Humidity?

[pauladkins]

I have a heat mat & a 7 inch dome for starting my seeds. I bought a humidity gauge to monitor the level inside the dome. Can anyone tell me what % I should try to keep it at?

[heirloomtomaguy]

I would worry more about your soils temperature. As soon as the seeds sprout you are going to vent/remove the dome anyway so humidity wont matter. You want the media you are sprouting seeds in nice and moist not overly wet. Good luck!

[pauladkins]

Thanks for the quick reply. I was planning on leaving the dome on until the plants got 5 inches tall. That's why I wanted to know what I should try & keep the humidity level at.

[Tracydr]

I vent the lid until germination,then take off. I've had trouble with damping off when I left it on for even one extra day.

[pauladkins]

This is my first time using a heat mat & dome. From the pictures of this unit they show 6 inch plants growing under the dome. It sounds like that won't be possible. I am trying to keep the dome on longer so I can use the misters I mounted above to keep them wet.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

I vent the lid until germination,then take off. I've had trouble with damping off when I left it on for even one extra day.

Damping off doesn't occur if the mix is just too wet for damping off can only occur if one or more of the fungal genera and species is present in the mix used to start the seeds.

I googled some info but lost it in the transfer. One of my tomato pathology books, not near me right now, showed pictures where seedlings could be up to 5 inches tall before going down, that surprised me, so damping off just isn't seen when the seeds germinate and are very small.

Hope that helps,

Carolyn

[heirloomtomaguy]

Originally Posted by pauladkins

This is my first time using a heat mat & dome. From the pictures of this unit they show 6 inch plants growing under the dome. It sounds like that won't be possible. I am trying to keep the dome on longer so I can use the misters I mounted above to keep them wet.

Are you top watering your tomato seedlings with a mister? Tomatoes are prone to all kinds of diseases when their foliage gets wet. Best to bottom water when possible. A pic of your setup would be helpful if you have one.

[pauladkins]

Yes I am top watering. I will take a pic & post it. I am a newbie at this & don't know anyway other way to keep the soil moist.

[heirloomtomaguy]

Just pour water in the tray and let your media soak it up. Top watering is a big tomato no no

[pauladkins]

Is it okay to top water until the seeds pop up?

[heirloomtomaguy]

Yes but of you have a humidity dome you usually wont need to water more than once maybe twice. You dont want your growing media soggy.

[pauladkins]

Would a fan on the seedlings & top water with misters allow me to leave them in the dome longer?

[heirloomtomaguy]

I would not leave them in the dome at all after they sprout. Humidity is not a tomatoes friend. Why do you want to leave them inside the dome? How does your setup top water with misters inside a 7 inch dome?

[pauladkins]

I was hoping to keep them in the dome so I can control the temp & keep them watered. I am trying to automate the process. I ran a drip line through the top of the dome & attached two misters. I have the water & light on a timer.

[Gardeneer]

The purpose of dome is just to prevent the soil from drying out fast. So if you can keep the soil moist by other means (such as misting ..) you don't need a dome. Stagnant humid air is a haven for mo;d growth.