Whats your best tip?

[ceresone]

Mine's turning a small fan on my seedlings, soon as they come up--seems the gentle air make them sturdy, and healthy. that ant the lights only 3" inches above them.
now, your tips?

[TastyofHasty]

Mirror or cardboard with aluminum foil glued on to reflect light back on the little seedlings.

Just went and plugged in a fan for my "little ones." Forgot about that one, thanks!

[tashak]

Thanks for reminder about reflecting light onto seedlings. I'm going to dig out my folding campfire reflector screen--probably aluminum as it is pretty lightweight--and try that.

[ipaintedmyhousewhite]

These are great :) I have horrible luck with seedlings, but that doesn't stop me from trying again this year! I was wondering if it'd be okay to use a fan since I was thinking air circulation was part of my problem. I was also worried about light. Anyhow, thanks!

[Izzy Bluestar]

This is my first post....I'm new. I'm also new to starting my own seedlings. This will be my first year doing so. I've gardened for 30+ years, but either bought my seedlings at the garden store, or a friend started mine for me. Oh, once back in 1970 we started some pot plants on the back porch, but that was 36 years ago. The old days! Anyway, thanks for the tips. I'm excited about this forum...learning and sharing.
Izzy B.
Peace is what you are.

[caascher2]

Why do you mirror the seedlings? I have never started seeds before, but am going to give it a shot this winter. How do you mirror them?
Thanks,
Carol

[mrtomatoexpres]

hi it refleckes the heat on the seedlings keeps them warm they will grow quicker :)

[TastyofHasty]

To mirror seedlings, either use real mirrors (often sold at garage sales, BTW) or take sheets of cardboard & glue on aluminum foil. Whatever your light source (especially if it's insufficient/low light source such as fluorescent bulb(s)), set up the mirrors/foil-covered cardboard to reflect the light back onto the baby plants. It's just a help 'cause lots of people start plants early, in windows or under fluorescent light bulbs that don't produce as much light as the plants would get if they were sprouting outdoors at the natural time.

[boston]

seeds also seems to start better if you give them bottom heat

[GreenZone]

I'm not sure it's truly my best tip ever but I start seeds in a little styrofoam incubator. I sow many small seed of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants on the surface of my own soil mix in blue plastic mushroom containers, moisten thoroughly and place in the incubator set at 86 degrees F. Good new tomato seed sprouts in 3-4 days, older and other ones take longer. Naturally they must come out as soon as they sprout, which means before most of them sprout; otherwise the early ones get too leggy in just a couple of days.

I can start up to 50-60 plants in each little flat ( I call them community pots or com-pots which is a borrowed orchid-growing term) provided they are transplanted timely. This is helpful because I don't commit a lot of space until I'm certain that there'll be germination. (As a seed saver I'm all too often using older seed that has needed to be grown out for several seasons.) And no the transplanting doesn't seem to set the little plants back, although it is a bit tedious. My belief is that the stress stimulates branching in the root system. I was told it's a terrible idea to grow them this way but it was by someone whose plants (IMHO) tend not to grow as well as mine.

Sometimes with older seed germination is enhanced by moving them into and out of the incubator. Temperature variation and light are definitely known to stimulate germination, but with the freshest seed this seems to be unnecessary. And don't give up too soon. Very old seed appears to be more dormant than weak; I've had tomato seed do nothing for 5-6 weeks and then sprout in droves after being set into the "discard" pile!

Randel

[sunmad strawgirl]

To ward off damping off seedling deaths, I sprinkle the top of the soil lightly with cinnamon. I then do every other (or so) watering of the little seedlings with 1/2 strength camomile tea. Both things (plus the good air circulation mentioned above) really seem to keep down the fungi.