I've always put them in the oven, the pilot light kept them warm.
Can't do it this year. So, I'm putting them under the florescent lights where I
used to move them to after they germinated. My questions a
Do the lights need to be turned on before they germinate?

How much longer will it take for them to germinate in a room where the
temperature is about 60-62 degrees than in the oven?

In article , c (TOM KAN PA) wrote:
I've always put them in the oven, the pilot light kept them warm.
Can't do it this year. So, I'm putting them under the florescent lights where
I
used to move them to after they germinated. My questions a
Do the lights need to be turned on before they germinate?

How much longer will it take for them to germinate in a room where the
temperature is about 60-62 degrees than in the oven?


Can you put them on top of the refrigerator or your stereo/TV equipment?
(with suitable leak-proofing of course)

cheers,

Marj

* * *
Marj Tiefert: http://www.mindspring.com/~mtiefert/
Marj's Mini Mall: http://stores.tiefert.com/
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science editing services: http://science.tiefert.com/

How do you germinate seeds in an oven?


"M. Tiefert" wrote in message
.com...
In article ,
c (TOM KAN PA) wrote:
I've always put them in the oven, the pilot light kept them warm.
Can't do it this year. So, I'm putting them under the florescent lights
where
I
used to move them to after they germinated. My questions a
Do the lights need to be turned on before they germinate?

How much longer will it take for them to germinate in a room where the
temperature is about 60-62 degrees than in the oven?


Can you put them on top of the refrigerator or your stereo/TV equipment?
(with suitable leak-proofing of course)

cheers,

Marj

* * *
Marj Tiefert: http://www.mindspring.com/~mtiefert/
Marj's Mini Mall: http://stores.tiefert.com/
Marjorie's Morning Star: http://newsletter.tiefert.com/
science editing services: http://science.tiefert.com/

Do the lights need to be turned on before they germinate?........some
seeds need light to germinate, some seeds need darkness and some are not
fussy re light or dark.........hope this does not confuse you.

HW

Subject: Germinating seeds question
From: "Anne Middleton/Harold Walker"
some
seeds need light to germinate, some seeds need darkness and some are not
fussy re light or dark .hope this does not confuse you.
____Reply Separator_____

In that case, why does it only say on the seed packs to start them indoors? No
reference to light or dark.

c (TOM KAN PA) wrote in message ...
I've always put them in the oven, the pilot light kept them warm.
Can't do it this year. So, I'm putting them under the florescent lights where I
used to move them to after they germinated. My questions a
Do the lights need to be turned on before they germinate?

for most vegetable seeds, no. In fact, I can't off the top of my head
remember a veggie seed that requires light, though I know that, for
example, goosefoot seeds germinate only with light (it is a weed).


How much longer will it take for them to germinate in a room where the
temperature is about 60-62 degrees than in the oven?

In the case of lettuce, only a few days longer. In the case of okra,
they will not germinate. Ditto for tomatoes. I always find that even
the oven is too cold for okra.
Now I place seeds in a wet paper towel, fold the towel with seeds in,
place the towel in ziploc bag, place bag on pipe exiting my water
heater. The temp is typically mid-90. One day and they are off to the
races (two days and they root into the towel and give you a headache).
It is the consistently warmest place in my house, easily beating
fridge, stereo and sunny window.

In the case of lettuce, only a few days longer. In the case of okra,
they will not germinate. Ditto for tomatoes. I always find that even
the oven is too cold for okra.
Now I place seeds in a wet paper towel, fold the towel with seeds in,
place the towel in ziploc bag, place bag on pipe exiting my water
heater. The temp is typically mid-90. One day and they are off to the
races (two days and they root into the towel and give you a headache).
It is the consistently warmest place in my house, easily beating
fridge, stereo and sunny window.


All of my tomatoes germinated in a room that never gets above 68 degrees and
the only extra heat was from the fluorescent lights above them. I didn't
put them under the lights for germination purposes, I put them under the
"heat" of the light for germination.

