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

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  • From: "Beth Spaugh" <lists AT rhomestead.com>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] germination mat recommendations
  • Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:25:50 -0500

First thing I start is onions and leeks, without bottom heat. THen I put them under flourescent lights and put the next seed flats on top of the flourescent lights, right on the fixture. That usually gives enough heat. My heated area capacity expands as the number of lights I'm using expands. And, you can stack trays on top of each other (offset them half a cell so the top one is resting on the plastic rather than down in the cells).  Cheap.  What I want is an old refrigerator with a light bulb on a thermostat for heat. I've seen folks start a whole slew of trays in one.
 
Beth Spaugh
Rehoboth Homestead, Peru, NY
Farm Fresh Food Club CSA - http://rhomestead.com 
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Garden fresh vegetables, organically grown, and pastured chicken, duck, and geese
 
"How we eat determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used." - Wendell Berry
 
"Without power over our food, any notion of democracy is empty." - Frances Moore Lappe
 


From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Shawnee Flowerfarmer
Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 10:51 PM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] germination mat recommendations

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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