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Seed Germinator

AlabamaJack

AlabamaJack

eXtreme
I am flying blind here since I have never started peppers from seed before. From all the reading I have done, I have pieced together my own germinator. Has two 2'X2'X4' chambers in it. Each chamber has a 4' Fl dual light fixture and two ceramic incandescent light fixtures in it. It is made of 2X4's, plywood, and plexiglass. Here is a picture of it.



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If the seeds germinate at a great rate it will be worth all the work I put into building this germinator. Will test it to see how much above ambient temperature it stays over the next couple of weeks. Heck, with 160 watts per chamber, it should stay fairly warm.

AJ
 
AlabamaJack said:
If the seeds germinate at a great rate it will be worth all the work I put into building this germinator. Will test it to see how much above ambient temperature it stays over the next couple of weeks. Heck, with 160 watts per chamber, it should stay fairly warm.

AJ
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Nice job! I have heard other advice for germinating temperatures, But I have had great success with 80 d / 32 c.

Watch out, It may end up to warm in there, if so just turn off couple of lights see what that does. Do you have circulation on that? You don’t want any mold, that’s main thing to worry about on box setups.

Will you be growing seedlings in there, how long?
Here is how I did it.
http://www.thehotpepper.com/showthread.php?t=3335
 
Impressive, let us know about your results.

Much more interesting than the one I use. For mine I took a simple 35 Gallon bin and drilled a hole in the top to install a 2-way socket. Added some aluminum foil pasted to the inside and a 60 watt incandecent light in one socket and a 100 watt flourecent in the other. Turned upside down on a flat surface it keeps the air moist inside and around 85-90 degrees constantly.
 
scarecrow said:
Nice job! I have heard other advice for germinating temperatures, But I have had great success with 80 d / 32 c.

Watch out, It may end up to warm in there, if so just turn off couple of lights see what that does. Do you have circulation on that? You don’t want any mold, that’s main thing to worry about on box setups.

Will you be growing seedlings in there, how long?
Here is how I did it.
http://www.thehotpepper.com/showthread.php?t=3335
Click to expand...


The goal is to keep the temperature at 25C (77 F). The available research on the subject of germinatio temperatures say 25C is optimum. We will see.

I am going to control the temperature like you say, just turn a light or two off until I figure out the heat transference of the whole unit.

Two more additions I am going to put in is a fan and thermostat in each chamber.

After I get the thermostats and fans installed, I plan on starting some ornamentals that will be kept inside the house just to see how it works.

I have 63 different varieties of peppers I am going to start and figure 5 seeds each should give me enough plants to pick from.

Most of the peppers are annuum species, probably 15 chinense, a couple of baccatum, and a couple of frutescens.

AJ
 
Optimum chile-seed germination temperature is 84-86F. I germinate with a heating pad with 3-level heat control set on low......about $10 from Wally's world.
 
OK, I will use 86F and 30C
 
willard3 said:
Optimum chile-seed germination temperature is 84-86F. I germinate with a heating pad with 3-level heat control set on low......about $10 from Wally's world.
Click to expand...


I have used them in the past, but it makes me nervous to go off and leave them turned on 24/7. They're not really made for that, and I always fretted over the possibility of a fire. I finally decided the extra ten bucks I have to pay for a seed starting mats was worth my peace of mine.

I don't know that they actually are safer, but they are made to be run continuously, so one would hope that consideration went into their construction.
 
So you all think I will still have to use a heating pad or seed starting mat under my containers?....I was hoping building this germinator would eliminate the need for other heat sources.

AJ
 
AlabamaJack said:
So you all think I will still have to use a heating pad or seed starting mat under my containers?....I was hoping building this germinator would eliminate the need for other heat sources.
Click to expand...

Enclosed like that, and using a light source that produces heat, you'll probably be ok. My system is open, I use a wire shelving unit that I bought at Lowe's. Just turn your's on and take the temperature and see what you get.

Sorry if we're being confusing, I was just commenting on the use of hot pads vs the more expensive seed warming mats. As long as they're warm, I don't think the seeds care about the source of the heat.
 
