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Gardening Journal - Setbacks and Responses
Mar. 6th, 2010 05:45 pmTwo trays full of seedlings are doing great - every single cell is going strong, and some of the seedlings are about to get their second leaves. I simply cannot believe how quickly the cucumbers grow; apparently they store up a lot of energy in those great big seeds.
However, the third tray has problems: nothing on one end germinated at all, and some of the sprouts in the middle have died off. This is the 128-cell tray that is warmed by a light bulb, and judging by the distribution of which plants are thriving and which aren't, it looks like the bulb just got too hot for the little guys. Poor little sprouts. I feel bad for not taking better care of them, worse because it's entirely my fault for not being more careful about the wattage (and hence heat output) of the bulb. FFR: 25W is too much!
Marching onward: I think K's comment about moving the lamp closer to the seedlings was right on, and I have done so - that means that there's only room for 2 trays under the HPS fixture. So today I bought a simple 2-bulb T5 fluorescent fixture and set it up over the old pine table from the farmhouse. It's 48" long, so there's room for two trays underneath. I put the half-devastated tray under it; I'll decide what more I'm doing with that when it's clear exactly what will and won't survive. But I also started another 72-cell tray with all the varieties that I lost. This time I'm using a warming mat instead of a light bulb; I hope it will give better results.
Eric is interested in having more plants throughout the house. I am, of course, all in favor. He's thinking about herbs and suchlike as well as traditional houseplants, and doesn't mind the goofy-looking lights that they require to be truly happy. This promises to be fun. :)
However, the third tray has problems: nothing on one end germinated at all, and some of the sprouts in the middle have died off. This is the 128-cell tray that is warmed by a light bulb, and judging by the distribution of which plants are thriving and which aren't, it looks like the bulb just got too hot for the little guys. Poor little sprouts. I feel bad for not taking better care of them, worse because it's entirely my fault for not being more careful about the wattage (and hence heat output) of the bulb. FFR: 25W is too much!
Marching onward: I think K's comment about moving the lamp closer to the seedlings was right on, and I have done so - that means that there's only room for 2 trays under the HPS fixture. So today I bought a simple 2-bulb T5 fluorescent fixture and set it up over the old pine table from the farmhouse. It's 48" long, so there's room for two trays underneath. I put the half-devastated tray under it; I'll decide what more I'm doing with that when it's clear exactly what will and won't survive. But I also started another 72-cell tray with all the varieties that I lost. This time I'm using a warming mat instead of a light bulb; I hope it will give better results.
Eric is interested in having more plants throughout the house. I am, of course, all in favor. He's thinking about herbs and suchlike as well as traditional houseplants, and doesn't mind the goofy-looking lights that they require to be truly happy. This promises to be fun. :)