Cheryl

clc wrote:

In the case of lettuce, only a few days longer. In the case of okra,
they will not germinate. Ditto for tomatoes. I always find that even
the oven is too cold for okra.
Now I place seeds in a wet paper towel, fold the towel with seeds in,
place the towel in ziploc bag, place bag on pipe exiting my water
heater. The temp is typically mid-90. One day and they are off to the
races (two days and they root into the towel and give you a headache).
It is the consistently warmest place in my house, easily beating
fridge, stereo and sunny window.

All of my tomatoes germinated in a room that never gets above 68 degrees and
the only extra heat was from the fluorescent lights above them. I didn't
put them under the lights for germination purposes, I put them under the
"heat" of the light for germination.



Every seed has its own preferences. Tomatoes are weeds and will
germinate under a very wide range of conditions. Peppers will not
germinate well below 70F. Lettuce will not germinate well above 75F:
it's a cool weather crop. I generally put the lettuce flats in the cool
cellar until they germinate, then I put them out where they will get
enough light. I've not had good luck with fluorescent grow lights. They
don't give enough light to keep the plants from getting leggy, even if I
put them within 2" of the plants.

If you use the paper towel method and if your seeds root into the paper
towel, just tear off a square of paper towel with the root and seed
embedded and plant the whole thing. The paper will decompose. This only
works if you space out the seeds on the paper towel so the roots don't
intertwine.

"clc" wrote in message ...
In the case of lettuce, only a few days longer. In the case of okra,
they will not germinate. Ditto for tomatoes. I always find that even
the oven is too cold for okra.
Now I place seeds in a wet paper towel, fold the towel with seeds in,
place the towel in ziploc bag, place bag on pipe exiting my water
heater. The temp is typically mid-90. One day and they are off to the
races (two days and they root into the towel and give you a headache).
It is the consistently warmest place in my house, easily beating
fridge, stereo and sunny window.


All of my tomatoes germinated in a room that never gets above 68 degrees and
the only extra heat was from the fluorescent lights above them. I didn't
put them under the lights for germination purposes, I put them under the
"heat" of the light for germination.

Cheryl

Cherry tomatoes will germinate at 60F, but it will take forever
(weeks). San Marzano will not germinate at 60F. Both of them will
germinate instantly at 75F.
And tomatoes are one of the coolest-germinating warm season veggies.
Heat goes up. You are better off putting them over the light until
they germinate. I do that (place the tray at the top of my seedling
shelf, then turn on the light under it) with lettuce for example. Then
the tray temperature goes all the way to 65 and within two days all
seeds are up.

With just the pilot light lit, I think.

Oh, hi Jessica : ) Plant the seeds in your trays, pots, 6-packs,
whatever, then put them in the oven with just the pilot lit.

Jan

In article , "Jessica"
wrote:

How do you germinate seeds in an oven?


"M. Tiefert" wrote in message
.com...
In article ,
c (TOM KAN PA) wrote:
I've always put them in the oven, the pilot light kept them warm.
Can't do it this year. So, I'm putting them under the florescent lights
where
I
used to move them to after they germinated. My questions a
Do the lights need to be turned on before they germinate?

How much longer will it take for them to germinate in a room where the
temperature is about 60-62 degrees than in the oven?


Can you put them on top of the refrigerator or your stereo/TV equipment?
(with suitable leak-proofing of course)

cheers,

Marj

* * *
Marj Tiefert: http://www.mindspring.com/~mtiefert/
Marj's Mini Mall: http://stores.tiefert.com/
Marjorie's Morning Star: http://newsletter.tiefert.com/
science editing services: http://science.tiefert.com/

What do you use for light?



