That is why I highly recommend indoor grow lights for early seed starting. If you do have leggy seedlings, then this article is for you. Peppers Under Grow Lights Ventilation and Air Circulation

Everything a seed needs to start a life is contained within that teeny little hard casement you can hold between thumb & forefinger This is a mix between a propagator and a heated seed mat. The propagator is heated itself so you don’t need to add a mat. I use a windowsill propagator, these are long and thin and designed to fit onto windowsills. Grow Lights Now, you need to add heat. Since sunlight is not essential at this point, your seed trays can be placed wherever it’s warmest in your house, such as an attic, bathroom, laundry room, or kitchen. While this is advised as a best practice, it is not something I have ever bothered to do and my seedlings seem to be just fine every spring. Monitoring Growth and Progress Germination and Emergence It’s easier to start with pre-moistened mix, as peat-based mixes are harder to wet down uniformly if they dry out in pots. Although peat has a very high water-holding capacity once it’s wet, it actually repels water when it’s dry. Go figure.Usually, Fridays are my favourite day of the week. Mostly because the working week is coming to a close and I can leave it all behind for the weekend. But this particular Friday was a tough one. The next set of leaves to form is known to gardeners as “the first true leaves”. Seed leaves Thinning and Potting Up What a positively charming book! While the seed-to-tree story has certainly been done before, the combined effort put into this quietly majestic version makes it a standout. The text flows beautifully, giving the plot a weighty yet soothing feel, like a cozy blanket. The pen-and-ink illustrations are finely detailed in a realistic style reminiscent of nature guidebooks, and bring the tree, its features and its inhabitants to fascinating life. Even the quality of the paper and binding fit the tone of the book, which will leave little readers appreciating the full life lived by every tree. The length was perfect, and JJ and I both loved it. Absolutely Baby Bookworm approved! For example, I know the soil is warm enough when the compost pile starts growing - literally. Large summer seeds like cucumber and pumpkin germinate from the scraps fed into the compost system some time previously. They’ve received enough moisture, there’s additional nutrients and it’s time to go ! After germination, seedlings must receive bright light. Insufficient light causes seedlings to “stretch”, or elongate, as they search for light. In general, more light is better. Sunlight intensity increases throughout the spring; the later in the spring, the more light your seedlings will receive.

Some seeds should be covered with a thin layer of soil, others should be left exposed, while some need darkness to germinate. Well that Friday one of my friends who was facilitating the course, Brooke, wanted to bring me the course handbook after work. As I mentioned, I was feeling exhausted and certainly not in the mood for facing people, but if I was going to take part in the course I had to get the book from her. I didn’t want to fail so early on or let anyone down. Sound familiar?Most plants transplant well, though some require very careful handling because of delicate root systems. Some plants that should never be transplanted are root crops (carrots, parsnips) whose taproot will be damaged by transplanting. These are generally directly seeded outdoors. Handle small seedlings by their leaves, not their delicate stems. Hardening Plants

The first step in the germination process is absorption of water. A continuous supply of moisture without fluctuation in the growing medium is important to ensure germination. LightI currently have 3 pot-sprouted plants sharing a pot. Not ideal, but so far they are doing well (3 to 4 feet tall!). In my experience drainage is critical - they don't mind being watered from the bottom occasionally, but they really don't like having constantly wet feet. After seedlings are well-established, move the flats to a light, airy, cooler location, say at a 55° to 60°F at night and 65° to 70°F in the daytime. This will prevent soft, leggy growth. Shop lights help provide proper lighting to seedlings. Transplanting and Handling After sowing seeds, wet the planting mix, ideally by using a fine mist spray. Avoid splashing or excessive flooding which might displace small seeds. Use care when hand-watering newly-planted seed trays to prevent overwatering or drying out. Uniform moisture is the key to good germination and growth. This was something else I knew deep down I had to change, bringing us nicely to that day in September 2017. Guacamole may be the first thing that comes to mind, but avocados are used in various ways. For food, avocados are great in salads, sushi, soup, candy, avocado toast—even in ice cream in Brazil! If you’re not sure you like avocados, make sure they feel firm and not mushy. Try eating first in slices or pieces, not as smashedguacamole.