Hi, I need some help starting seeds in the house! I don't have a south window but I do have two east windows. When I've tried to start seeds in the past, they've grown spindly and died. What about grow lights, will regular flouresent lights work? All advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), March 04, 2000

Answers

I've used flourescent lights for the past 7 years to start my seeds. Keep the lights 2 inches from the tops of the plants, and try to water from the bottom, if you can. Be sure to use sterile growing medium, to reduce risk of disease. Good luck, and happy growing!

-- judi (jeddfd91789@aol.com), March 04, 2000.

Hi, Just put my tomato seeds in flats yesterday. Today is cold and cloudy. So in order to get proper germanation, I put one of those heat lamps over them about 3 feet. So the temp. will be about a steady 80 degrees. They are the same heat lamps you would put over chicks. I had to do the same thing last year when no sunlight came in the windows. Most of the time, sunlight from windows is enough. Works for me.

-- Linda Hess (hesscat@cot.net), March 04, 2000.

I start mine in the basement, not much light! I have used the flourescent lights several years with good success. I use one regular light bulb and one grow light. The regular light bulb for heat, the grow light for the light they need. I have best luck starting them in a seed starter rather than in potting soil, less damping-off disease. Once they get bigger, you will either need to fertilize them or repot in soil as the seed starter in a pk. doesn't contain any nutrients. Also, as someone above said, keep the light about 2 or 3 inches from the seedlings or they will grow tall and spindly. Good luck.

-- barbara (barbaraj@mis.net), March 04, 2000.

Here is information that I found at a website: TIP OF THE WEEK: * How to keep indoor seedlings from S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G Many gardeners try to get a jump on the season by starting seedlings indoors. Which often means spindly, lush growth because the light intensity and harshness of the outdoors isn't there.

What to do? Not difficult. Just do whatever you can to mimic the outdoors.

1. A light stand or even a fluorescent light fixture works wonders! Put the seedlings as close to the lights as you can. THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS TOO CLOSE. (By the way, I've written a 24-page book on the subject: Secrets of Starting and Growing Seedlings Under Lights which is available elsewhere on this web site. We just made it available to bookstores this season and perhaps we shouldn't be surprised to find that it really is selling well. The booklet was written because there's really no information like it available anywhere that we've found. In Canada, Coles books is carrying it as well as T & T Seeds. We also created a light stand design kit that you can use to build your own warm wood light stand--we hate the expensive metal ones!!! Look for that among our product list. Also available at T & T Seeds.) 2. Put the seedlings into a cool spot at night. Even on the floor next to a cool wall or behind a curtain. 3. Let your plants wilt between watering. 4. Take out your summer fan and let it blow at your seedlings for an hour or two a day! 5. Don't over fertilize. Add a soluble fertilizer (20-20-20) to your watering can about every third time you water. 6. As soon as the temperature gets to about 10 C. (50 F.) outside, take your plants outside for increasingly longer periods each day, starting with an hour. 7. Don't start tender vegetables too early indoors! Tomatoes should be started SIX WEEKS before your plan to plant them outdoors. For cucumbers and melons, THREE WEEKS IS EARLY ENOUGH! Tests have shown you get no advantage by starting them earlier! (Of course, you can start them even earlier if you plan to plant them under KOZY- COATS. That will give you a month or more head start on your neighbours!

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), March 05, 2000.

as for the flourescent lights use regular bulbs. one cool white and one regular. you do not need grow bulbs. These two bulbs will supply the UV that you need

-- Grant Eversoll (thegrange@earthlink.net), March 06, 2000.

For the information I contributed it came from http://www.mrtomato.com/

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), March 12, 2000.

Hey I dont have an answer I have a question. Does anyone know what the effects of Hyrdrocloric Acid on seed germanation( a corn seed) If anyone knows any please send them to Logan12348@hotmail.com-- Thanks

-- Logan Howell (Logan12348@hotmail.com), January 21, 2001.

All the above posts are wonderful and I have only one or two things to add. I use our heating pads, on low, under the trays that hold the peat pots. I cover the planted peat pots with plastic film until the seeds start germinating. Then, they go directly to the flourescent light. I also start all my plants one week ahead so that they can spend a week "hardening off" outside. To harden off, we use bales of hay to form a rectangle. We put the plants in there and use old storm windows at night and old screens during the day.

-- Ardie from Wi (a6203@hotmail.com), January 27, 2001.