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Old March 12, 2007   #16
tomatoaddict
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Not sure I get ya Tom.
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Old March 12, 2007   #17
Tomstrees
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On my "bio-dome" I dont think there are retractable vents ... just one large piece on top ... gonna have to figure this thing out ~

Tom
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Old March 12, 2007   #18
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Tom I just prop one end up after the first seedling shows. Last year I took the top off some but then just started propping one end up. Not sure this is the best way but seems to work for me. Jay
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Old March 12, 2007   #19
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the 72 cell tray is sectional ... maybe as they start popping up I can take them out from under the dome or open it slightly ... this sould be fun ... (((I think???!!!)))

~ Tom
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Old March 12, 2007   #20
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Tom I use the Jiffy 72 cell with the netted peat. The ones we buy at Wal-Mart here. And I just prop up the end. Maybe yours is different than mine. Jay
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Old March 12, 2007   #21
melody
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Just stick a pencil or two down in one end and prop the dome up with that. when I used the domes years ago, I'd just raise an end up with something like that.

I just lay a sheet of clear plastic wrap over the top of my containers....VERY loosely and as soon as the seedlings start popping up, remove the whole thing. I've found that they do much better without any covering at all after that, and haven't done anything else for years.
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Old March 12, 2007   #22
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yeah - I usually use peat pots & saran wrap ....
Going out on a limb here with this 72 cell biodome thing -
Step up my operation ~ lol ~

Just hope they come up around or about the same time ... otherwise its gonna be tricky, I think ...

Tom
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Old March 12, 2007   #23
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Tom,
Did you get your Bio domes from Park seed this year?
I just bought mine maybe 3 months ago and they have 4 sliding yellow vents on the top. I'm sure you can do as others say and prop up one side.
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Old March 12, 2007   #24
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Tomatoaddict,

This ones actually Burpees - and its a 72 seed tray cell with bio-dome thing - no vents - will have to go with pencil proping up corner idea ...

I'm also going to test the peat soil - funny as there is no mesh on the bottoms - might be very easy to use ~

Tom
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Old March 13, 2007   #25
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I use both peat pellets and Park's Bio Domes depending on my mood. I like them both for different reasons. The bio dome plugs are spongy and do not degrade in the garden for several years. If you remove the netting from the Jiffy pellets, this is not an issue.

I once had an entire bio dome (without lid) of my precious pepper plants fly several feet into the air off of a window sill and the plugs flew out, bounced on the tile floor and most were in perfect condition. The problem was, I had no idea what pepper was what after that. DH and son pointed at each other .

I label the rows and columns of each styrofoam block as a grid with a sharpie. I then name the block. I have four Bio Domes so I was getting confused. I then have a print-out chart I write the variety names on, date planted, and emergence date. Some years, I don't feel like ordering from Parks and just fall back on Jiffy pellets.

One note is, the first year, I was having problems with fungus gnats emerging from the Bio Dome plugs. When I called Parks, they linked me to a horticulturist who told me that the eggs are naturally ocurring in the material used for the plugs. She told me to pour boiling water over the plugs and let them soak for about 10 mins. Since the plugs are spongy this does not harm them. This kills the eggs.

I do believe peat is part of the bio dome plug formula. I think that's where the gnat eggs come from.

Good luck with your new set up!

Tiffanie
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Old March 13, 2007   #26
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I used a 36 cell Burpee tray/dome/peat pellet seed starter kit from HD this year. I cut the trays into four 9-cell units. If one variety of seeds started faster than another, I'd simply move the tray out from under the dome. I far prefer this to my past experiences with the Jiffy-7 mesh pellets. The open mesh sides of the Jiffy-7 allow them to dry out faster than the Burpee system. A friend gave me about 50 Jiffy-7 pellets, and I figure the next time I want to use the Burpee system I'll soak a few pellets, peal off the mesh and refill the Burpee cell trays. I liked it.
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Old March 13, 2007   #27
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I just cut the tray into 8 sections - 9 cells per section - I'll remove them as the pop up ~ Wow ... I can't wait to just ? DO IT !!! lol ~

Tom
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Old March 13, 2007   #28
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also my peat pellets do not have mesh on them - just says "soak" and plant seeds ~ they are differnt than the ones I've seen before ~

Tom
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Old March 13, 2007   #29
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Tom...somethin else you can easily do if some come up and you want to keep the dome down for those that aint up yet, get a bag of translucent 2-3 ounce plastic cups...take a drill press or a hand drill w/a good sharp bit (about 3/16ths dia.), and you can drill 3 or four at a time, drill em in the bottom and sides, then a sharpie marker writes on the cups well, jus pluck out the ones that come up an stick em in the cups an mark.

a Wire basket like that goes in a chest freezer will easily hold about 20 of these cups in a diagonal pattern, an it makes it easy to bottom-water em all at one time, jus dip the basket to within an inch of soil surface, an its easy to config 2 hooks to suspend these baskets in the air, allowin maximum drainage. Good Luck...)))
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Old March 15, 2007   #30
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I was at Lowe's today and found a new to me nifty tray dome peat pellet kit. I bought two to add to my arsenal next year. For those of us starting a limited number of plants on a usually sunny south facing windowsill they appear to be great. These things are called Ferry-Morse Windowsill Greenhouse kits. They come with a brown bottom tray and a clear dome top, vacuum formed parts. Also included are 24 Jiffy compressed mesh covered peat pellets. These things will work perfectly on my windowsill next year. The cost at my Lowe's was $3.67 each, but I had a discount coupon and paid $2.45 each. I move plants to Styrofoam cups as soon as possible, so the tray and dome just become carrying trays and coasters. For someone just growing a small garden I think these could be great.
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