seeds Germinating in direct sun

SadisticPeppers

SadisticPeppers

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A thought just occurred to me, and before I actually go & try it out for myself later this year (potentially wasting seeds), I figured I'd ask here :)
 
Has anyone had experience germinating seeds outside in direct sun? I'm curious because once I move to my parents' place later this year, I'll have more than enough space outside to have several trays of Jiffy Pellets on some plastic shelving, and figured that way, they'd already be exposed to the outside temperature changes & sunlight right from the get-go with little or no need to exposed them gradually. Or should I just keep them in the screened patio. The covered patio at least gets a couple hours of direct sun (it faces east).
 
Thanks! One thing that's got me a bit worried from my attempt earlier today was that the plants I've had indoors thus far have been spoiled to constant reasonable temps and CFL lights. The two potted plants I put out, within half an hour already began to wilt and show signs of sunburn, hence why I asked.
 
Yep, done that a lot in the past. This year I did Peach Bhuts, Douglahs, Fataliis, Cayennes, Chile de Arbol and a bunch of different bird peppers outside in direct sun. You get big fat stems quickly and the hardening off is very fast, as mentioned above. One small issue is that I use the jiffy trays with clear lids and you need to be slightly careful about how hot it gets inside the tray. 
 
Nigel said:
Yep, done that a lot in the past. This year I did Peach Bhuts, Douglahs, Fataliis, Cayennes, Chile de Arbol and a bunch of different bird peppers outside in direct sun. You get big fat stems quickly and the hardening off is very fast, as mentioned above. One small issue is that I use the jiffy trays with clear lids and you need to be slightly careful about how hot it gets inside the tray. 
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Duly noted, thanks! With the Florida heat the way it is, I fully expect the insides to get pretty hot, pretty fast. That shouldn't be TOO big of a problem, seeing as I've gotten into the habit of checking on my trays daily, so for the outside, my initial gameplan is to just take the lids off for a few minutes each day to allow the heat to escape.
 
elcap1999 said:
 
Duly noted, thanks! With the Florida heat the way it is, I fully expect the insides to get pretty hot, pretty fast. That shouldn't be TOO big of a problem, seeing as I've gotten into the habit of checking on my trays daily, so for the outside, my initial gameplan is to just take the lids off for a few minutes each day to allow the heat to escape.
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Still too long, put a thermometer under the lid to test and you'll see it gets too hot almost instantaneously. If the lid is left on under sunshine, most seeds and all seedlings will die a quick death.
 
Also: Damping-off fungus would be a real threat in that sauna.
 
I would leave the lid off, and just check moisture levels once or twice a day.
 
 I germinate all my seeds on my front  porch with great success. They only get a few hours of evening sun. Morning sun would be Ideal but that is what I have to work with. This time of year they would not live long in direct sun. Fall or spring no problem . No lid needed just keep moist 24/7 until they pop their heads. 
 
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Thanks all. I think a mister or spray bottle would be in order to help keep the seedlings and jiffy pellets moistened. I'm afraid if I just pour water in or use a hose, it'll mess up the pellets....
 
all the seeds I planted in full sun ended up dying, tropical sun isn't the same as delaware sun

the best thing for tropical sun is really just shade, everything I put in shaded parts (even completely shaded no direct sun at all) germinated and is doing great
 
Hrm, good to know, cactusMD. Danke :)
 
Deep south sun is not to be trifled with. Most years I sprout outdoors and only bring the tray in if there is going to be a cold snap. Normally I have no problems. This year I got a late start and by the time the seedlings were about an inch tall we had a long stretch of higher than normal temperatures. Most of my plants got cooked in their tiny pots with sun from about 11-6. Ones that weren't fried had to deal with fungus gnats. I still have a few plants that are only 2" tall, but I'm keeping them because they are varieties I really want and no easy way to get new seeds. Learned a few lessons this year :/
 
Shade is your friend.
 
On the porch, in containers, shade/afternoon  sun/shade again, don't keep them too moist.
 
This formula works for me.
 
St. Augustine, FL
 
Thanks :) The covered patio at the parentals house I'll be taking over does face east, towards the ocean, so they'll have about an hour maybe two of direct sun, then shade for the rest of the day. At least I'll get them exposed to the temperatures from the get-go.
 
I germinate on my balcony all the time, outside in full sun. as others stated, just keep the soil moist and keep the lid off in the daytime. It may be useful at night but may fry your seedlings if it gets too hot.
 
As mentioned prior, once some have sprouted, i wouldn't put the lid on at all, day or night.
 
You don't want a humid steam bath in there because Damping-Off infections are too common and strike a little too quickly.
 
Sprouted about 70% of my plants outside this season. No lid and semi-shade works best imho.
Keep moist but dont overdo. For my surprise, i've seen many seeds sprouting when soil became almost dry.
 
Cya
 
Datil
 
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