My Pathetic set-up of which...

[PrairieChilihead]

...I am irrationally proud!

and with the lights on...

I have two 100 watt CFL bulbs giving off a combined 3200 Lumens. They are 6500 K bulbs. Good for the little seedlings at this stage...right? As well, I am keeping the domed lid propped open an inch as I have a few seedlings and a few hooks but most of the seeds haven't germinated yet. That means that the bulbs are almost sitting on the dome...still far away from the plants but what can I do? What should I be doing?

Here is the tray without the lid on:

and

 

[PrairieChilihead]

I only planted the seeds on January 18th...just a week ago but here are some close ups of my pride and joys...

My first Bhut Jolokia, sent to me by a very generous hot pepper member:

A Jalapeno Habanero Cross, also donated:

A couple Cveta Hots...the first to germinate...on Thursday:

and a Fatalii just starting to hook upward:

 

[PrairieChilihead]

...and the plants I have been over wintering:

My Seven Pod plant, actually bigger than it was when I brought it in at the end of September, before I cut it right down:

and, a Trinidad Scorpion generously given to me by a Hot Pepper member who lives here in Winnipeg:

And finally, I simply shoved a seven pod seed into the same pot the "mother plant" is living in and here it is, 3 months later:

Same thing for the Trinidad Scorpion, except that it is barely 2 months old:

Thank you to all you generous people out there! My first time ever growing from seed and I am totally hooked! This is fantastic...far more fun than buying the seedlings at the garden centre in the Spring!

 

[wordwiz]

Oh no, you're using snakeskins to germinate the seeds in too! I can see me trying to use those things and my wife or children beating it with a baseball bat!

I take it you mean that you are using two 100 watt incandescent equivalent bulbs? I have some 105 watt cfl bulbs and they provide nearly 7,000 lumens from a foot away.

Mike

 

[PrairieChilihead]

Yes. That is what I mean. They are actually 23 watts a-piece. I have such a tiny little area, I figure that 3200 Lumens should suffice, really. In fact, though I planted 80 seeds I am sure that I have room in my garden for 30 -35 plants and that's it. I am expecting to have a large number of duds.

What do you mean "snake-skin" Mike? They were just the Peat Pellets that came with the heated greenhouse.

 

[jbeery]

Good on you PCH - Good lookin sprouts and I even thought about bringing in my 7pot sprout to show its mother but they cant see can they? Remember to keep that jiffy pot stuff damp(from the bottom up) as close as those lights are the tops may dry out pretty fast.
jim

 

[PrairieChilihead]

Thanks Jim. I am noticing that. But some of the pots are soaking! It is wildly uneven. I think that the plastic may be warped and some of the pots are sitting lower. I keep shifting the tray around. In fact I am down there so much (it's in the basement) that the kids are starting to call themselves orphans. They just have to learn to accept their new foster brothers and sisters.

BTW, the orange habs you sent are in the top right hand corner in the first three pots. I could see a couple of tiny hooks just starting. I would love to see pictures of your seven pot!

Thanks again.

 

[Hotpeppa]

Dude, not bad for the18 of january...

i did my seeds on the 15th

and still waiting for most of them...

so you are on your way..lol

only a couple of my su[er hots have popped... nothing major though.. still waiting.. and its driving me crazy..lol

looking good man !

 

[wordwiz]

What do you mean "snake-skin" Mike? They were just the Peat Pellets that came with the heated greenhouse.

Those pellets remind me of a huge snake's skin, one that is coiled around! Pamela might even have grown seeds to plants in snakes' skin - she is pretty attuned to nature.

Mike

 

[PrairieChilihead]

Dude, not bad for the 18 of January...

i did my seeds on the 15th

and still waiting for most of them...

so you are on your way..lol

only a couple of my super hots have popped... nothing major though.. still waiting.. and its driving me crazy..lol

looking good man !

Thanks HotPeppa! I thought the superhots took the longest...should they be the first to come up? Hey, I planted the seeds you sent me in the column second from the left, in the tray. Two of the seeds are starting to hook. I think they must be the Red Savina....they would come up faster than the Bhut Jolokia, ordinarily...wouldn't they? You can even see the hook in the pot closest to the foreground on the left.

Thanks again for the seeds and the comment.

