I have seed trays with clear covers and grow lights.

My issue is, although I tried planting seeds with similar germination times and temperatures, they don't read their labels. My lupine (20-25days ) and delphiniums (15-20) were planted 2/6. 13 days Later more than half the lupine are sprouted, one with a nice set of true leaves, and none of the Delphinium. In another tray With average 2 week germination days, some amaranths and bachelor buttons are almost 2" high. I'm concerned about dampening off, so today I took the cover off and in about 1 hour I already noticed the taller seedlings drying out and beginning to curl under the fluorescent light (4" above soil)! So I raised the lights to about 6", but the amaranthus are already shot, in under an hour their hair thin stems dried out enough for the weigh of their leaves to fall over, and are now that their stems are kinked I'm pretty sure they are hopeless.

How do you do it? I'm trying to find a balance with light, space, moisture, and I'm starting to feel like it's impossible. I'm so jealous of the seed trays I see with Perfect even rows of same sized seedlings when mine seem all over the place! I do have some physan 20 antifungal, and all my trays got a good spraying today as a prophylactic against fungus while the tops are on to buy me a little more time.
How high do you keep your lights, when do you uncover, and do you uncover all at once, a couple hours at a time, I've seen other people suggest raising the covers on bamboo skewers a half inch at a time. I've also thought about ditching the 3" high domes and draping clear plastic over the top of the whole table top set up (maybe 8" height, 4ftx 1ft) to retain humidity, but not 100% and still allow for some limited air convection current

Hi, Paula, what I do is when the seedlings start to emerge, and some are faster than others, I prop the lid up with a tongue.
depressor and when they all sprout, take the cover off. I generally don't turn on the lights until all the seedlings are up. If you are doing a bunch of flats with mixed seedlings, this takes some tinkering! You have to kind of go by the time on the package, and start some sooner than others. Also, some flower seeds need light, so you just put them on the surface of the patted down soil. As for lights, if your seedlings withered after being exposed to them, that could be due to light intensity, or could be to damping off, anyway. Are you watering from the bottom? The best way to water is with a spray bottle. As for light intensity, The lights I use are fluorescent, and they are the kind you buy in stores like Lowe's, I don't know the rating. I start them out almost on top of the seedlings and raise them as the plants grow. Those pictures are either photoshopped or taken in professional greenhouses. Take heart! Just keep going. Everyone has problems from time to time. I think you're doing great!

Hello Paula,

This is a rather recent (June 26, 2018) and reasonably up-to-date book on Gardening Under Lights, that is a good source of current information on the subject.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1604697954/

I refer to my copy frequently. Most books on the subject are now several decades old, and obsolete enough to contain what is now effectively disinformation. You can use Amazon's "Look Inside" feature to sample the book's contents. I recommend the book to anyone who is attempting to grow plants indoors.

ZM (not associated with any product or vendor mentioned or linked)

You can hear an interview with the author Leslie Hallack at A Way to Garden.
https://awaytogarden.com/indoo...
I was considering buying this book to improve my basement conditions. Sounds like it's been good for you, ZM.

I've never had a problem with damping off. I typically keep my seedlings covered with the greenhouse dome until the tallest ones just about hit the top. Then the seedlings get moved from the tray to a shelf on my plant stand. I use a stainless steel wire stand with 18"X48" shelves to hold my plants. I put the shelves on the unit upside down so the lip is facing upward, then I place a piece of plastic sheeting in to line it making a big 18"X48" plant tray and I keep a little water (1/8" or so) in it to keep the plants hydrated. This works pretty well for me. I use a shop light fixture from Home Depot that holds four T-8 bulbs and I use the 6500 K daylight bulbs. The whole rack is in a south and west-facing corner with windows on each side providing some extra natural lighting. Here's a photo of some of my current seedlings taken minutes ago.

I stopped growing my seedling under domes a couple years ago. "Dampening off is worse than drying out. So I established a routine for bottom watering the trays. My trash is picked up Mon and Thurs. So every trash day, I water all the seedling trays. It has worked well.

BTW, I cut one cell out of a tray. Makes the watering a LOT easier and 35 isn't much different than 36.

And you WANT the seedlings as close to the lights as possible. They need it. I even let them grow right up into them. There are ways to adjust the height. You can put cut 2x4's on the upright sides at first and then flat after and then remove the, I built a series of various height platforms from plywood, but never everyone can do that. but anyone can put scrap boards under a tray to raise them.

Paula, not sure what suburb you are in, but agree seeds do not read labels.

Sowed delphins and amaranths, only succes was w/amaranth. This year started using the 4" square, 3/4" deep plastic containers that store bought berries come in (4 yr doing seeds w/heat mat). Placed those containers in the starting tray. Most of my seedlings grew at diff rates. I would remove those that grew quickly and place them under LED lights (3" above), and within days transplant into 4" squad pots (same size as berry containers). I did not separate seedlings when placing in 4" containers or wait for true leaves to form, just turned the berry container upside down in hand and splat (plant side up). The 4" containers contained grass clipping on bottom, next manure, then a cheap sandy top soil. Would fertilize w/fish based fertilizer for first few initial waterings. Then plant the whole container, without the plastic pot, in the ground. After seedlings started growing more robustly, transplanted the individuals or near as possible to being individuals, in their new home.
My theory is that plants want to survive and will do what they must to survive. My amaranths did grow the that yr. Gave up on Delphs.
Greenwood Heights, then Levittown, then west coast.

Turbosaurus said:
How do you do it?

I germinate the seeds in one tray grouped usually by type, seeded in 'crowded' rows or sprinkled across top of moistened seed-starting media, with plastic wrap strethed over, or in bread bag, etc.


I concentrate at this stage on optimal warmth for each seed type, and can control it better in individual containers.

No light needed until first seed pops up, if they are 'lightly' covered seed. Seeds that need light for germination (coated petunia, etc) are done the same, but sowed on top of media under fluorescent lights.

These starts are in a food take-out two compartment clamshell with plastic wrap already removed, and right up to the light. The right side is ready for transplanting, the left side can grow more.

As soon as germination is mostly done, plastic wrap is removed, sometimes slowly over days (depending on seed) and I bottom water. Plants are as close to light as possible, and that's easier this way. I just place books, boards, etc to adjust each seed container as close to lights as possible, moving container lower as seeds grow taller.
The fluorescent fixture can remain stationary as I'm adjusting these individual seed trays. Transplant after first true leaves.

Oh, and I also rarely have a problem with dampening off. My method is the only way I can grow a large amount of seeds and of different varieties using my limited space indoors and under the lights.

I simply run out of space under the lights. The only seed I usually plant in single cell containers are the fast growing annuals (marigold, zinnia, cucumber, etc) that will go into the garden in 3-4 weeks from sowing.

Once transplanted, other seeds like tomatoes and petunias stay under lights indoors for the early season, then I move them out to a coldframe... and now to a small greenhouse.

I don't have good experience with planting the seeds. Its tough to get seedlings. I tried for 3 seasons it didn't work for me. So finally gave up.

Well, compared to seeds I am happy with the flower bulbs.
I sow the bulbs into the soil and within few days I see the flower stalks growing..
The method is easy and completely hassle free.i have got all the perennial flower bulbs such as oriental lily, galdiolous, irises etc.
So check if you can get flower bulbs for your plant variety.