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seeds Seed Tray Too Humid?

Helldozer

Helldozer

I'm not having the greatest rates of germination. Though, I think i'm doing everything correctly. I've posted in another thread about my setup etc. This thread is not to be redundant. My specific question is, can you have your seed tray become too humid? I have a heat mat under it. I watered them once since I planted the seeds about a week ago. However, the soil looks really wet. Some of the seeds are turning a darker brown also.

Is it too humid?
Should I take the heating mat off and keep the lid on?
Should I keep the heating mat on and remove/crack the lid?

I don't have a thermometer I can test the soil temp. However, I can test the ambient temp which runs about 75-77F. I'm guessing the mat bumps that to 85-87F.

Thanks for any suggestions or help.
 
Oh, sorry. Should have been more clear. None have sprouted yet. That is my problem. I have had more seeds NOT sprout, than I'd like. I've had three manzano's that surfaced but never got rid of the seed casing. There weren't any leaves appearing to grow within the casing either. They all died. I also planted some Hungarian Hot Cherry Peppers which had "grows really fast" on the label. I've managed to counter that statement, and they are still not sprouting. :)
 
Actually same thing to me happen, im assuming its too humid and when 1 Yellow 7 Pot came up it just died =/ i also in the search to see how i can get them to germinate, Im also In the search of how to crank the temperature of my heatmat
 
Helldozer said:
Oh, sorry. Should have been more clear. None have sprouted yet. That is my problem. I have had more seeds NOT sprout, than I'd like. I've had three manzano's that surfaced but never got rid of the seed casing. There weren't any leaves appearing to grow within the casing either. They all died. I also planted some Hungarian Hot Cherry Peppers which had "grows really fast" on the label. I've managed to counter that statement, and they are still not sprouting. :)
Click to expand...

Opps! I misread. Sorry about that. I'm not sure if your conditions are too humid or if there is such a thing as too humid for seeds. Maybe someone who knows better can inform us. It can't hurt to pop the lid a little bit to see if it helps. Are you growing them using Jiffy? Personally I would aim for the lower 80s for germinating, but your temperature doesn't seem bad.

Edit: It would be a good idea to get a thermometer to know what the heat is in there. You don't want to be in the 90s.
 
Soil really wet and seeds turning brown, to me means beyond too humid.
The soil needs to be moist to damp, not wet, according to what I see on
the forum. If they were mine I'd dry them out a little by taking the covers
off for a little while (leave the heat mat) and then seeing what happens.
At one week you are just into the germination time frame if you planted into
dirt.
 
Are you able to take a picture? That would help to see if the soil is too wet. I could compare it to mine that is doing well. I just checked a bhut jolokia and it germinated on day 5 (not sprouted but man!). I had to dig up to see if it had a tap root going. I got a little worried about mine since it's very damp and humid in mine. This my first time using Jiffy and it's way faster than the paper towel method I used to use. It sounds like you're using something similar if not the same.

Edit: Oh, and is there fertilizer in the soil?
 
I just started using Jiffy for mine. I did the 24-hour soak, and am already getting sprouts on mine, and the sprouting that came up seemed to be independent of how wet/dry the soil was. However, as a general rule, the best results I've seen thus far, for decent growth of my little ones, the soil should be about as wet as a damp sponge a few hours after use. Too wet, and rot could set in, while too dry and the seedling could wilt.
 
Dulac said:
Are you able to take a picture? That would help to see if the soil is too wet. I could compare it to mine that is doing well. I just checked a bhut jolokia and it germinated on day 5 (not sprouted but man!). I had to dig up to see if it had a tap root going. I got a little worried about mine since it's very damp and humid in mine. This my first time using Jiffy and it's way faster than the paper towel method I used to use. It sounds like you're using something similar if not the same.

Edit: Oh, and is there fertilizer in the soil?
Click to expand...

Dulac. Here are a couple of pictures. I'm not sure if you'll be able to determine the condition of the soil with these. But, here you go.

a6d431a3.jpg

6af1ba4d.jpg


I haven't put fertilizer in the soil.
 
Helldozer said:
...I don't have a thermometer I can test the soil temp. However, I can test the ambient temp which runs about 75-77F. I'm guessing the mat bumps that to 85-87F....
Click to expand...

By "ambient" do you mean air temp in the room, or air temp inside the dome when closed? If that is room temp, it might be getting way hotter inside the dome. Find a cheap old school thermometer and lay it across the cells inside the dome. Air temp and soil temp should eventually even out in a dome, i think.

Its my first year using a heat mat, and feel the thermostat is essential. Otherwise the heat mat runs flat out at max output. Getting the temp dialed, even with a heat mat, is a pain.

Not sure about humidity. As long as seeds aren't in standing water, seems like it would be okay. When I put seeds in cups, it is pretty much max humidity and they like it.
 
If you can invest in a thermometer do so. Those mats can run hot and fry seeds. I lost many seeds before I got one and can o ly assume they were fried. My thermometer holds them right at 85 degrees which comes quickly I side a dome. I think you would see a great improvement.
 
Siliman said:
By "ambient" do you mean air temp in the room, or air temp inside the dome when closed? If that is room temp, it might be getting way hotter inside the dome. Find a cheap old school thermometer and lay it across the cells inside the dome. Air temp and soil temp should eventually even out in a dome, i think.

Its my first year using a heat mat, and feel the thermostat is essential. Otherwise the heat mat runs flat out at max output. Getting the temp dialed, even with a heat mat, is a pain.

Not sure about humidity. As long as seeds aren't in standing water, seems like it would be okay. When I put seeds in cups, it is pretty much max humidity and they like it.
Click to expand...
Thanks Siliman, appreciate the feedback. Yes, surrounding temp. Of course I didn't think of the obvious, which Spankyscolts brought up...inside dome temp. I was only accounting for ambient temp and heat mat temp increase. I wasn't thinking about how just inside the dome would be warmer by default.