 

[GrumpyBear]

i think it's a lovely set up, very similar to how i started out. i'm still pretty ghetto, but i grow some nice plants and you will too
30 plants might be optimistic tho, but you'll learn to gift them as you run out of space (since, clearly culling them is out of the question...) 18's probably doable, one more of those bulbs and you can probably pull 30 no problem (just manage the 'canopy'... actually the best part of having a ghetto set up is that you're totally justified in constantly futzing with your babies...)

 

[915river]

Nice set-up my friend,seedlings look great also over wintered plant good job have fun & have great growing season.

 

[PrairieChilihead]

Those pellets remind me of a huge snake's skin, one that is coiled around! Pamela might even have grown seeds to plants in snakes' skin - she is pretty attuned to nature.

Mike

LOL! I thought you were serious. I'm feeling sensitive because so many people on this forum have negative attitudes towards the peat pellets. I just found them to be convenient and since I'm constantly fussing with them, there's no chance that I'll let them dry out.

 

[wordwiz]

Prairie,

Serious? Me? No way. We are all having fun, doing things we love. There's no wrong way of doing it, just different ways.

Mike

 

[thepodpiper]

PCh, I like the setup, I take it you are using the lights for heat as well as lights for the seedlings? You could always put all the sprouts down on the other end and set them on something to bring them up closer to the light.

Dale

 

[BrianS]

Hey Bro,
Your set up is faaar from pathetic and its great because it works for you. Looks like you are off to a scorching hot 2009

Best of luck with your endeavors. I am sure you will do well

 

[patrick]

WW and his snake paranoia.

Your set up looks very familiar and extremely professional to me PCh, I'm running the same thing. I have a few of the seeds you sent me in the dirt with one of them already two inches tall. Can't wait for those, thanks again.

After they break the surface I take them out of the dome and set them under lights. Don't want them getting fuzzy with fungus.

I'm looking forward to watching your over wintered plants get about eight feet tall and covered in fruit.

Good luck!!

 

[wordwiz]

WW and his snake paranoia.

Hey, I'm not afraid of snakes (Linda is, though!). It's just what the pictures look like.

Mike

 

[jbeery]

Here ya go PCH -

Our first baby pot on its first day above ground.

 

[PrairieChilihead]

Here ya go PCH -

Our first baby pot on its first day above ground.

Thanks Jim. So cute...it's hard to believe the powerful heat these little babies are capable of!

i think it's a lovely set up, very similar to how i started out. i'm still pretty ghetto, but i grow some nice plants and you will too
30 plants might be optimistic tho, but you'll learn to gift them as you run out of space (since, clearly culling them is out of the question...) 18's probably doable, one more of those bulbs and you can probably pull 30 no problem (just manage the 'canopy'... actually the best part of having a ghetto set up is that you're totally justified in constantly futzing with your babies...)

I am really only raising them to plant them in my garden outside come May. Are you saying that they will get too large by then? I am thinking that there should be lots of room in the tray for 35 or so little seedlings. I don't know what to expect, though. How big will they get in 4 months? ...And will I need one more light?

PCh, I like the setup, I take it you are using the lights for heat as well as lights for the seedlings? You could always put all the sprouts down on the other end and set them on something to bring them up closer to the light.

Dale

Thanks Dale. They are sitting on a heatmat. These bulbs aren't producing much heat, really. They are almost sitting on the plastic cover without melting it.

Hey Bro,
Your set up is faaar from pathetic and its great because it works for you. Looks like you are off to a scorching hot 2009

Best of luck with your endeavors. I am sure you will do well

Thank you for the good wishes.

WW and his snake paranoia.

Your set up looks very familiar and extremely professional to me PCh, I'm running the same thing. I have a few of the seeds you sent me in the dirt with one of them already two inches tall. Can't wait for those, thanks again.

After they break the surface I take them out of the dome and set them under lights. Don't want them getting fuzzy with fungus.

I'm looking forward to watching your over wintered plants get about eight feet tall and covered in fruit.

Good luck!!

I hadn't even considered moving them outside of the tray. That's a good thought. As long as the cover is left open, though, there seems to be less humidity building up inside. And a few more germinated seeds and I'll just take the lid off altogether. Once the seedlings develop their first true leaves I'll start transplanting them into soil.



Thank you everyone for all your nice words. I really appreciate it.