Starting seedling requires you to manage specific environmental conditions. For example, monitoring the temperature and humidity level around the seedling trays is an essential part of the process of starting seedlings. The two primary variable of interest are the temperature and humidity levels around the seedlings.
These two variables will determine whether or not the seedling will grow or whether or not that seedling will fail to grow. If these two variables is not managed appropriately and maintained within a specific range, then the seedlings may stall in there growth or become weak and prone to diseases. The reference chart contains information about the plants that will be grown and the specific zones in which the plants requires specific humidity levels.
Right Temperature and Humidity for Seedlings
For instance, cool-season vegetables requires lower temperatures and humidity levels than warm-season crops, which in turn require higher temperatures and humidity levels. Tropical plants requires the highest temperatures and humidity levels. Additionally, the reference chart also categorizes humidity levels.
For instance, succulents and herbs can tolerate dry air, while most vegetable and tropical plants requires a middle range of humidity values. With an understanding of which group of plants the plants that will be started belong to, the grower can make decisions regarding where to place the seedling trays and whether using a humidity dome is necessary. While the soil temperature around the seedlings is an important variable to manage, the air temperatures around the seedling trays is also important.
Sometimes growers use heat mats to increase the temperature of the soil where the seeds are placed to improve germination. However, the heat mat will have no effect on the air temperature around the trays. The reference chart also separates germination temperatures from the day and night temperatures in which the seedlings will grow.
This is important in ensuring that the seedlings germinate but also grow well afterward. For instance, if the nighttime temperatures are too low for certain seedlings, the plants may develop purple stems. This is due to the fact that the roots of the plants cannot take up phosphorus from the soil.
If the plants cannot take up phosphorus, then the purple color of the stems will not dissapear unless the air and soil temperatures are increased. Humidity levels around the seedlings must also be managed carefully in the growing of seedlings. If the humidity levels are too low, the seedlings leaves will begin to curl because the plants are unable to keep their stomata open.
However, if the humidity levels are too high, damping-off fungi can develop in the soil. These fungi will seep into the stems of the seedlings and kill them. The reference chart shows the middle zone of humidity where the plants should be grown and two danger zones for humidity.
These cues allow the grower to make a decision about whether to use a humidity dome or a fan to control the humidity around the trays. Humidity levels should not be maximum for seedling trays, but should be humidity controlled to decrease as the seedlings develops their first true leaves. Another aspect of the growing of seedlings is the need for day and nighttime temperatures to drop.
The reference chart displays the different impact that temperature swings between the day and nighttime has on the different types of plants. When the temperatures drop at night, the plants are able to develop stronger cell walls in their plants. Additionally, when the temperatures drop during nighttime periods, the plants develop shorter internodes between the plants leaves.
If there is no drop in temperature during the nighttime period, even with appropriate daytime temperatures, the seedlings will grow tall and floppy plants. The reference chart groups the types of plants according to the drop in temperature that they can tolerate. This prevents the grower from making the mistake of growing seedlings with constant temperatures throughout the entire day and nighttime period.
There are specific tools that can be used to monitor the humidity and the temperature of the seedlings. A thermometer will show the drops in temperature that occur at nighttime periods. Additionally, a digital hygrometer will display the humidity of the growing area at the height of the seedling plants.
Tools like heat mats and humidity domes will be of no use to the grower if the grower does not monitor the humidity and the temperature of the trays. The reference chart contains the specific numbers for the humidity and the temperature requirements of the different types of seedlings. Additionally, the tools will display to the grower if the humidity and the temperature match the reference charts target numbers.
A common mistake among growers is to treat all of there seedlings with the same settings for humidity and temperature. For instance, treating tomato, lettuce, and succulent seeds with the same humidity and temperature settings will result in the loss of some of those planted seeds. This common mistake can be avoided with the use of the reference chart, which details the requirements for each type of plant and which plants have similar requirements to which other plants.
If the seedlings are grown with the correct humidity and the correct temperature, they will have established roots and developed compact plants when they are to be transplanted into the soil in the garden. Seedlings with established roots and compact growth will be able to recover more quickly from the stress of being transplanted than seedlings that did not have the proper humidity and temperature levels. Additionally, the seedlings will begin to produce food for the garden earlier then those that struggled during the early stages of their growth.
If the grower can ensure that the environmental conditions are correct during the time of germination of the seeds, the resulting seedlings will grow better and the garden will be more successful overall.