I have an old T12 fixture, and it is really fussy about getting the prongs of the bulb just right. There might be some corrosion in there, and the ballast thing is possible, too. Mine works well when everything is just so. Maybe it just likes the old bulb! I didn't notice any saucers or small bowls under your cups for run-off water. You do have drain holes, correct? Also, I learned a tip from AJ for moistening starter mix. Fill your container with the dry mix, then let it sit overnight in a tray of water. The water will wick up through the drain holes and really hydrate the medium. It stays nice and fluffy that way.
The ballast are very picky in this building, the lights have to be in just right. The 6500k light was in good, it just for some reason turned off after awhile and didn't want to stay on then. I have the other new light (the higher lumen) in without issues. It stays on with no problem. This ballast has never had issues staying on, just with the 6500k light for some reason.
Yes, I have drain holes in the cups. I had just put them up there and hadn't made my makeshift drip pan. I used skinny shoe box lids with heavy plastic shopping bags fitted around them. Hey, gotta use what I have around! LOL. One question: I have seen people talking about bottom watering. I have a spray bottle that I have been using to keep them a little moist but do I need to also do some bottom watering? I am going out of town this weekend so my peppers will be alone from Friday night until Sunday night. When I get back into town on Sunday I will come back to work to check on them. I'm really hoping they will be ok! Maybe I can fill the bottom tray with water? I really don't want to ask my employee to check on them on Saturday because I feel the peppers would be worse off
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They have greened up nicely since yesterday.
I want to give a shout out to romy6 for these seeds, thank you!!!
Awesome tip on the seed mix. It took me forever of putting a little mix in the cups, putting in a little water, stir, stir, stir, drain all the excess water, put the moist soil into another cup, and repeat about a hundred times. I will get this better method going for the new seeds about to pop up. The one pepper I REALLY wanted to grow this year is a true Scotch Bonnet. The seeds I got from another user for some reason aren't wanting to germinate for me
I have been trying to get those seeds to germinate since November. I just started a new set along with the rest of these seeds on Jan. 27th.
AJ, thanks for your reply, and I do know how to search and I did do that. I am like PaulG in the fact that all those threads are so technical and about more advanced set ups etc. I just needed to know if what I can do will 'work'. I know it may not be the most technical or ideal set up, but it's what I've got to work with right now.
Do I need to move this thread somehow to update on the progress? I don't want to upset anyone about this post. I really appreciate everyone's help. I appologize about my newbness, but we all have to start somewhere.... Julie
I checked out your glog, very impressive. I only hope I can some day get to that level and knowledge. I just started last year getting into growing my own peppers and tomatoes and hope to get better. I plan to try and make my own hot sauce this year, I go through a lot of hot sauce!
. Should I go ahead and try to pot them up or wait? I don't want to hurt them since they seem more fragile at the moment. I'm thinking I should go ahead and get them in the bigger cups.
