great greenhouse. I am jealous as I do no have one.

Very nice.

Dono

[ReptileAddiction]

That looks very nice! I am not quite sure what I will do this year. I would like to start most of my own seeds but I have to find an area to do it.

[jcrous]

I have been looking for seed heating mats for years, but it just never were available here in South Africa. I just made a cold frame on pedastals and I have managed so far. Inside the frame it is hotter than outside and I have not experienced any problems so far.

I will rething for pepper to buy one setup in the near future. Maybe I am just fortunate. Our very cold nights is still your average days. Our hot days are where some countries' plants are dying.

[hendi_alex]

"I have been looking for seed heating mats for years, but it just never were available here in South Africa."

I use our Kane heating pad for the dog as a heating mat. Any kind of heating mat will do, even one from the pharmacy, as long as you protect it from water. Of course the Kane mat is water proof and very durable. Some kind of solution is definitely available in your area. Putting a couple of incandescent lights in reflector lamps will do a pretty good job of heating the soil as well as the surrounding air temperature. Just be sure to use an appropriately sized bulb so that the temperature does not get too warm.

[rainbowgardener]

If we are showing pics of our seed starting stations, here is mine, in my basement:




This is an old picture, I have nothing planted there now, though I hope to start the first seeds in the next few days to a week.

This holds 16 trays when full, two of them on heat mats (the little blue lines, bottom right)

The lower level wooden counter top sits on top of a row of old kitchen cabinets that provide storage for pots and equipment.

[rainbowgardener]

Incidentally, I did a google search to find the seed starting basics thread to link for someone, and in that process, I found that my basement pics are now all over the internet. Various people have lifted them for their pinterest pages: e.g.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/480688960199558635/


and this article about seed starting:

https://www.bbbseed.com/_blog/The_Dirt/t ... _Starting/

has what I swear is one of my pics of my broccoli starts, under the heading midsummer tasks, midway down the page. The photo is only credited to helpfulgardener with no specific link, but I recognize my babies!

I don't mind, I posted them. But it is a good reminder for everyone - what you post here or anywhere IS out there and it is never going away.