A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Plant Propagation When do I remove the cover from my seedlings?

Hello all!

It's been a long time since I've been able to play with plants, so I've been gone awhile. This year though, I'm really trying to do some "real" gardening!

This year, I am growing things from seeds for the first time. I am in a zone 5b-6a in British Columbia Canada. Mostly flowers - some veg. As of yesterday, we only had about 6 inches of snow left - and in sunnier spots, none at all! Sadly, it snowed again today.. :(

Some context:

I have put my seeds in expanding coir pellets in our south facing bay window, but the sky is always cloudy and the light wan, so I've augmented the light with some CFL grow-lights.

TO THE ISSUE! Due to the persisting cold, the window glass (single-pane) tends to be cold, and as the lights are CFL they really don't give off any heat. All my seeds have germinated except the black eyed susans, and the Cannas in plantable coir pots. I'm warming those from below with a 40 watt light bulb.

I've read online that once your seeds have germinated, you should take the hood off them to avoid mould, but I'm concerned that the seedlings will get too cold. If I move them farther away from the cold glass, they'll get too little light. At night, my DH and I turn the heat in the house down to about 65 to save money... is that too cold?

Germinated so far: lupins, shasta daisies, green peppers, various heirloom tomatoes, columbines, and morning glories. My next round will be sweet mini-peppers, foxglove, marigolds, and snapdragons.

I eagerly await ANY advice, because I don't want to lose these seedlings! Our growing season is rather short!

Thanks SO much in advance!
:)
Thistle

hi from Ontario! You want to grow seedlings a bit *cooler* than when you were getting them to sprout. Too warm, and too little night will make your seedlings leggy. I have found (from my experience) that I usually get a bit better germination if the pots get a bit cooler during the night (I leave a gap between the propagator tray on the heating mat and the lid all night and put on the lid again when I get up in the morning.

I had similar concerns that the window was too cold, but rest assure, if there is no frost on the inside, your seedlings will not get damaged (provided that pots aren't touching the glass). Most of the older houses have a heating vent under the windows (newer ones have them close to the ceiling).

I don't know if you should be using CFL (compact flourescent lights?) as i've heard you need 'sodium bulbs.' now please don't quote me on this because I'm not absolutely sure if this only applies to hydroponics. If you're using fixtures (looks like a rectangular box hanging from the ceiling or where-ever) you should choose one warm flourescent bulb standard is 4.5' i think) and one cool one. Combined, they give the right range of light for proper growth.

I personally like using potting mix in flats/plugs, because I can control moisture better. Remember that the netting that is used to net the coil is (probably) not organic, so be sure to get rid of the netting as best as you can before planting. Another thing to be careful of is pure coil (which is most often the case) doesn't contain any nutrients. You will have to start fertilizing very dilute as soon as the second pair of true leaves start showing.

Some black eyed susans benefit from a little 'cold snap' to germinate properly, and cannas I've found germinate best if you nick and soak until a little white radical pokes out. Sow on top of medium and cover with vermiculite with bottom heat and they should poke through in about a week (depending on how warm). The are very fast growers. It's about 7*C outside, and I keep the window open to lower the temperature (lower temps and the breeze makes for stronger seedlings) and I keep the canna seedlings on the window sill. They grow fast and fine even with the cold temps (though it's probably not the gentlest treatment) 65* is perfect for most seedlings, and you can even go a few degrees lower at night if you want.

Thanks for all the info!

I shall take the sprouted seedlings out of the tent this evening!

I am doing things on the cheap - as are many during this recession I would imagine - so... no heating pad, just took the shade off a small table lamp with a 40 watt bulb and placed it on the shelf under the shelf with the seeds ( metal shelves).

I don't have the money for light fixtures and all that, so I got the CFLs as they fit into the two clamp-on style desk lamps I'm using for light(stole one from my computer desk and one from the living room where it normally lights my crocheting).
These lights were selling at a farmer's supply store and the box calls them "plant lights - good for seedlings". I bought them because tubes or spotlights would both require me to shell out for fixtures.

The "tent" I'm using is one I made with an 8ft by 11ft sheet of thin clear plastic I got for a dollar! Cut it into the desired shape - a little clear packing tape and Voila!

The reason I LOVE this community is that all of you are so knowledgeable about the fundamentals! The magazines are all about gadgets and accessories and widgets that I just can't afford.

Thanks again for your advice! Just what I needed!

:)
Thistle

PS... I bought the Cannas as rhizomes. I nick them? Or is that just seeds?

I've never heard that you nick the rhizome. Plant the rhizome horizonally in the ground with the eyes or growing points facing up, if they are visible. The rhizomes do not have a top or bottom so there is no chance of planting them upside down. In your area I imagine you'll have to bring them inside in the winter.

