Lowering Night Germination Temps Indoors

[greenthumbomaha]

I'm germinating celery seeds and the preferred temp is 70-75 day and 60 at night to simulate natural conditions. My heat mat has only one setting. Just wondering how many unplug at night . This is not for seeds that prefer constant heat like peppers (or is it?_.)

- Lisa

[jmsieglaff]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

I'm germinating celery seeds and the preferred temp is 70-75 day and 60 at night to simulate natural conditions. My heat mat has only one setting. Just wondering how many unplug at night . This is not for seeds that prefer constant heat like peppers (or is it?_.)

- Lisa

I'm sorry I'm of no help, but I did get some celery seeds this year. It is something we haven't grown. I'm guessing your plant out date isn't that much earlier than mine--makes me wonder if I should be sowing my celery seeds soon. I will be sowing onion seeds indoors this weekend.

[AlittleSalt]

Lisa, I do that for peppers too. I try to simulate nature. It's cooler outside at night/early morning, and that's where they're going to be growing eventually. There's nothing scientific about my reply, but it makes sense to me.

[joseph]

I plug the heaters and lights of my germination chamber into a timer. I allow heat/light for 16 hours a day followed by 8 hour of cool/dark. The room I keep the germination chamber in is cool, so it does a nice daily swing of temperature.

[greenthumbomaha]

wow, you two guys surprised me - I thought the pepper/tomato/eggplant types needed constant temperatures or their germination would be delayed, at least in an artificial environment

as to celery, it grows painfully slow and needs to go out sooner than its warm season friends so I would consider starting seeds anytime in January or very early Feb and you'll be fine - as you probably read make sure it never dries out, it has a memory for this and won't produce tender stalks if it ever missed a drink this is one plant that doesn't mind overwatering

[AlittleSalt]

I've (Personally) have never seen celery growing here in my area of Texas. It probably is grown here - I've just never seen it. So I don't know anything about growing celery other than what I've read that you have written.

Peppers that are super hot sound like they probably need to be nursed along - with perfect temperatures and watering at exact times, etc. My wife and I like peppers up to 30,000 Scoville is all. I'm experimenting with some Habanero seeds, but that's all it is - an experiment to see if I can get them to germinate. Peppers under 50,000 Scovilles are pretty easy to get to germinate - they are much more forgiving (Basically just like starting tomato seeds) Some need 80+ heat, but not 24/7.

[greenthumbomaha]

Robert, I googled growing celery in Texas and there are several resources if you are interested. Growing celery is challenging in Omaha but that's part of the fun. A few die hard green thumbs grow celery in Nebraska but it certainly isn't common, celeriac is. Its all in the timing (starting very early to get a head start) , selecting the right variety, and some luck with weather.

Originally I was going to title this thread "What vegetables germinate better at lower nocturnal temps" but celery was my task at hand. My first batch germinated at room temperature. I thought consistent warm temps speeds pepper germination but its good to know that its not the end of the world if the heat mat goes off!

- Lisa

[AlittleSalt]

Lisa, at some time, I will try Celery. I like your original thread thought "What vegetables germinate better at lower nocturnal temps?"

I think that would be a very interesting thread.

[joseph]

I like the chart on this page:
http://tomclothier.hort.net/page11.html

For tomatoes the quickest and most reliable germination was at 77 F.