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HOW warm for bottom heat?


I planted a packet of Marigold seeds in one of thoes 72-pot greenhouse trays
using jiffy-mix and put it on top of my florescent lights for bottom heat. 
Using a thermometer, I kept a eye on the temp.  Several times I saw temps of
over 90 F.  Is this too warm?  Only three of the seeds sprouted.  I don't
believe the temp ever got over 95 F.  Did I cook them or should I look for
some other cause for their failure.  It's not a great loss, but I'm worried
about other seeds I plan to start up there.  My Stokes order will arrive soon
and I've paid $8.50 for some New Ginea Impatients that I'd hate to kill.  

BTW,  following the advice in the Stokes catalog, I placed my carnation and
dianthus seeds in the freezer for a week.  They don't seem to have been hurt. 
Almost 100% of the carnation seeds have started and 75 % of the perenial
dianthus.  Some one had earlier mentioned that freezing in the freezer was not
a good thing.  OTOH, the Forget-Me-Nots did not germinate very well at the 55
F degree temp suggested by Stokes.  Of course, they aren't doing very well
under my lights now either.  Maybe I need to wait longer.  I planted the
Marigolds and the Forget-Me-Nots on 22 Jan, 3 weeks ago.  It's a drag here in
Hawaii trying to keep seed pots at 55F.  Too warm for the fridge, too cool for
outside, It'll be 82 F tomorrow.  (I see the jealous looks now.)  I used a
cooler with an ice jug in the bottom, a layer of newspaper and cardboard, then
put the seed pots on top of that.  When covered with a couple of towels, I
read 55-60 F on my thermometer.  It didn't help though.  Only four have
sprouted out of a whole packet.  Thanks for any helpful advice offered.


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