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Re: starting seeds indoors

Lauren appears to have more time or inclination than I.  The note Lauren wrote 
concurs pretty much with what I would have said if I'd taken (had) the time to 
think it out.  So I've made this into a really long message by leaving it 
attached. (The fact that I'm writing this at 0614 local time on Sat before I 
leave for work for the 7th day in a row should provide a clue as to my current 
schedule.)

The fan idea is good, especially for plants that are going to spend a long time 
under cover, like tomatoes and peppers.  It induces a stronger cell structure in 
the stems and leaves, helping reduce "spindliness".

I would also like to reiterate: keep it cool!  Germinate the seeds at high temps 
(70's or so) but grow the seedlings as cool as the plants can stand.  55 deg F 
for tropicals like tomatoes and 40-50 for frost-hardy's like lettuce and coles. 
 They won't grow very fast but they will grow strong and when you set them out 
they will far out-perform the larger spindly yellow things grown at high temps.


And as for fertilizer: I use a little dilute (very dilute) 10-20-10 in the 
water, but early in the year I rarely water more that once a month.  If the 
temps are low enough then you won't use that much water.  I bottom water to 
avoid fertilizer salt buildup, which would only be a problem with the tropicals 
that stay under cover for such a long time.

Final note: Don't expect to get vegetables or very many flowers off a plant in a 
3" pot grown under fluorescents.  You have to set them out before they'll really 
grow.

And if my news software generates lines without CR's, I would hope someone would 
let me know.  (It is not apparent to the poster.)  

Steve  (Maritime Climate -- USDA Zone irrelevant)

nonayobusiness 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
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