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RE: starting seeds indoors

Hi Lauran,

	Thank you so much for your comments on the seed starts.

There has been a few things mentioned that i will try this year to see if it make any difference.

One is that in the  past, i have usually kept my light hung about 6" above the plants.  That does not seem like it should be too far away to me. However, i will try it with the light a little closer.  Like some have said, down almost on top of the plant, to see if that makes a difference.

In addition some have told me to invest in the certified grow lights, of which i have priced at $7.00 Each. Since i have never used them before, I may as well give them a try. 

I like your idea Lauren with the car.  Now that is something that I just never thought of before, but I am certain that that could work.  In otherwise I would have a mobil greenhouse.  In fact what I could do, since i have a cap on my truck, is put some flats in the back of my pick up truck on sunny days.  

THINK SPRING 

Thanks again for all of your help,  ..... Denny   :-)



--- On Sat, 04 Oct 1997 00:18:43 -0500  nonayobusiness <medium.kyootie@internetMCI.com> wrote:

>-- [ From: nonayobusiness * EMC.Ver #2.3 ] --
>
>Hi Denny,  The only things that I can think of to add are the following:
>When the plants  get to be about  1"  high,  I turn on an electric fan  for
>a little while a  few  times a day, on a gentle speed.   This way, I am
>killing any fungus culprits that may be around waiting to cause problems.
>Also, it makes the plants stronger. Obviously, the fan shouldn't be right
>on top of the plants, it should just  give them a little gentle breeze. 
>Also, I have always used the cheap shop lights, but what I do is use one
>warm white and one cool white light bulb in each  fixture.  This is
>supposed to give a fuller bunch  of whatever waves of light that the plants
>need. The cool white ones are 99 cents around  here, but the other ones are
>EXPENSIVE!!!!! so I  usually cheat and use them for more than a few years. 
>The intensity of the light give off  is supposed to lessen towards the ends
>of the bulbs, so I try to put the more forgiving plants over there.  There
>is also more heat given off at the ends, so  you should put the ones that
>need more heat in that area.  The tubes are just above  the top leaves of
>the plants. If things aren't growing at the same pace, just put something
>under the short ones to boost them up to the bulbs.  (There's always
>something around  in the bsmt. to use as a booster!)  
>As far as feeding, I use any  15-30-15 at a diluted strength, whenever  I
>remember to do it, after the  plants start looking like plants, not
>infants.   
>
>It's important to keep the place that they're growing cool, like 55F,
>because otherwise, things get kind of spindly, and look like green
>spaghetti, and lose  their vigor.  This is after  they have  germinate,
>which usually  happens at a higher temp. look at the seed pack.  I sometime
>germinate things on top of the light tubes, because  the white metal thing
>with the machinery inside gets pretty warm.  The refrigerator is the best
>place, though  (ON TOP) because  it is wider and  hopefully not swing
>around the way the light fixtures do on those obnoxious chains. However, we
>redid the kitchen, and there is this annoying cabinet on  top of the fridge
>now, with only a few inches of clearance, so I can't use it anymore.  When
>things get really crowded with seed starts, I also agree with whoever said
>that the sun is the best thing.  I have stuck flats of seeds in my parked
>car, in the sun, with a window cracked,  in the early spring,  and they
>really perk up.  You just have to be really careful and not forget about
>them.  They dry out faster there.  I hope that these suggestions are not
>too silly, and that they are of some additional help to you.
>
>-Lauren z. 6
>
>

-----------------End of Original Message-----------------

Denny from PA Zone 6
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