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seeds Germination Dome Questions

cyberwarrior

cyberwarrior

I just purchased this humidity dome with a heat mat (http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-CK64050-Germination-Station-Heat/dp/B000HHO1RO/)

I tested the temperature and humidity levels inside the dome. The reading as of now is 82.6 degrees F and 81% humidity. I know that hot peppers need high humidity to germinate but isn't 81% humidity considered a recipe for disaster?
 
i havent tried to read my temperature and humidity while germinating, but i get 95% germination rate by simply use aluminum foil tray sow my seeds put a lid and thats it. IMO, the best temp is no lower 25c and no higher 32c. goodluck buddy
 
i use something similar but complement it with the 7" dome accessory as the plants get larger. i also line the inner tray with aluminum foil to assist with light reflection - eventually the dome portion gets cloudy and can be difficult to clean. as the dome ages you have to be careful as it can become brittle.

i too have never checked humidity levels but have checked temperature levels. humidity drops do line the top of the dome. now that i have potted up to 4" containers, i only have the dome on at night as well as the heat pad. so in the day, no dome or heat and my plants are under T8's with a mix of 6500k and 2700k bulbs. also at night, i check the moisture level of the soils and if need too, i mix a 10-52-10 fert and fill the bottom of the tray to bottom feed the plants.

once my plants have their second leaves, i mix some yeast, sugar and warm water in a container with air hose and insert this into the covered dome.

if you believe your humidity levels are too high just put spacers under the corners where the dome meets the tray.

good growing.
 
Thanks guys. I'm going to experiment. For now I'm going to leave it as it is and see how long the germination time and the growth is. Then I will test it again by opening one vent hole and see what happens.
 
I can't see where humidity matters to a seed except to keep the soil moist. I germinate at a fluctuating 10 - 40% with it usually about 30%. I'm not saying that's good. I just don't know any better, I'm lazy about it and it works OK for me.

I like to keep the heat at about 85f,
 
Yeah I like to keep my temperature at 85 as well. I try not to make it go above 90. Do seeds really need light to germinate? I had to remove the germination station away from the window because it was getting to 100 degrees.
 
You dont need light to germinate, however when cotyledon is out its goNna need light right away to avoid leggyness.
 
I think the extra humidity and especially the heat, will help during germination and the very early stages of growth. After the first set of true leaves fill-out and mature, I would remove the dome and allow the humidity to drop to what the ambient conditions are. Even then, I mist my plants when they look like they could use a quick foliar drink.

Damping-off is probably the greatest threat from high humidity. You can make great strides in preventing damping-off by taking some precautionary steps. Like sterilizing your seed-starting mix in the oven or microwave prior to planting. Don't over-water. Then replace the possible harmful pathogens you just killed with sterilization with some friendly stuff. Add some beneficial microbes (mycorrhizae and bacteria) with things like fertilizer teas and mycorrhizal granules. They can help prevent any diseases you would otherwise encounter from humidity being a little high. There are many great suggestions here on improving your soil from germination to full mature pepper plants.
 
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