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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] germination mat recommendations

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  • From: Shawnee Flowerfarmer <farmingflowers AT hotmail.com>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] germination mat recommendations
  • Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:51:22 -0600

Shopping around is a good idea and there are some interesting home made solutions that work well.  Someone posted plans/photos of a germination box heated by Christmas lights a few years ago. (should be in the archives.)
 I have had many different heat mats/cables and now I am careful to balance the cost/quantity of the seed and the advantage/cost of the heat mat. (What I've always wanted is a germination chamber but never mind.)  For example, onions don't need a high germination temperature and squash/melons usually germinate quickly and easily without it.  Do research optimum germination temps for each variety.  If you are starting lots of seeds like peppers, tomatoes etc, a heat mat can really help.  All seedlings-of whatever variety-must come off the mat as soon as they have germinated.  (Pepper seed germinates at a high % rate at 80-85 degrees, but the plantlets are more robust when grown on at 55-60. )
 Bottom heat benches are another alternative to check into.
 Shawnee zone 5


From: KAKerby AT aol.com
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:58:53 -0500
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Market-farming] germination mat recommendations

Good afternoon, everyone.  I'm new here, been gardening for a long time but this will be my first year to offer produce at market.  Towards that end, one of our investments this year will be germination mats to get our seeds going a little earlier than they would otherwise.  The recent email about onion seedlings got me to thinking about it.  I looked online and found quite a variety of mats available, and our local hardware store and grower supply carry different brands. 
 
Are there any preferred brands and/or features that I should look for, or possibly avoid?  This year we'll probably limit ourselves to starting tom's, melons and squash on those mats, maybe a few trays of each.  But I can see quite a hard-working future for those mats if we like them this first time out.  On the other hand, I don't want to lay down good money for something that won't do the job.  Any recommendations or observations would be much appreciated.  Thanks.
Kathryn Kerby
Frog Chorus Farm
Snohomish, WA


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