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topshelf12
Posts: 127
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« on: October 04, 2013, 09:23:33 AM » |
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Hi everyone, I have been having trouble withe some of my seedlings dying. I start them in a small pot in a dome with a heat mat underneath. I then move them outside when I see green or if it is cloudy under a grow light with a heat mat underneath. Should I take them out of the covered dome when I first see the green leaves emerging or wait until the leaves actually unfold? or is my problem that the grow light is to weak? it is old a F20T12 spectralite.
thanks
Norm
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stplong
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« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2013, 10:21:16 AM » |
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Hi Norm,
I'm not sure where you live but I live in southern Ohio and I have found out that if you use the dome it keeps them too moist and they die, I now let them sprout and then re-pot them and put them outside or in the sun room. Southerns might need the dome but for us northerners I think it keeps them too moist.
Patrick
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topshelf12
Posts: 127
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« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2013, 11:27:56 AM » |
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thanks Patrick. I am in San Jose CA. Do you use the dome at all to germinate and then when they come up you re pot them? I had one yesterday. It came up I took it( the leaves had not opened yet) and put it under my grow light with a heat mat under it. I checked it this morning and it looks wilted.I have also tried taking it from the doom when it first comes up and putting it in the sun but the soil got quit hot and caused some to die. I clean each pot with a bleach water mixture and use seed starting soil. Not sure what I am doing wrong very frustrating!
Norm
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stplong
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« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2013, 08:11:53 PM » |
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Hi Norm,
I don't use a dome at all, and the only time I use the heat pad is in the winter. When I do use the heating pad as soon as it sprouts I take it off but of course my climate is different then yours so maybe Darren, which lives in the same climate as you do will be able to answer for your climate better.
Patrick
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Charlie
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« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2013, 07:16:54 AM » |
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Norm, seedlings that sprout and then die later are usually killed by fungus disease often called "damping off". Too much time under the dome can contribute to this. Air circulation helps a lot. If you need the dome to help with germination you can place it on the tray so that it does not fit tight and air can enter under 1 or more sides,depending on how you place it. You can also make holes in the dome. These techniques take some trial and error to get the best combo of retained heat and moisture with enough air circulation to keep the humidity from getting too high. You can also use a fungicide to help prevent fungus disease.
Charlie
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topshelf12
Posts: 127
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« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2013, 10:26:31 AM » |
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Thanks Charlie Here are a few last questions.
If I am starting seeds in November with approx 68 day & 53 at night I should use the heat mat and dome with vents in the top and side?
Should I put them under the grow light as soon as the seed breaks the surface or wait until the first two leaves unroll ?
I sterilize the pots with a bleach water mixture and I know the potting mix is sterilized where is the fungus coming from? What is the name of the spray?
thanks Norm
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Charlie
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« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2013, 05:37:08 AM » |
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Those are fairly cold temps for germinating seeds, so yes you should use the mat. You may or may not need the dome to get enough heat but a compromise is to use it with some vent holes. A lot depends on what the seeds are in. If you could get them to pop without the dome that would be best but they won't do it if its too cold.
Yes, they need light from the first moment they open, the more the better. They appear very delicate but experience has shown me that they can take a surprising amount of light, even direct sunlight and will do better later if they get lots of light early on.
Fungus spores float around in the air and probably are on the seed coats, too. I'm not sure what fungicides are available at reasonable cost, some copper based ones are widely available and some old time ones like Daconil I think are still out there. First line of defense is good air circulation and lots of light - this solves most problems.
Charlie
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Merkity
Posts: 94
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« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2013, 10:42:16 AM » |
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I have been starting seeds here and there. I lost most of my last batch to fungus, my fault wasn't paying enough attention to them, but the ones that did sprout I also had to check that the seedling completely cleared the seed shell. I noticed that I was losing seedlings due to their root being stuck in the shell. Think I also need to fertilize more, the ones I have going are growing super slow.
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