On Wed, 26 Mar 2003 11:01:59 -0500, Dwight Sipler
wrote:

clc wrote:

In the case of lettuce, only a few days longer. In the case of okra,
they will not germinate. Ditto for tomatoes. I always find that even
the oven is too cold for okra.
Now I place seeds in a wet paper towel, fold the towel with seeds in,
place the towel in ziploc bag, place bag on pipe exiting my water
heater. The temp is typically mid-90. One day and they are off to the
races (two days and they root into the towel and give you a headache).
It is the consistently warmest place in my house, easily beating
fridge, stereo and sunny window.

All of my tomatoes germinated in a room that never gets above 68 degrees and
the only extra heat was from the fluorescent lights above them. I didn't
put them under the lights for germination purposes, I put them under the
"heat" of the light for germination.



Every seed has its own preferences. Tomatoes are weeds and will
germinate under a very wide range of conditions. Peppers will not
germinate well below 70F. Lettuce will not germinate well above 75F:
it's a cool weather crop. I generally put the lettuce flats in the cool
cellar until they germinate, then I put them out where they will get
enough light. I've not had good luck with fluorescent grow lights. They
don't give enough light to keep the plants from getting leggy, even if I
put them within 2" of the plants.

If you use the paper towel method and if your seeds root into the paper
towel, just tear off a square of paper towel with the root and seed
embedded and plant the whole thing. The paper will decompose. This only
works if you space out the seeds on the paper towel so the roots don't
intertwine.

Xref: news7 rec.gardens:215939

Kevin Miller wrote:

What do you use for light?



I use sunlight. The south facing window works if you have enough of
them, but the greenhouse I put up works much better. Now the only need
for lights is to control daylength for some of the late blooming
flowers.

Excellent, I'll try that.


"Jan Flora" wrote in message
...
With just the pilot light lit, I think.

Oh, hi Jessica : ) Plant the seeds in your trays, pots, 6-packs,
whatever, then put them in the oven with just the pilot lit.

Jan

In article , "Jessica"
wrote:

How do you germinate seeds in an oven?


"M. Tiefert" wrote in message
.com...
In article ,
c (TOM KAN PA) wrote:
I've always put them in the oven, the pilot light kept them warm.
Can't do it this year. So, I'm putting them under the florescent
lights
where
I
used to move them to after they germinated. My questions a
Do the lights need to be turned on before they germinate?

How much longer will it take for them to germinate in a room where
the
temperature is about 60-62 degrees than in the oven?


Can you put them on top of the refrigerator or your stereo/TV
equipment?
(with suitable leak-proofing of course)

cheers,

Marj

* * *
Marj Tiefert: http://www.mindspring.com/~mtiefert/
Marj's Mini Mall: http://stores.tiefert.com/
Marjorie's Morning Star: http://newsletter.tiefert.com/
science editing services: http://science.tiefert.com/

Jessica wrote:

Excellent, I'll try that.

"Jan Flora" wrote in message
...
With just the pilot light lit, I think.

Oh, hi Jessica : ) Plant the seeds in your trays, pots, 6-packs,
whatever, then put them in the oven with just the pilot lit.




For an electric oven, the oven light will provide some heat.

Be sure to watch for signs of germination and get them out of there as
soon as you see even one shoot. If they stay in there without light for
half a day they will become leggy.

Perhaps you could get a heating mat? Jung has pretty good prices on a
variety of sizes.

Seeds vary in their requirements and how fussy they are, so it depends
on what you're trying to start. Seeds I started inside this year
(flowers mostly, but some veggies) had temp requirements ranging form
60 (e.g. onions) to 80 (peppers). Just read that spinach germinates
best at 45 (didn't know it was that low). I don't think you're going
to get much germination at 60 except for some cool weather crops and a
few flowers.

Renata

On 25 Mar 2003 21:38:16 GMT, c (TOM KAN PA) wrote:

I've always put them in the oven, the pilot light kept them warm.
Can't do it this year. So, I'm putting them under the florescent lights where I
used to move them to after they germinated. My questions a
Do the lights need to be turned on before they germinate?

How much longer will it take for them to germinate in a room where the
temperature is about 60-62 degrees than in the oven?