[CH] Germinating seeds
Russ Spanard (RSpanard@home.com)
Tue, 06 Nov 2001 15:24:35 -0500
Tony Flynn wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> > ## I have great success using a steady 85-86°F bottom
> >
> > >> I must agree that the seeds enjoy warm temperature,
> > because I have had good success with seeds that I have
> > placed on window ledges that are exposed to a great
> > deal of sun
Being new to pepper gardening, I was impatient to wait until after the first
of the year to start experimenting with seed germination, and I live on the
second floor of an older house that tends to get a bit cool near the
windows...
I place my seeds between the folds of a sheet of dampened paper towel and
slide them into a zip-lock baggie and set them right on top of my cable TV
box. It's always warm (even when it's not turned on it draws power and is warm
to the touch) and I can simply hold the bag up to the light to see which
seeds have sprouted. (The wet paper towel keeps them in place.) I found that
the temperature stabilized around 85-90 if I protected the baggies from drafts
by placing something on top of them (I use a small tupperware lid with a 1/2"
lip, but the top of a shoe box would be perfect too.)
It's incredibly cheap, reliable and allows you to keep from staring at the top
of the damp germinating mix wondering which seeds will be duds. One word of
warning: If you don't plan on checking them every few days (or daily), don't
use a "fluffy" paper towel like Bounty or Brawny because given time, the
sprouts will start to grow into the fibers of those types of towels.
Russ