My babies are growing! By "babies", I of course mean my plants, which I start from seed indoors. It may not look like much in this picture, but there are over a hundred seeds (maybe closer to 150), who are slowly beginning to wake. Actually, some have already awoken, sending down roots and sending up spindly stems with cotyledons (seed leaves) to gather light energy (see below!).
I'm using a heat mat this year. A friend told me it cut down germination time by about half.
I debated buying this little "mini greenhouse kit", which contains: a tray, a lid, 72 seedling cells, and a heating mat. It runs $35 at Canadian Tire and $45 online (before shipping andhandling).
But then I found these heating pads. These two are by Sunbeam; this one is 12x15 inches and costs $25 and this "king sized" one is 12x24 inches and costs $35.
So, for less than the price of the mini greenhouse kit, I get a heating pad with four different heat settings (warm, low, medium and high), that automatically turns off after two hours, and can be used for it's original purposes (warming sore muscles) and even melting chocolate and propagating yogurt (with thanks to Alton Brown) and probably more things I haven't yet thought of! It also comes with a waterproof cover--though, it doesn't completely enclose the pad!!
The choice was clear for me. Then again a friend told me she germinates her seeds on top of her fridge--which may cost a lot of money but chances are you already have one! I'm sure there are other "free" warm spots where one can germinate seeds!
The heat has definitely sped along seed germination for me. Click here to see a record of what has sprouted (denoted "sp"; sprouted means the seed has germinated and sent up a visible portion above the soil, though the cotyledons may remain closed or even partially buried) and opened (denoted "op"; opened means the cotyledons have come out of the soil and have spread apart--or would spread apart if they weren't trapped inside the seed's shell!). Once I get Google Docs to like me again, I'll switch from an image to an actual spreadsheet file.
With the heat pad off, it seems to be about 19C. When it's on, it's about 21C outside the trays; though I expect it's even warmer inside them, say 22C.
Below are two of the more charismatic seedlings. On the left is a zucchini seedling ("sungreen" variety; I also purchased "dark queen", which arrived just this week!) beginning to open its cotyledons! I always think they look like little underground monsters who have just surfaced, mouths agape either to gobble something up, or in a goofy, slack-jawed grin. On the right is a calendula seedling that I accidentally bumped and partially snapped! I hope it makes it!
For my fellow gardening friends, do you have a favourite warm spot to germinate your seeds? Happy gardening!
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