It seems so odd to think of Vancouver as having snow, but that's the way it is now. We in Toronto have very few patches of snow left, yet we turn on the weather channel and there's Van expecting so many cm . . .

Times are a changin', eh?

And, btw . . . I ALWAYS do things on the cheap!

Why spend a whole lotta' money when mother nature provides you with material. All you need to do is learn how to use what you've got growing naturally on your lot.

I tend to work with stones, wood and pine cones . . . three-quarters of my gardening is that. I just cultivate whatever is growing already.

(Yes, I do buy a few things from the stores, but not a lot)

I would be very careful with having a bare light bulb under the seedlings if they are in a tray. Even a 40watt bulb can get hot, and metal conducts heats. If the seedling pots get to hot, they'll dry out sooner so you need to keep an eye out when to water. If the seedlings are in a plastic tray, the heat from the bulb below might melt the plastic if it's on too long. If the seedlings are not on a plastic tray, you have to make sure they are drained well because dripping water from the pots and the light bulb (electricity) don't mix!

I can't comment much about CFL as plant lamps because quite honestly I've never heard of CFL as plant lights. But what comes to mind is that they might be for hydroponics. Either way, your plant lights should almost be touching the seedlings' tops, not more than 2-4 inches away.

You are so right about the magazines. Now if only every gardener had an endless budget to spend...

I've been wanting one of those three tiered 'plant carts' with a light on each tier to start seedlings but they're just so darn expensive! You can get flourescent fixtures (the metal 'box') at Rona or HomeDepot for about $20 and the cool and warm bulbs will cost about $6-7. SO in essence, it only really is about $30 give or take to set one up yourself. I for one, not having a clue about electricity and home reno would never try to install one myself lol The first problem I see with having one of these fixtures is space, if you're not using a cart to put each fixture above each other.

Canna rhizomes do not need to be nicked; only the seeds. Sheri is right, there is really no orientation to the rhizome so long as you plant it flat. You'll notice sometimes it's already sprouted. If that's the case, plant the rhizome so the sprout faces up. I think cannas are hardy to zone 7/8 so you'll have to bring them in in winter. To do this, wait until the first frost when the leaves are killed. Dig in a large circle around the rhizome (about a foot radius or more) and gently pry out the rhizomes. It sould have grown to about 2-3 times in size. You can divide if you'd like. Let it cure in shade for about 3-4 days and you can store in barely moist peat or vermiculite in a cool place where it will NOT freeze.

Thank you Sheri and Kenny - I will plant the rhizomes as you suggest!

Kenny, I did notice the warmth was concentrated in the centre of the shelf, so I took a double thickness of tin foil about 20 cm wide and long enough to stretch across the shelf and creased it lengthwise (like a peaked roof, but upside down), I taped it to the underside of the shelf- above the bulb. This "splits" the heat rising off the bulb, warming the entire shelf quite evenly - while creating a buffer for the middle, as the heat hits the foil first.
Low-tech, cheap, and works!

Unfortunately, I live in a small town in the Selkirk mountains. No Rona, Home Depot, etc. Nearest is five hour drive! ~sigh!~

Spending $30 to $40 bucks that I don't have to is significant for me - and space is an issue too. Aargh! As I get into this, I am learning a lot about what is needed and I'm going to take what I learn about the process this year and prepare 6 or 7 months in advance next year: arranging the space - knowing how much space I'll need. Perhaps putting the fixtures on my Xmas list! LOL!!
Thanks for all the detailed info! Goodness knows I need it!!

Carly, weird, weird weather! It SNOWED here April 2nd! Really snowed! 4 or 5 cm!! Yeesh! A lot of people here are happy as they are on well water and really want as big a snow load as possible, but COME ON! LOL!
Happily, my crocuses have come up - not open yet, but they are up!
Yay!

:)
Thistle

Thistle, sound like you're in a rural area for sure. Do you have pictures you can post?

Hi Sheri!

I don't have a lot of pics right now - makes me think I need to take some tomorrow. The "before" pictures! LOL!!

Here's a few on flickr:

flickr

And here's a one and a half minute video I took in the summertime. It's boring - just me starting a walk, but my friend wanted a look what it was like in my area in the summer - so I posted it!

youtube

More pics soon!
:)
Thistle

kennyso, boy am I glad I read this post. I used peat pellets this year on a few of my seedlings and I have transplanted a few, though I tried to make sure I ripped open the netting on the bottoms of all of the ones I transplanted I'm sure I missed a few.

Thanks for the heads up on taking off the netting, it's not organic as you say.