Like I said in one of the earlier comments was I am going to start testing tonight to find out how much above ambient temp the unit will attain. I currently have 2 40 watt incandescent bulbs in each chamber...I can always up the wattage if I want more heat. I would be comfortable with putting 2 100 watt bulbs in the unit for a total of 280 watts.

AJ
 
AlabamaJack said:
Like I said in one of the earlier comments was I am going to start testing tonight to find out how much above ambient temp the unit will attain. I currently have 2 40 watt incandescent bulbs in each chamber...I can always up the wattage if I want more heat. I would be comfortable with putting 2 100 watt bulbs in the unit for a total of 280 watts.
Click to expand...

Well, I put a 200 watt incandescent bulb in my makeshift greenhouse this spring to get my plants through the late freeze we had. "Makeshift" means I put a couple of plastic drop cloths over an old A-frame swing set. The worst night the temps got down into the mid to low twenties, if I remember correctly. I put a high/low thermometer inside, and the lowest temperature inside was 41 F. Oh, and I threw a king-sized comforter across the top to help hold the heat a little bit.

So, I would think what you're doing would work very well. I'm impressed by your carpentry skills.
 
Thanks for the compliment Ms. Pam. It sure helps being a design engineer by trade and that I can design something and build it out of wood.

This thing will shake your hand when I get finished...lol.

AJ
 
sorry to barge in on this thread it just made me think....in my grow room in the basement im building heat isnt an issue that room will have its own duct.Mind you I might have to get a humidifier cuz gas is a dry heat...as for lighting what in my case would I use for lighting.Oh I forgot to add its a dirt floor basement...the room will be sitting on concrete patio tiles but besides the heat its always humid down there
 
CP: I am sure not the one to answer the question about lighting since this will be my first experiment germinating and growing seedlings under light. My recommendation is to contact HabMan and ask the question specific to your needs as above. Read the thread about "Now Important Is Lumens" on the how to grow hot peppers forum.

AJ
 
AlabamaJack said:
CP: I am sure not the one to answer the question about lighting since this will be my first experiment germinating and growing seedlings under light. My recommendation is to contact HabMan and ask the question specific to your needs as above. Read the thread about "Now Important Is Lumens" on the how to grow hot peppers forum.

AJ
Click to expand...

think ill do that
 
I'm going back to my roots, no pun intended. Tobacco farmers use a styrofam tray that is about two feet long, one foot wide and five inches deep. Each cell, and there are 242 per piece, is filled with potting soil and a single tobacco seed, about the size of a pin-prick is placed on top of the soil. It is then moistened, but not drenched. The seeds are not covered with soil - they will work into it. The trays are placed in a water trough (they have a hole in the bottom), I presume since roots always grow toward dampness.

The plants, once they sprout, tend to be spindly and the root ball completely fills the cell. As long as they are kept moist, though, the tobacco plant thrives.

I transplant them to a depth so that only the bottom leaves are off the ground, about six inches deep. Tobacco plants tend to shed theses leaves anyway. Water is added so the dirt becomes a little muddy and makes it easier for the roots to assimilate into it. Once the plants grew to about a sixth of their full size, we would add nitrate about three inches deep and three inches from the plant on both sides. That's was it for fertilizing.

I know peppers and tobacco are not the exact same thing, but it sounds like they are very similar with the difference being tobacco does not produce fruit. At the worst, I'll waste a bag of potting soil and 242 seeds. At best, I'll have to find more land to stick the peppers on!
 
AlabamaJack, to control the temps. you may want to try a remote bulb thermostat. I use one on my setup and it is flawless at keeping the temps where they need to be.

Dale
 
thepodpiper said:
AlabamaJack, to control the temps. you may want to try a remote bulb thermostat. I use one on my setup and it is flawless at keeping the temps where they need to be.

Dale
Click to expand...

That is what I am going to do once I get the unit stable at 50 F above ambient. Thanks for the suggestion.

AJ
 
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