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Advice (help) Welcomed

thorolygood

thorolygood

Hello all. I have my seeds started and have been reading to gather info. Every year I get lots of seedlings but lose most as time goes on and have few to plant in the spring. I also start some at a local nursery and they seem to do better than me. I was reading that you should keep the light off till they are sprouted and wait til 2 leaves are out. I have quite a few germinated now and was wondering when I should transplant and put under lights. They are still under domes but am worried about damping off. I would really like to get better at this and ween off my dependency on the nursery. (Not likely because they are good friends)
In the picture, are these seedlings ready to move or should I wait? Any and all help appreciated.
 
Thanks
 

 
Seedlings in tray
 
lek said:
not enough light and humidity level. 
Click to expand...
 
Thanks. I sprayed them after I took the pictures
moruga welder said:
Get those babies under light , their getting leggy . By the way , what are you using for light ?  Remember the fan , 
Click to expand...
I'll get them under lites today. I have 4 ft flourecent fixtures with grow lite tubes. I will put a fan in there today
Thanks
 
Masher said:
Yes...get them under a good light source....they are tall and spindly because they are searching for light.

When you put them in soil, plant it deep enough to bury most of that stem....be gentle so they dont snap in half.
Click to expand...
Will try to repot them later today or tonite. Will be careful
\Thanks
 
Masher said:
Yes...get them under a good light source....they are tall and spindly because they are searching for light.

When you put them in soil, plant it deep enough to bury most of that stem....be gentle so they dont snap in half.
Click to expand...
Once they are re-potted, they go under the lite with the dome off, is this correct? Leave the dome on peat pellets that haven't germinated?
Thanks again.
 
you could put them under lights now before re potting to get them a little stronger....put the dome back on the ones needing to sprout.
 
Put the dome under the lights too....it will help keep the humidity up inside.
 
your soil looks really dry too...might want to give them a drink..especially the ones with no sprouts
 
They don't need to have leaves open to go under light, by the way.  (Heck, having them under light before they've even poked up from the dirt is just fine as long as it isn't hot enough to suck away all the humidity in the dome.)  I pull my seedlings from under the dome and graduate them to the "big boy plant room" tent as soon as their hook clears its head.  They don't really need the dome or the heat mat anymore once they've cleared the dirt unless they have helmethead, in which case the higher humidity in the dome can help you get the seed case off.
 
I put my seeds in Zips to germinate,then in Peat Pots (2-2 1/2 in.)with potting soil.
I've found putting my starts in bigger pots solves my problems with a lot of stuff before the problem happens.
 
As far as light goes,I don;t use light on the zips but once sprouted the peat pots get 18hrs. of light once in the pots.
 
Only pots better are the Papper based pots that look almost exactly like the peat ones +/-.
 
It does look like you have a light problem.
 
Give your starts a little early help,put a few balls of Osmacote or ?,time release fert in your soil in the starter pots.
 
Too hard to mess with light doses of watered down ferts. for starter plants.
Some starts burn while others love it,I'd guess it depends on variety or species of peppers.
 
Time release ferts seem to work for starts.
 
Hope this helps.
 
Smoke
 
PS.
ALWAYS pull the net off your peat plugs before you pot them up!
The net Really messes with root growth...
 
I buy these-25 for $.99 at the $.99 store.
 
http://www.carolina.com/catalog/detail.jsp?prodId=665755&s_cid=ppc_products&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&s_cid=ppc_gl_products&scid=scplp665755&sc_intid=665755&gclid=CjwKEAiAqozEBRDJrPem0fPKtX0SJAD5sAyH4Sz-BGkRAA3L1B59I9GkkUBnw22jXuidD30Oph7_ShoCH5Tw_wcB
Add is way too expensive,in my opinion.
 
I use these when I can't get the pots above.
 
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/seed-starting-supplies/biodegradable-pots/fertil-pots-square-strip-2%22-sq.-x-2%22-h-20-cells-9211.0.html?utm_source=Nextag&utm_medium=CSE&utm_campaign=MerchantAdv&zmam=80483139&zmas=1&zmac=5&zmap=9211.0
 
Gotta cut them apart,roots go from 1 pot to the other.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
they are stretching out looking for light. put them under a light.
 
you can germinate under light too there is no reason to keep the light off.
 
