Seed starting rookie question, remove saran wrap?

flyfiishn · February 15, 2016

Hello All,

Starting from seed for the first time this year. Have 3 trays going with 6 varieties each. have planted the seeds all following Craig L. dense planting & shallow seeding technique.

So far, (day 5) about 2/3rds of the varieties have sprouted and are doing well. I still have the saran wrap lightly over the trays but am wondering if I should remove it even though the last 1/3 are still yet to sprout (a few do have emerging loop).

Should I remove it and keep the cells moist or keep them all covered or try to keep only individual cells covered.

They're indoors on heat mat. Want to get them under lights soon in garage.

Sorry, total rookie here.

Patihum · February 15, 2016

Remove the saran wrap. Just keep the cells damp - the other seeds will still come up.

KarenO · February 15, 2016

oh definitely take it off and get them under the lights asap. you don't want the fast germinators to suffer lack of light and too much moisture and heat while waiting for the slowpokes.
KarenO

flyfiishn · February 15, 2016

I do have them by the S. facing window on mat. Will transfer to light setup.

Keep the heating mat for a few more days?

kath · February 15, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyfiishn

I do have them by the S. facing window on mat. Will transfer to light setup.

Keep the heating mat for a few more days?

No heat either once the first ones poke up their heads- as others said, the slowpokes will show up later anyway.

flyfiishn · February 15, 2016

Thank you all so much. Into the garage they will go this eve under my light setup. No more heat mat.

How long should I give the slowpokes to poke thru before I try a new cell and re-seed those that perhaps do not make it?

kath · February 15, 2016

Nearly all that are going to sprout will show themselves before 3 weeks, for sure- all but the toughest by ~2 weeks. If you can separate the cells that haven't emerged yet, keep them covered and warm, it will speed things up. Not sure how cold your garage is but that could slow things down quite a bit.

flyfiishn · February 15, 2016

Garage is unseasonably warm actually, probably 60-65 degrees. Thank you Kath for all the help.

kath · February 15, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyfiishn

Garage is unseasonably warm actually, probably 60-65 degrees. Thank you Kath for all the help.

Sounds good- hope you get great germination on all you've sown...and you're very welcome.

kath

jillian · February 18, 2016

Hope your seedlings are coming along nicely flyfiishn. I have a similar question and hope someone can answer. I have googled and find no answer to this particular question.

I started 30 varieties of pepper seeds last Friday. I have them on a heating mat. I was surprised on day 4 that I had some sprouting, even more surprising is they are hot peppers. None of the sweet peppers have sprouted. They are planted in 6 cell trays. My question is if I put the cell trays that have a seedling in only one or two of the cells under grow lights, will that affect the ungerminated seeds in the other cells? Sorry for my ignorance but I am just not sure.

Worth1 · February 18, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillian

Hope your seedlings are coming along nicely flyfiishn. I have a similar question and hope someone can answer. I have googled and find no answer to this particular question.

I started 30 varieties of pepper seeds last Friday. I have them on a heating mat. I was surprised on day 4 that I had some sprouting, even more surprising is they are hot peppers. None of the sweet peppers have sprouted. They are planted in 6 cell trays. My question is if I put the cell trays that have a seedling in only one or two of the cells under grow lights, will that affect the ungerminated seeds in the other cells? Sorry for my ignorance but I am just not sure.

Jillian I start my seeds under lights so when they come out of the soil they see light or soon will when they come on.
Just like in nature works every time.

Worth

jillian · February 18, 2016

Thanks Worth, that does make lots of sense. Under the light they go.

encore · February 19, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by kath

No heat either once the first ones poke up their heads- as others said, the slowpokes will show up later anyway.

why no heat mats? i do mine in the basement and leave the heat mats on till they are 3 or more inches high. just asking?----tom

kath · February 19, 2016

[QUOTE=encore;533668]why no heat mats? i do mine in the basement and leave the heat mats on till they are 3 or more inches high. just asking?----tom[/QUOTE/}

It was my understanding that flyfishin was going to leave the plants in contact with heat mats after germination. I've read here that as soon as germination happens, plants should be removed from heat mats because that might promote legginess. Maybe I'm wrong- I'm certainly no expert.

kath

encore · February 19, 2016

this is only my 4th year maybe 5th lol. so no expert either, I have been leaving the heat mats under the flats pretty much till I start bringing them up from the basement to harden them off. I keeps the lights very close to the plants and haven't had too big a problem with leggy plants. had a fan blowing on them last year that was on a timer, and at a distance away from them and had some really stocky plants. way! better than the leggy ones the first year lol.--tom

February 15, 2016	#1
flyfiishn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Northern CA Posts: 80	Seed starting rookie question, remove saran wrap? Hello All, Starting from seed for the first time this year. Have 3 trays going with 6 varieties each. have planted the seeds all following Craig L. dense planting & shallow seeding technique. So far, (day 5) about 2/3rds of the varieties have sprouted and are doing well. I still have the saran wrap lightly over the trays but am wondering if I should remove it even though the last 1/3 are still yet to sprout (a few do have emerging loop). Should I remove it and keep the cells moist or keep them all covered or try to keep only individual cells covered. They're indoors on heat mat. Want to get them under lights soon in garage. Sorry, total rookie here.

February 15, 2016	#2
Patihum Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Southeast Kansas Posts: 878	Remove the saran wrap. Just keep the cells damp - the other seeds will still come up.

February 15, 2016	#3
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	oh definitely take it off and get them under the lights asap. you don't want the fast germinators to suffer lack of light and too much moisture and heat while waiting for the slowpokes. KarenO

February 15, 2016	#7
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Nearly all that are going to sprout will show themselves before 3 weeks, for sure- all but the toughest by ~2 weeks. If you can separate the cells that haven't emerged yet, keep them covered and warm, it will speed things up. Not sure how cold your garage is but that could slow things down quite a bit.

February 18, 2016	#10
jillian Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: North Carolina Posts: 880	Hope your seedlings are coming along nicely flyfiishn. I have a similar question and hope someone can answer. I have googled and find no answer to this particular question. I started 30 varieties of pepper seeds last Friday. I have them on a heating mat. I was surprised on day 4 that I had some sprouting, even more surprising is they are hot peppers. None of the sweet peppers have sprouted. They are planted in 6 cell trays. My question is if I put the cell trays that have a seedling in only one or two of the cells under grow lights, will that affect the ungerminated seeds in the other cells? Sorry for my ignorance but I am just not sure.

February 19, 2016	#14
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	[QUOTE=encore;533668]why no heat mats? i do mine in the basement and leave the heat mats on till they are 3 or more inches high. just asking?----tom[/QUOTE/} It was my understanding that flyfishin was going to leave the plants in contact with heat mats after germination. I've read here that as soon as germination happens, plants should be removed from heat mats because that might promote legginess. Maybe I'm wrong- I'm certainly no expert. kath

February 19, 2016	#15
encore Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: wisconsin Posts: 536	this is only my 4th year maybe 5th lol. so no expert either, I have been leaving the heat mats under the flats pretty much till I start bringing them up from the basement to harden them off. I keeps the lights very close to the plants and haven't had too big a problem with leggy plants. had a fan blowing on them last year that was on a timer, and at a distance away from them and had some really stocky plants. way! better than the leggy ones the first year lol.--tom