It has been 4 weeks since I started my pepper variety seedlings. They had a pretty high germination rate and are looking pretty healthy for the most part. I am just going to give a quick review on how I got them started.
Starting Trays
I bought a 72 cell seed tray. The idea for this setup is pretty cool. It has a mat that sits up on blocks and the edges dip down into a water stock in the bottom of the tray. The cells sit on top of the mat. I like it because you do not have to water the cells from the top, which can dislodge and uncover the seeds. But, I did have to do this occasionally. Some cells did not sit on the mat right to absorb enough water.
This particular tray set up came with a plug of starter soil inside each cell. The instructions were to just add water and they would absorb it and fill the cell. This did not work very well and the cells are too small to be able to easily stick my fingers in and fluff it up. I ended up dumping it out to break it up with my hands and then refilling the cells. I recommend getting a compacted soil block and trays with empty cells instead. I like to use coconut fiber starter.
Beware of using starter soil with a lot of nutrients in it. Seeds contain enough energy to get the seedling inside off to a good start on its own. If you pump too much nutrients around the seed, it could overwhelm and fry the seeds. You will likely have a low germination rate or stunted plants.
Too much of a good thing….
One year I made the mistake of using a bag that contained composted manure and hardly any of my seeds sprouted. At the time, I thought it was because I had set them out on the deck in full sun and they were too hot, but now I know it was because there was too much nutrients in my starter soil. This year I will even do my first transplant into larger pots with the coconut fiber, and slowly add nutrients in the form of a fish emulsion dilution. I’ll share more details on that when I start it.
I put the whole set up on a heat mat with some tin foil separating the mat from the counter top to insulate a little. I also started with the clear lid on all the time to create a greenhouse effect, keeping in the heat and moisture. Most of the seeds germinated in 6-9 days.
Planting
I planted two seeds in each cell. I have found that when starting seeds, it is best to plant more than you think you will need. Some seeds won’t germinate, and even after germination the plants can die off for a number of reasons, so you will likely end up with less than you planted. If you are working with limited space in your garden, you will also want multiple plants so you can pick out the healthiest looking ones to transplant.
Maintenance
Keeping the correct amount of moisture in the soil can be tricky. I try to check on the trays multiple times a day. The soil should not be too dry (dusty or really crumbly to the touch); or too wet (compacted or with visible water on the top). You do not want to water log the roots because it interferes with their exchange of gasses. Always use seed cells that have holes in them for drainage.
I started to notice some white mold growing on the soil at one point. I was pretty nervous about it at first but, after looking it up, I found that is pretty common if the soil is too wet. I left the lid off and turned on a ceiling fan and the mold decreased. I tossed out a few seedlings that were really covered in it, but it seems like it is not too damaging to the seedlings, especially when they are bigger.
Light
At this point, I did not use any lights on the tray. When the seedlings got big enough that I was finding it difficult to put the lid back on the tray, I moved it off the heat mat and set grow lights on it.
If the seedlings start leaning toward another light source in the room like these cabbages are doing in the photo below, that is a good indication it is time to add a top light source as well.
It is good for the seedlings to stay on the heat mat but, I only have one right now and my set up is in the living room so the room temperature is warm enough to support growth. I moved them to another table so I could start the tomatoes!
The last step in germinating seedlings it to wait! It can be difficult not to fuss over them with all your anticipation, but at this point, it is best to just let them do their thing!
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