Thanks Spankyscolts too, appreciate it.

Do you guys know if Home Depot, Lowe's, or Orchard Garden Supply carry digital thermostats?

I have the heating pad at the bottom of this page: http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/thermostat-for-seedling-mat/heat-mats-seeding

Navlet's may carry the digital thermostat that is listed at the top of that page, but not sure. Does that look like a decent one?

Thanks!

Spankyscolts said:
If you can invest in a thermometer do so. Those mats can run hot and fry seeds. I lost many seeds before I got one and can o ly assume they were fried. My thermometer holds them right at 85 degrees which comes quickly I side a dome. I think you would see a great improvement.
Click to expand...
 
If pic #9 shows what you're putting your seeds into to germinate that's probabl not the best stuff. You want something that is a bit finer, read No Big Chunks. Kind of looks like woody mud. I'll also echo the need for a thermometer. Temps in the mid 80's F is the best. Once you get into the upper 80's/lower 90's you risk scorching the seeds. Please let us know what you change and the effect it has. Best of luck.
 
@ H-Dozer--yea, that Hydrofarm thermostat is the ticket. Sometimes you see them in garden stores, usually bundled at a much higher price with the heat mat, tray, dome and the grow pucks. Best to get online. For a simple thermometer, all the big box stores have them for a few bucks--the kind you can hang on a wall, indoors, outdoors or put inside your dome. They are 6 to 8 inches long and if not entirely accurate, they're close enough for gardening work.

+1 on the soil--too coarse.
 
They won't germinate as fast in that type of soil, but they should be able to grow in it. It looks on the damp side, but I don't think that would stop germination. I think you should get a thermometer to make sure the temperature is not too high in there. High temperatures can kill the seedlings and reduce germination rates.


Edit: It might be too wet for seedlings after awhile. The roots can rot if left in too wet of a condition.


Edit again: IMO, start all over. I had extraordinary success with the Jiffy peat greenhouse (http://www.homedepot...28X-_-100349876 ). You can get seedlings fast using this. The cells turn into that soft soil the seeds love. Also buy a thermometer. I got this "greenhouse" at Walmart for 6 bucks (a dollar less than Home Depot) and a cheap thermometer for 90 cents. I don't have any heat mats, but I used passive solar heat from a window. Sometimes the temperature was not ideal (in the low 90s) and I cooled it off.
 
Helldozer said:
Thanks Siliman, appreciate the feedback. Yes, surrounding temp. Of course I didn't think of the obvious, which Spankyscolts brought up...inside dome temp. I was only accounting for ambient temp and heat mat temp increase. I wasn't thinking about how just inside the dome would be warmer by default.

Thanks Spankyscolts too, appreciate it.

Do you guys know if Home Depot, Lowe's, or Orchard Garden Supply carry digital thermostats?

I have the heating pad at the bottom of this page: http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/thermostat-for-seedling-mat/heat-mats-seeding

Navlet's may carry the digital thermostat that is listed at the top of that page, but not sure. Does that look like a decent one?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I have this one
http://www.4hydro.com/growroom/superSprouterTherm.asp

I like the super sprouter Mats because they have the two tray mats and you can hook em up to each other and run as many as 10 with one thermostat. I have 2 double tray mats hooked together with 1 thermostat.

 
patrick said:
If pic #9 shows what you're putting your seeds into to germinate that's probabl not the best stuff. You want something that is a bit finer, read No Big Chunks. Kind of looks like woody mud. I'll also echo the need for a thermometer. Temps in the mid 80's F is the best. Once you get into the upper 80's/lower 90's you risk scorching the seeds. Please let us know what you change and the effect it has. Best of luck.
Click to expand...
Siliman said:
@ H-Dozer--yea, that Hydrofarm thermostat is the ticket. Sometimes you see them in garden stores, usually bundled at a much higher price with the heat mat, tray, dome and the grow pucks. Best to get online. For a simple thermometer, all the big box stores have them for a few bucks--the kind you can hang on a wall, indoors, outdoors or put inside your dome. They are 6 to 8 inches long and if not entirely accurate, they're close enough for gardening work.

+1 on the soil--too coarse.
Click to expand...
Spankyscolts said:
What brand of heat mat do you have?
Click to expand...
Dulac said:
They won't germinate as fast in that type of soil, but they should be able to grow in it. It looks on the damp side, but I don't think that would stop germination. I think you should get a thermometer to make sure the temperature is not too high in there. High temperatures can kill the seedlings and reduce germination rates.


Edit: It might be too wet for seedlings after awhile. The roots can rot if left in too wet of a condition.


Edit again: IMO, start all over. I had extraordinary success with the Jiffy peat greenhouse (http://www.homedepot...28X-_-100349876 ). You can get seedlings fast using this. The cells turn into that soft soil the seeds love. Also buy a thermometer. I got this "greenhouse" at Walmart for 6 bucks (a dollar less than Home Depot) and a cheap thermometer for 90 cents. I don't have any heat mats, but I used passive solar heat from a window. Sometimes the temperature was not ideal (in the low 90s) and I cooled it off.
Click to expand...

The soil was a potting mix I bought at Navlet's. However, I have tried the Jiffy Pellets with more success. Sounds like I should just stick with the pellets. :)

Man, you guys just keep making me spend money. :) j/k. I took all of your advice and I bought the hydrofarm thermostat online and should be here tomorrow. :) Woot!

The heat mat I'm using is the hydrofarm one.

Just for reference, here is my current setup.

photo1-1.jpg

photo4-1.jpg
 
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