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I keep having to retype this stuff in various places, so I figured it would be easier to find if it had a thread of its own!
I've been starting plants from seed for several years now. I get to try varieties that aren't available locally as plants, and I have fun swapping seeds so I can try other people's favorites also. I love it!
I like to start my seeds in a fairly shallow seed flat... I find that a clear plastic takeout container works great! I put holes every inch or so in both the bottom (for drainage & bottom watering) and the top (for ventillation so humidity levels don't get too high), and I put about an inch of well moistened potting mix into the bottom. I start with a basic soil-less mix like Pro Mix, and I lighten it with a little extra perlite and add polymer moisture crystals to make to help me keep the moisture levels "just right." I sow seeds fairly thickly, in rows about an inch apart. When seedlings start to get their first set of true leaves (the first pair are cotyledons), and for sure by the time they get their second pair of true leaves, I transplant to 2 inch pots or cell packs. The smallest pots I use for seedlings are usually the 48 cell sheet pots that fit a standard 1020 nursery flat, and I like the 32 or 36 cell flats (the equivalent of 2 inch pots) for tomato & pepper seedlings.
I've been planting basil and some other things (alyssum, lobelia, dill, parsley) in clumps for several years now, following the directions Tom DeBaggio sets out in his "little book" (_Growing Herbs from Seed, Cutting & Root: An adventure in small miracles_), and I've had great success. He's a fan of clump transplanting for several reasons. A larger clump of roots in the pot means it's harder to drown the little seedlings (root & stem rot are less likely when the roots take up more water and accelerate the drying of the growing medium), and you get a nice branched appearance before you even start pinching back. Tom recommends 3 or more plants in a clump (my clumps max out around 7, and some of those basil varieties just got clumped by twos last year). In his words, "I don't count them, but take what comes apart most easily with the least root damage. It would defeat the beneficial effects... to prick out individual seedlings and gather them in clumps... the larger the leaves, the fewer seedlings in the clump." The other big thing is to set the seedlings into the pot lower than they were growing in the seedling flat, preferably (depth of pot permitting) with the true leaves level with the growing medium and the nurse leaves (cotyledons) covered.
Although I have never (knock on wood) had trouble with damping off, I do take a couple of precautions now. I sterilize my seed starting mix. Some people do this in the oven, but I think it is easier to do in the microwave, in my very huge tupperware bowl that holds about a gallon of mix. Moisten the mix well with 1 to 2 cups of water per gallon (or your potting mix will catch fire, and I am not kidding), and cover loosely (don't seal the lid). Microwave on high 12 to 15 minutes, until you see lots of steam condensing on the underside of the lid. Seal the lid, and allow the steam to continue sterilizing the potting mix another 15 minutes or so, then cool. An added benefit is that the steam does a really good job of "opening up" the peat moss so it gets nice and moist and will absorb water readily. Additionally, I water seedlings with either diluted chamomile tea (1 teabag for a gallon) or peroxide water (1 Tbsp. of 3% hydrogen peroxide per quart of water) to guard against fungus etc.
I like to use the 1020 nursery flats (those 2 inch deep black plastic trays) for seedlings, because I think bottom watering is easier & better for the seedlings (the more moist the surface of the soil, the more likely to have algae or fungus growing in your pots). I pour 1/4 inch to 1 inch of water into the flat (depending on the size of the pots & on how dry the potting mix has become), and if any significant amount of water remains after 15 or 20 minutes, I pour it off rather than letting the plants sit in a puddle. Since I'm using the polymer moisture crystals, actively growing seedlings generally need to be watered every 2-3 days... covered seedling flats need watering much less often; as long as you see a little mist of condensation on the inside of the cover, the seedling flat is sufficiently moist.
I did get seedling heat mats and a thermostat last year, and I love them. My pepper seedlings did very well last year, and any seeds that like a warm start germinated much more quickly. I set my thermostat at 78 to 80 degrees. For safely reasons, *please* do not use an old electric blanket or heating pad under your seedling flats, as that violates a whole bunch of manufacturer's warnings. There are inexpensive alternative such as making a light box (enclosing your seedling area and heating it with a 40 watt bulb or two connected to a thermostat switch).
I should also mention lights... Even the brightest windowsill has a lot less light than a sunny spot outside, and seedlings grown in natural light will tend to be leggy at best. You don't need to invest in anything fancy... a regular shop light and inexpensive cool florescent bulbs work just fine for seedlings. It's best to devise a way to raise and lower your lights so you can keep the bulb just a couple of inches above the top leaves of your seedlings. A 4 foot shoplight with two 40 watt florescent bulbs (or two 32 watt T-8 bulbs) will provide enough light for two 1020 nursery flats of seedlings.
That's all that I can think of at the moment! I'll add comments & do my best to answer any questions, and I'll try to add some photos also when I get back to the other computer.
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