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
