Any seed I start, be it hosta or otherwise, I remove any covering as soon as the seeds start sprouting. Growth spurts come and go, so arrested growth may be ok. What is cooking them for you?

tj

Thank you so much, TJ. That's a big help.

I think I had them too close to the light. They were fine that close under the dome, but once I removed the dome my three biggest ones crisped up and collapsed.

I can't wait to see your true little babies, Hostatakeover!! Way to go!

What type of lights are you using?

Oh, thank you , Jo! Only about 35% germinated, so there's not very many. Guess that's why it hurt to see the biggest ones die.

Gary, I'm using an LED full spectrum light (bought it last year at half price).

Wow, allnitro, what an awesome set up! Thank you for that tip.

I think I need to adjust the distance between the shelving and the light again. Right now the light is too far, but it's better than being too close. Waiting for DH to get home this weekend so he can take the unit apart (again) and readjust.

Your babies are already showing incredible beauty, even at this tender age.

Allnitro, are there any air holes in your domes?

No air holes.

I have not used the LEDs for growing yet so not sure about spacing. But with the fluorescent I try to keep them about 2" away....but sometimes they grow into them before I catch them. Where ever the leaf touches the bulb it burns and don't look so good.

any time.. you change a cultural variable... you do it thru a process of hardening off .... the 3 main variables in the garden.. in or outside are light intensity.. temp ... and humidity ...

you wildly changed humidity ... you should have removed the top in stages ...

you also slightly changed light intensity .. as the light was no longer shining thru plastic ...

which was the cause or the effect.. who knows ...

next time.. sterilize your soil first ... see link below.. especially if you plan on potting up ... might have killed those mold spored ... and bug eggs ... etc.

my usual shrug.. is who needs the weaklings anyway ... lol ...

ken

http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/Soil/sterile.htm

If your house is very dry you need to consider that. Mine is and I struggled with it for quite awhile. The answer for me was to transfer from a small dome type when they are small. Then to a large one once they get some size. They don't get released until the forced air furnace gets turned off.

everyones indoor climate is different and mine was killing the little ones until I made the adjustment

i use diluted physan for the mold. Douse it with a mister. Scrape it out if it gets out of hand. And cover with dry clean medium. Moss is a bonus they coexist fine

bingo ... knew if forgot something ...

the forced air furnace runs the house at about 40% humidity.. which is rather low ...

i ended up tenting my light stand with a cheap plastic painters tarp.. from the dollar store ... it wasnt pretty.... but it worked ... you dont need to hermetically seal it ... just create a zone where the humidity is higher ...

ken

Thank you, Ken. I thought using soiless medium would prevent mold. Didn't know you have to sterilize it on top of that. That link is very informative.

I'm using a small, portable greenhouse in my basement. It's closed, so inside is very humid, plus using domes. I think I'm going to need a better set up as it's pretty tight in there, only one light, and seedlings growing in various stages with different requirements for their age and size.

HostaMaker, thank you for that tip on Physan. I'll order some now and be sure to have that on hand next year.

This has been a learning experience, that's for sure!

whether a given product is sterile.. really isnt dependent on the media... its more dependent on the manufacturer... how he handled it ... etc ...

think of it this way ... most of this stuff is air borne .... and just because he puts it in a bag that says sterile... doesnt mean it has been totally isolated from manufacturing.. until it gets in that bag ...

bottom line.. its a very short easy process ... to AVOID future problems...

and i used to wash EVERYTHING in 10% bleech .... all tools.. trays.. light fixtures.. etc ... on the same logic ...

ken

oh .. the light has to be 2 inches from the tallest plant ... but you can raise lower trays up ... took me a year or two ... to figure that out.. lol ..

you could use some bricks.. or boards.. etc .. and yes.. i would give them the bleach treatment too ...

ken

Okay, I dug out the paperwork that came with this particular light and what I did is a prime example of why it's important to thoroughly read the paperwork that comes with any purchase.

"Caution: These lights are not your typical LED grow lights. Do not allow plants to grow within 20" from the LEDs or they may become bleached from excess light."

I had them within 8" of the lights. Despite moving them a little over 20" away from the light days ago, they continue to die off and I may lose everything. Lesson learned and important to keep in mind if deciding whether or not to go with full spectrum LED grow lights.

Don't get to discouraged. You would not believe all the seedlings I have lost because of my own mistakes. There is no one way to grow them but rather find what works with what you have. It is a great hobby.

Thank you, allnitro. Very encouraging words and I appreciate it.