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seeds White Trash Germination Chamber

An update. The germination chamber is working great. Seeds are popping all over the place. But I did discover that incandescent lights are not the greatest for growing sprouts (check out this thread), so I pluck the little seedlings as soon as they pop and put into 4" pots for growout. That means checking the box daily. But its winter. What else do I have to do?
 
Good one "midwestchilehead", I never thought to use an incandescent light bulb as a heat source. I like this highly effective, but simple approach method you have taken with this project. I tend to go the other way, more complicated and drawn out. When I look at the pictures, I can't help, but to want to throw on one of my Eurotherm controller/ SSR to regulate your lights.

Refreshing idea, keep'em coming!!
 
Thanks, Superhot. I did buy some fluorescents to put into the germination chamber, but haven't got them hung up yet. The only bad thing about closing up my shelf was that my 48" light fixtures no longer fit, so I had to get some shorter ones. I might use a Eurotherm controller/SSR to control my lights -- if I only knew what the heck it was.
 
Temperature controllers with solid state relays, I work in the industrial automation field. You could find these items on eBay.
 
Just an update. Even though the ambient temperature was reading at 86 degrees, the seeds sowed in seed starter still were not germinating timely. I finally stuck a probe in the starter and realized it was only 76 degrees F or so. I don't know why that is. I thought everything in the box would be 86 degrees or so, but double checked and figured it must need to be hotter. So I dialed up the ambient temperature to about 110 deg. F and got a little better results. I have figured out that the APS systems sold on gardener's supply keep the seed starting mix too wet if you are using the wicking mat. I've had very poor germination with them. I switched to cups and have had much better luck. They do not take up much space, and my germination rate exceeds 90%. My annuums all sprouted in about 4 days, and the superhots in 6-7 days. I have a heating mat thermostat on order, but the way things are working now, I don't think I will need it.
 
I wondered if this thread was still here. It is!
 
I am still using the chamber, but not with incandescents for a heat source. I read somewhere that they inhibit germination, and it was hard to control the temperature with them. I have been using heat mats on a thermostat in the germination chamber and having decent luck, but the humidity level was all over the place and I was having both failure to germinate and damping off problems. I figured there must be a better way.
 
One of the big growers told me about her steam cabinet, and said she had great germination with it. I started researching it, and found some really fancy cabinets on grower and greenhouse sites, but they were very big and very pricey (like $2,000 pricey). In search of inspiration, I turned to YouTube and found the video below. Perfect for my needs! I ordered the necessary stuff and will let you know how it works out in a couple of weeks.
 
https://youtu.be/XGMYo8PYW7k
 
I just stick them in the oven with the oven light on. Worked great. Using a heat mat though this year. If i leave the hood light in the "over range" microwave on, it keeps the inside of the microwave pretty warm too.
 
Well, the hotbox didn't do as well as I hoped on the first go-round. These chinense seeds germinated at about 47%, but a lot of them were seeds from swaps so I didn't really know what to expect. The box definitely creates a warm, moist environment that should be perfect for germination. I am hoping for a much better percentage with the annuums and tomatoes I just put in there yesterday.
 
40761983272_06caef8c85_z.jpg
 
Nice! Too bad you didn't get better germ rates. I had good luck with peat pellets and the paper towel method this year. Only 5 out of 72 varieties didn't sprout in the peat. I am pretty sure I got at least one of each variety to sprout with the paper towel method, it's nice cause u can pot up the sprouted ones and leave the rest in there till they sprout. Who knows how many I killed as sprouts though, next year I will definitely only transplant seeds with cotys.
 
midwestchilehead said:
Well, the hotbox didn't do as well as I hoped on the first go-round. These chinense seeds germinated at about 47%, but a lot of them were seeds from swaps so I didn't really know what to expect. The box definitely creates a warm, moist environment that should be perfect for germination. I am hoping for a much better percentage with the annuums and tomatoes I just put in there yesterday.
 
40761983272_06caef8c85_z.jpg
Click to expand...
 
 
So MWCH, how'd the annuums and tomatoes do, lol. Do you still use this method?
 
It worked just ok. You have to check the box daily because once the seeds germinate, the little plants start reaching for light and get leggy in a hurry, so you need to get them transplanted right away. I didn't use the hotbox last season. I used an Aerogarden and had excellent germination with it.  This season, not so much, so I just put 72 jiffy plugs with my last ditch chinense seeds into the hotbox. I will let you know next Wednesday how it worked.
 
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