Questions
Answers
Q.When should my seedlings go under the light and into my garden? Do
I wait until there are leaves?
A.The
seedlings require light as soon as they germinate, otherwise they
will s-t-r-e-t-c-h looking for light. The light should not be
too strong at first. If you are using a metal halide, simply keep
them off to the side a bit (not directly under), keep the light
at 3' or so above and diffuse the light with a piece of thin white
plastic.
You can place them in your garden at the 2nd set of true leaves.
Q.I
have a 400W Metal Halide and I’m trying to germinate seeds.
What distance should my lamp have from the sprouts?
A.When germinating under halide keep the bulb at the ceiling.
You can diffuse the light by placing white plastic over
the container. Even better, cover the seed holes of your rockwool cubes with Perlite. Perlite repels water so seeds won't rot from too much moisture.(the seeds will get plenty of moisture from the rockwool). Once the seedlings break the surface of the cube they will receive light right away so they will not stretch. The light is
very intense (and you will be thankful later when your plants
are bigger and growing rapidly!) so 4' is the absolute closest
the bulb should be from the containers. The light can be lowered
slowly as the plants grow till they are within a foot of each
other and then raised as the plant grows. A 400 watt is good for your size area.
Q.What
is a good temperature for germinating seeds?
A.The temperature should be no higher than 74 degrees F. Too
high of a temperature will fry the germinating seedlings. (in
older plants it causes them to stretch, so it is an important
factor throughout the growth cycle)
A germinated
seed will sprout in approximately one week.
Q.My seeds are in Rockwool, I did water almost daily. Could the
germinated seed have rotted?
A.Any
problems in Rockwool can usually be countered quickly. Because
you mentioned the bean seed had rotted, it seems to me that the
seed could not breathe. The Rockwool must have an air space underneath
it. Is it possible that the cube was sitting on a flat surface?
If so, the bean surely would have rotted. A germinated seed should
have sprouted within one week. The temperature should be no higher
than 86 degrees F.
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