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Pro-Hex 72-cell packs

T

TigerTom

Hello all!

I've hit a bit of a snag in starting my pepper seeds. I used a Jiffy Pro-Hex 72-cell tray with a peat/vermiculite seed starting mixture on a heat pad and under a quad fixture of T5 full-spectrum lights. While the seeds sprouted quickly, they stopped after one set of true leaves.

I keep them consistently moist but not waterlogged and use a diluted kelp fertilizer, yet no growth has occurred.

Is there anything I could be doing incorrectly? Something I should fix?

-Tom
 
Peppers can stall out a little after that initial burst. As long as they're not dead, they're still alive. Occasionally you can get a runt but doubtful you'd get several. Just don't over water, dryness actually gets the roots moving.

How long have they been stalled, what kind of lights, how much space between leaves and lights. Pics might help too
 
I was having a hard time watering the 72 cell trays evenly, I re-potted them in these little 5.5oz clear cups and allot of them seem to be recovering. I'm a noob though so I would listen to some other advice from the people here. But I was definitely over watering.
 
Thanks for the replies!

I haven't worked out how to share photos yet, but I'll describe it as best as I can.

They've been stalled for a few weeks.

The lights are 48" T-5 fluorescent tubes in a four-tube fixture. They are either full- or daylight-spectrum tubes. I spray-painted the inside of the fixture with silver Rustoleum to reflect as much to the plants as possible (practically doubled the brightness). The fixtures sit about 3" off the leaves (I have larger tomato seedlings under the same fixture).

Watering is tough, not because I can't water, but because it's tough to see when the water is low. It has dried out a few times, and a couple didn't make it. I've had some trouble getting the heat pad to heat evenly. I held a compost-pile funeral for the lost seedlings.

But if it's common for pepper seedlings to stall temporarily, I'll just be patient and keep cheering them on.

-Tom
 
I would raise the lights up a little, t5 is pretty intense, I have mine at probably 12 inches. An increase in pot size with quality soil would never hurt
 
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