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Growing Conifers from Seed

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

I have had a lot of projects this year, Grafting, Cuttings, and now my seeds are ready to be planted. It was intentional for them to be ready in March, as I would like to get them started indoors before moving outside in about a month.

Tsuga diversifolia & chinensis have both completed their 90 day cold stratification and some are already starting to sprout in the paper towel. I am using 50/50 peat/perlite for media, and will be placing them in a very bright sunroom (Same room used to successfully get grafts to push & cuttings to root) so light is not an issue.

The main thing I'm not clear on with the seeds, is do they need to be in a humidity chamber, and do they need bottom heat?

Thanks,
Shawn

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Comments (3)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
whats the humidity in the sun room???

in my seed growing experience.. not conifers... the bottom heat issue.. is how cold the room gets at night ... that is when soil gets cold.. and dampens germination ...

every plant has a temp that is perfect... but if your soil is 80 during a sunny day.. and 50 at night.. and that magic temps is say.. 65 ... 50 will slow things down .. its all about maintaining that perfect temp... for 24 a day .. IF.. speed is an issue ... cold soil will jsut slow you down.. it wont stop them ....

the heat mat.. might complicate the humidity issue ...

i would tend to err toward insuring some higher humidity .. but then i worked in a forced air furnace house ... where humidity is very low this time of year ...

ken
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sc77 (6b MA)
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks Ken. The room stays around 55-60 degrees most of the time, but will be going up slightly as the month progresses. I would guess the humidity in the rooms is around 30-50%. The heat mat I have, also has a sensor on it, so I can ensure that even on hot days it won't keep pumping heat to the soil, but I guess if I am going to use the heat mat, it makes the most sense to build a humidity tent to go over the top..
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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i had my heat mat on a timer ... off during the day.. on as temps in the house fell at night .. due to the furnace kicking down ... it would go on .. to try to maintain that even media temp ....

dont know how that will all work for you.. just info on a variable ..

i would probably tent them also ... if not for humidity.. to trap the warmth .. with the caveat that on hot days ... it might become an issue ...

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