Thanks for the advice. Repotted 15 of them. Got those and the other trays (65 more seedlings) under the lites. Also put a fan on them. 
 

 
Masher - thanks. Will keep the lites on.
Slug - thanks. I don't have a  "big boy plant room" yet, maybe some year
smokemaster - I read your post after I repotted and already used cups. Might look at peat pots for the others.
juanitos - thanks for the advice (and the seeds. They are in the germination trays)
 
Hopefully I get this right
Thanks again
 
thorolygood said:
Hopefully I get this right
Click to expand...
 
Hmmm... what can i say.  
 
According to the photo, I think light is still not enough. LUX meter will tell.
Seedlings are very leggy. Why don't you plant them deeper?
 
Masher said:
Yes...get them under a good light source....they are tall and spindly because they are searching for light.

When you put them in soil, plant it deep enough to bury most of that stem....be gentle so they dont snap in half.
Click to expand...
 
thorolygood said:
Thanks for the advice. Repotted 15 of them. Got those and the other trays (65 more seedlings) under the lites. Also put a fan on them. 
 

Hopefully I get this right
Thanks again
Click to expand...
leggy2_zpsqs0ybdtb.jpg


 
 
Better reread Masher's advice as I agree with him....
 
 
`
 
They are a bit leggy. I use standard Lowe's shop lights in my grown setup, with fluorescent tubes. But because of their lower strength than other bulbs, I typically keep the seeds and young seedlings no more than a few inches from the lights so the plants aren't reaching for it. The problem becomes when the plants get bigger and bigger after a few weeks and I have no more room to raise the lights...a few leaves can get burned. But I try to time it reasonably well with moving them to an outdoor, unheated greenhouse.
 
lek said:
 
Hmmm... what can i say.  
 
According to the photo, I think light is still not enough. LUX meter will tell.
Seedlings are very leggy. Why don't you plant them deeper?
 
Click to expand...
 
I just have 4 foot florescent with grow lite tubes in them. I don't have a LUX meter. Maybe I will look for a different tube and lower the lite a little on this one.
They actually became leggy before I put them under the lites. Maybe I will try to repot those a little deeper. Was worried about breaking the stems
 
The_NorthEast_ChileMan said:
 

leggy2_zpsqs0ybdtb.jpg


 
 
Better reread Masher's advice as I agree with him....
 
 
`
Click to expand...
 
Did read and will follow advice. Thanks for taking the time to that picture,
 
ako1974 said:
They are a bit leggy. I use standard Lowe's shop lights in my grown setup, with fluorescent tubes. But because of their lower strength than other bulbs, I typically keep the seeds and young seedlings no more than a few inches from the lights so the plants aren't reaching for it. The problem becomes when the plants get bigger and bigger after a few weeks and I have no more room to raise the lights...a few leaves can get burned. But I try to time it reasonably well with moving them to an outdoor, unheated greenhouse.
Click to expand...
 
I got mine from HD. I am going to try lowering the tubes closer to the plants, and look for new bulbs.
 
 
Thanks again. Onward i GO
 
Your stems need to be in dirt.....only the leaves sticking out.

Put your light closer after you get stems into the dirt.

Be very careful not to over water at this point...those stems are very green and fragile.

Stems that turn purple will be stronger....by keeping light closer your other new seedlings should turn purple.
 
Okay. Re-potted with the leaves slightly above the soil.
 

 
Lowered the lites. Will also be going out tomorrow to look at maybe getting new ones. Don't know if I can just change bulbs or will I have to replace the fixture also.
 

 
Worried about these two
 

 
Got more seedlings popping up so tomorrow will be another potting day. I am better prepared thanks to everyone here with their advice.
 
Thanks again
 
That is enough light for now and the next couple weeks, but looking into more is a good ldea.

Looking GREAT now....congrats and enjoy all the hard work.

Becareful not to over water :cheers:

Keep that fan on low....might even pull it back some so they don't windburn...those tiny leaves are very delicate right now.
 
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