I’ve always had a hard time starting seeds. Last year I bought a bunch of seed from Seed Savers Exchange. Nearly everything I planted died of damping off. Everything else stayed small all summer and “sat there looking at me.” It was terrible waiting month after month. Finally near the end of july I took my four inch tall pepper and tomato starts and planted them outside. Slugs ate most of them. By the time what was left had fruited it was time for the first frost. I didn’t see any signs of blight though and in this tobacco producing area that’s great.

Well this year I think i’m finally doing it right.

First of all I built a box for propagation. Its about 2 x 4 x4. It’s tall enough that I don’t  have to bend over too much or I can place a stoolbeside it to sit on. There is a platform built into the middle that ‘s deep enough to hold seed trays so that the outside of the box comes up to the lip of the trays. The platform has about four inches of space on the long sides so that heat and airflow can come up around it. I didn’t plan it to be but its just the right length so that there are about two inches of space between the trays.

The space around the trays is important because of airflow. Damping off has been a problem for me every year. It ‘s a fungus that attacks the bases of seedlings, just where they meet the soil. Moisture at that spot gives the fungus a place to take hold. Ample airflow helps to keep these microorganisms from effecting the young plants. After I placed the seed in the cells and covered them with potting mix I dusted over all of the cells with a little vermiculite. This will also help keep the base of the plants dry.

I left an opening at one side of the box to place a fan heater. The fan is set to around 75 degrees. It’s important for this heat to come from below the plants to help them germinate. The fan is on full speed and the airflow coming up between the trays seems to be enough to keep the above ground portions of the seedlings nice and dry.

The seeding soil mix I made was two parts pete, one part vermiculite, and one part pearlite. I wound up buying miracle grow pete and I’m not totally satisfied with it. It seemed to have allot of large chunks and bark in the mix.

The reason my plants stayed small last year was because I have them in a north and west facing glassed in porch. The afternoon sun wasn’t nearly enough for them to produce the energy they needed to grow. So this year I got a grow light for Christmas (thanks Mom and Dad.) In general a grow light, preferably full spectrum, is recommended for starting seeds. Later I may add a shelf and another light. The shelf will have a light on the bottom of it and plants on top. Another light will be above on the wall probably where the light is now.

I’m keeping the water level in the trays constant. About a week after the seeds have germinated I begin watering them weekly with compost tea. I make the tea by first putting aged compost (you can use plantone if you don’t have a composter) in an old sock and tying the end off. I place the sock in a black five gallon bucket and set it in a sunny spot for a couple of days. Once I have vermiculture started I’ll use a dilute of the tea from that.

Well, so far, so good. Wish me luck.

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