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Westford, MA

What do you wet your seed starting medium with before squeezing out the moisture and putting your pre-soaked seed in.
I used water ,hydrogen peroxide, and a little fish emulsion.
I'm killing seeds left & right, though I do have a lovely blue fuzz growing on the top of my starting pots.
I'm guessing the fish are trying to create their blue ocean??
I'm going to try a few more tonight, with just water??
Appreciate any feedback.
Thanks
"Seed Slayer"

5/11/2009 1:44:12 PM

Adams County

Klancy, just use water,nothing else and you will be fine

5/11/2009 4:55:16 PM

Trumbull, CT 06611, USA

dont pre-soak the seeds and just use water to wet the seed starting mix

5/11/2009 4:57:05 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

Plain water here for wetting the soilless mix. Soaked seeds in warm water and just a tad of hydrogen peroxide about 6 hrs. !00% germ for 10 seeds. Oh, and some myco added to starting mix. Good luck! Duff

5/11/2009 7:30:12 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

An afterthought, I only wet mix enough so that no extra moisture can be wrung out...could be too wet to begin with?

5/11/2009 7:32:23 PM

moist to the damp side,,,not moist to the wet side

some mycore, no fish or anything else required until the seedlings start to establish themselves

I file and soad for 6 hrs plain water is a good choice, imo this soaking gives the seeds a faster start with less time in that "damp" medium, avoiding many of the problems so many have mentioned this spring

5/11/2009 8:00:05 PM

Minnesota

I lightly filedmy seed, soaked in water only 2 hours, took the seed starting mix,put in bowl added some water, moist,not wet, you would relhave to squeeze it to get a drop out of it,put in potting pot, put seed in 1/2 inch down, put mkaybe 2 tablespoons of water on top of the seed, put under light/heat source, light was 6 inchs above. I two lost a seed I wanted to plant, this is the surest,safest way I could think of. Keep watered, gently, do not drown seedling.

5/11/2009 9:07:32 PM

sometimes the posts amaze me,,,fog you have had problems germing for 2 years why confuse the issue here? adding any water over the seed defeats the purpose of damp not WET medium

bottom heat is a key in warming the pots/medium, it encourages root growth from the start

once the seedling emerges and the cots open and start to greenup, a light watering around the edge of the pot is all that's required for the short time they should remain inside. Many of the curled cots we have been seeing are from overwatering at this stage,,

an occasional "spritz" from a hand sprayer also helps for this limited time

5/11/2009 9:30:56 PM

Wilmington.Ma.

Kevin bring them over Ill do them for you.
Call me.

5/11/2009 10:58:19 PM

Westford, MA

Thanks for all the feedback.
Just Water this time.
The plain water is good since I'm doing them in the cellar and the rotting fish smell wafting thru the house, was making my dog GAG.
Thanks for the offer George.
I may take you up on it.
I put 1 of the plants you gave me in the ground Sunday. I framed 2 more Hoop Houses last night and should get the other 2 in today.
Thanks again for the feedback.
I think my 1 problem with this site is there's so much info, that I try a little of everything, which turns into TOO much.
kevin

5/12/2009 9:50:03 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

Kevin: just pre-soak the seeds for an hour, they will take up all the moister they will need to germinate, make sure you file the edges first but not the tip of the seed.
then just keep the soil from drying out, no need to saturate the soil.
Glenn

5/12/2009 11:57:43 AM

2 tablespoons of water? Sounds like a good way to rot seeds to me.

5/12/2009 12:20:37 PM

Pataskala,OH

You need sterilized seed starting soil.

5/12/2009 2:59:59 PM

Deer Park WA

Most seed starting mixes have a high concentration of peat moss and vermiculite which holds water for a really long time. I lost my first round of seedlings due to a freak cold snap while I was hardening them off on the porch. I got in a hurry to restart seeds and overwatered them which rotted them just as they were emerging.... The current batch are coming up fine and I havent watered them at all for 4 days. Damp seed starting mix and leave the water alone until the cots open.

5/12/2009 3:41:20 PM

Minnesota

2 tablespoons,,how about a droplet, you may want to cut that in half.

5/12/2009 4:37:14 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Grab a handfull...squeeze real hard...2 drops is 1 too much!!!! Peace, Wayne
PS...trust me...I rotted a 1161 Rodonis w/ 2 drops!!!

5/12/2009 11:58:01 PM

San Jose garysand@pacbell.net

if you soak your seeds that is enough moisture to sprout your pumpkin, if there is any moisture at all in your soil. keep the temp about 85 and i put a bowl of water in my sprouting chamber, it is like a rain forest in there with all the moisture.

5/15/2009 8:52:53 PM