When the Light Bulb went off! - Page 2

BackyardFarm · March 28, 2016

When I learned that the reason all my seedlings were doing terribly was due to dampening off and not enough sunlight. I have south facing kitchen windows but it just wasn't enough due to the pine trees across the alley blocking most of the winter/spring light before about 11 am.

So now I always remove the cover as soon as I see seedlings poking their heads up, use cinnamon on my seedling trays, artificial lighting 16 hours a day (it's cheap t12 and t8 shop lights I may get some led shop lights next), water from the bottom ONLY, and occasionally using chamomile tea to water. I also use a small desk sized fan to move the air around them to make them strong and keep it from being too damp.

Oh and I learned to feed them with fish fertilizer too! My first two years growing from seed the results were pitiful, weak, and tiny. Many didn't survive.
I was reminded because today I need to mix some up to feed the baby plants

My Foot Smells · March 28, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by BackyardFarm

use cinnamon on my seedling trays,

wtf? can u expound...

Worth1 · March 28, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by My Foot Smells

wtf? can u expound...

Okay this is the deal cinnamon is a natural antibacterial fungal anti spore type of thing.

Just dump a bunch of it in some bread dough and watch it kill the yeast.
This is where people mess up making cinnamon rolls you have to add more yeast to counter act it so it all doesn't die off.
How did I learn this, take a wild guess.

Everything I know how to do is by trial and error.

Worth.

BackyardFarm · March 29, 2016

I sprinkle on directly after sowing. Like Worth said it's a natural antifungal and anti mold etc.

If I see mold or anything growing I sprinkle it on immediately, and then make sure to let that tray dry out a little more between waterings. Had zero problems last year just sprinkling it on directly after sowing. This year I had a little mold start in the onion tray (they were seeds from last year and took nearly three weeks to sprout so it stayed very moist in the covered tray), I sprinkled on some more cinnamon and the mold is gone.

Captain Neon · March 29, 2016

I first started my own seeds because I wanted to grow some specific varieties and didn't want to hope that they would be available from the local nursery. I figured if it didn't work out I could just buy seedlings from the nursery then. I've always had plenty of healthy seedlings.

Those that make it seem difficult are like auto mechanics that scare people away from installing their own wiper blades or changing their own oil.

March 28, 2016	#16
BackyardFarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Wisconsin, zone 4b Posts: 360	When I learned that the reason all my seedlings were doing terribly was due to dampening off and not enough sunlight. I have south facing kitchen windows but it just wasn't enough due to the pine trees across the alley blocking most of the winter/spring light before about 11 am. So now I always remove the cover as soon as I see seedlings poking their heads up, use cinnamon on my seedling trays, artificial lighting 16 hours a day (it's cheap t12 and t8 shop lights I may get some led shop lights next), water from the bottom ONLY, and occasionally using chamomile tea to water. I also use a small desk sized fan to move the air around them to make them strong and keep it from being too damp. Oh and I learned to feed them with fish fertilizer too! My first two years growing from seed the results were pitiful, weak, and tiny. Many didn't survive. I was reminded because today I need to mix some up to feed the baby plants Last edited by BackyardFarm; March 28, 2016 at 11:30 AM.

March 29, 2016	#19
BackyardFarm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Wisconsin, zone 4b Posts: 360	I sprinkle on directly after sowing. Like Worth said it's a natural antifungal and anti mold etc. If I see mold or anything growing I sprinkle it on immediately, and then make sure to let that tray dry out a little more between waterings. Had zero problems last year just sprinkling it on directly after sowing. This year I had a little mold start in the onion tray (they were seeds from last year and took nearly three weeks to sprout so it stayed very moist in the covered tray), I sprinkled on some more cinnamon and the mold is gone.

March 29, 2016	#20
Captain Neon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Florence KY Posts: 234	I first started my own seeds because I wanted to grow some specific varieties and didn't want to hope that they would be available from the local nursery. I figured if it didn't work out I could just buy seedlings from the nursery then. I've always had plenty of healthy seedlings. Those that make it seem difficult are like auto mechanics that scare people away from installing their own wiper blades or changing their own oil.