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Old February 21, 2014   #1
crazyoldgooseman
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Default Temperature for seedlings? cold treatment?

I'm wondering what temperature people are comfortable with for seedlings. I also may be interested in cold treatment of seedlings and wanted to know what folks do for that. I have a cooler room (far from the pellet stove) around 60 most of the time and want to know if that may work after germination.

Thanks Brian
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Old February 21, 2014   #2
Worth1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by crazyoldgooseman View Post
I'm wondering what temperature people are comfortable with for seedlings. I also may be interested in cold treatment of seedlings and wanted to know what folks do for that. I have a cooler room (far from the pellet stove) around 60 most of the time and want to know if that may work after germination.

Thanks Brian
60 would be fine I have grown at this temp many times.

With enough light you will get nice stocky plants.

Worth
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Old February 21, 2014   #3
Patihum
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My seedlings are in a cool greenhouse right now that is right around 60. Grew them that way last year and they were some of best plants I've ever had.
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Old February 21, 2014   #4
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I like to keep my soil temperature for tomato and pepper seeds in the 70's. Worth1 makes a very good point: once the seeds sprout it is beneficial to have a very good light source. 8+ hours of daylight, unrefracted by windows is ideal. In absence of that, I recommend 50+ Watts per square foot of projected area at 6400 to 6500 Kelvin color temperature; e.g., commodity "daylight" T5HO bulbs you can buy at a big box store -- or a fixture like I've presented here: http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...363#post391363
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Old February 22, 2014   #5
Ken4230
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Default My tomato seedlings get the cold treatment and do really well

I germinate seeds in a large cooler with a few Christmas lights inside. I grow the seedlings in an upstairs unheated room on the north side of the house.
I keep them under lights 16-18 hours per day. I keep the room at 60-62 deg. max. by opening/closing a window.

I get short, fat, darkgreen slow growing plants this way, so i see no need to do anything different. I have used a 25% DE mix for several years and love it.
The tomatoes at 8 wks are usually 8-10 in. tall with 1/4 in. stems. I'm thinking about trying a few in straight DE this year just to see what happens.
No hardening off, they go straight to the garden the last week of April.

I think you will like the cold treatment.
Ken
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Old February 22, 2014   #6
chalstonsc
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Cold treatment is definitely worth the effort....there is a thread here, "giving seedlings the cold treatment", that gives the specifics of the method I have used for years after I first tried it
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