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Re: off the heat pad when?

Hi Angelika,

You wrote:

> I've been germinating seeds for 3 years now in my greenhouse (more if you
> count taking over the dining room).  I've seen very little written on when
> to take the seedlings off the heat pad.  Is it after the first real set of
> leaves? the second set?

There could be a lot more written about all this, couldn't there?

According to Nany Bubel in _The New Seed-Starters Handbook_ "Once plants are
growing above ground, they need less warmth than is required for germination. 
The majority of vegetable plants that germinate most rapidly at 70-80F (21-27C)
do well when grow at 60-70F (16-21C), with night temperatures about 10F (5.5C)
lower."

She goes on to mention there are exceptions, of course.  I think what she says
is true for most flowers as well.  In my experience it doesn't hurt seedlings to
stay on bottom heat for their first or second set of true leaves, but not
much past that.  The danger is that they will grow too spindly and become weak. 
Seedlings are much stockier when grown cooler.  I generally remove mine to a
cooler bench anytime between the cotyledons being up and the second set of true
leaves, when I like to have them transplanted by.  By then they don't fit on the
propagation bench anymore anyways. ;-)  

Have fun out there!

   ____________________
  |                    |
  |     Bob Carter     | Kootenay Bay
  |  bcarter@awinc.com | BC, Canada
  |____________________|


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