Hey Craig, I know I comment on most of your videos; no change here. I did my undergrad in biology, have always worked in ag/horticulture, and continue to grow ornamental perennials and tropicals (greenhouse) on my own. I say all of that to say a few things: 1. Get those lights on a timer. 12-16 hours on, 8-12 off. Seedlings need long days (especially peppers and other mid-summer-fruiting plants). Less work, automated, worry-free. 2. You may need more lights. I have those exact lights and, in the past, my veg seedlings have a tendency to be quite leggy. We had 400 watt commercial LEDs on our seedling racks and it was a struggle to keep those from getting leggy at times, as well. They may work great for you, however. And I hope they do. They’re great lights. 3. Get some fans in there. Move that air around. It’ll keep fungus at bay, your trays will dry out better (a good thing), and the wind stress on the plants will cause them to be shorter and more stocky/robust, instead of flopping around. 4. Consider some sort of reflective material under the blackout shade. You want the plants to utilize as much light as possible. The blackout shade will absorb a lot of light (good for you, bad for plants), so even a white sheet, aluminum foil, Mylar, etc. will be beneficial for the plants and reduce wasted energy. 5. There are 7” humidity domes for 10x20 trays, if you’re interested. Those 2” can be a pain sometimes. 6. Keep that room warm. 70F or higher. As you know, plant metabolism is wholly dependent on light, water, and heat. Increase all (to an extent) to increase growth rate (this is less for you, and more for those looking for info). There’s a nursery supplier here in the Willamette Valley that is reasonably priced (in-store), have a huge selection of materials, and I know they ship nationwide. I’ll attach their link below. I hope my suggestions were helpful. It’s been incredible to watch you grow your business over these past few years, and I wish you decades of continuing success. www.growers-inc.com

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Thanks! I have most of those issues covered. Will just have to monitor how the lights are working; if they are enough. Fan? Got it. Room temp? Got it. The 2" domes will come off as soon as I see germination happening. It's going to be a learning process, for sure.

@turdferguson814

5 ай бұрын

Perfect! I know you’re one thorough individual, so I hope my comment didn’t come across as snarky or anything other than helpful. If you aren’t messing things up, you aren’t learning. And if you’re not learning, what’s the point of living? I want you to succeed, and I know you will. Best wishes to you and your family ❤️

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

@@turdferguson814 Didn't take it as snarky at all. I've got a lot to learn. Look through the comments already. The video has been up for 3 hours and someone could get an education just by reading what all you guys have contributed here. I've already picked up a couple of nuggets myself.

@denisebalog994

5 ай бұрын

Fan as they grow to strengthen and keep them from getting any mold or pest on the soil👍 Not all day. You'll know, especially living with your babies 🌱🌱🌱🌱💚

@bri0013

5 ай бұрын

@turdferguson814 can I be Buet Reynolds and we'll play 😂 lol. Glad you recommended all of that. I was going to suggest possibly covering the shelves in double Lined plastic for 2 reasons 1. White on the interior to reflect back light back towards the plants themselves as well as mitigating humidity into the living space. Really liked the points you made. Very nice obviously coming from a great education. Mine has been hard earned lol.

I have those lights and heat mats too. I also watch LTH, since 2018! I've had great success with the lights and mats, for veges and my cut flowers. I'm starting a bunch of dianthus, baptisia, yarrow and other perennials this week. Get a packet of 500 dianthus seeds for $12 and turn them into $1500-3500 in no time! If they don't sell this year they just get better for next year. SO much can be done with seeds! 💚 God bless your baby plants!

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

We'll be doing perennial seeds too. Where do you get your seed? I just got some from Eden Brothers.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

@@wordvendor1 Absolutely - I know of both and will check them out! thanks

@melissaoleary8196

5 ай бұрын

@@savvydirtfarmer , this is my second year using Eden Brother's seeds. I've got 320 sprouted baby lavender seeds growing now. About 💯 percent germination rate. Love Eden Brothers, love their detailed instructions. Last year, I sprouted 1000 seeds. I'm adding Southern Seed Exchange for the first time this year. I've got a variety in the fridge now that will be ready to seed on February 14th. 🤞

Good morning Savvy family

Standing ovation Mr. Dirt Farmer. Very well done.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Thanks... we'll see how it goes.

Ding, ding, ding; Greenhouse time!

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Maybe eventually.

@quicksilver3975

5 ай бұрын

I could write a book on why I think this is by far the most important comment on here!

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

@@quicksilver3975 do it!

@quicksilver3975

5 ай бұрын

K. First and foremost I would be very concerned about those lights being sufficient for what you’re trying to do. I run 8 tube commercial lights( because they fit over a sideways turned plug tray perfectly) for germination. I wouldn’t trust my lights to generate enough light to keep the plants from getting spindly for more than a week after germination. Even 1000 watt halides or hps lights are no substitute for what the sun will do. If u r constantly moving the plants in and out to get sunlight that may get u through the 1st season but that will get old quick. 2nd is timing and heat. Peppers need a lot of heat. A greenhouse will let u slow or speed up the growth to meet demand. This is important because although a pepper plant generally just gets easier to sell the longer it sits a tomato plant doesn’t. Once a tomato plant is in its prime to sell you will have about 2 weeks b4 it starts looking really scraggly( to tall, not wide enough and just generally can’t pull enough water no matter how much you give it. At that point you can repot into something larger but in my experience it’s just best at that point to give them away or throw them away. 3rd is the obvious mess. Indoors they will just generally cause a mess and knats are almost guaranteed. Using quality seed starting mixes will buy u some time on this ( maybe a week or 2 just because they generally start off somewhat sterile). 4th reason is that when u have really bad weather come through you can just shut the greenhouse door instead of rushing to get the plants into a shed or under cover. A hailstorm will absolutely decimate your tomato plants. 5th is the ability to start more plants. If the plants are affordable priced even in a rural area it shouldn’t be an issue to sell atleast 5000 plants or easily more. Don’t overlook starting squash, watermelon,pumpkin, and cucumbers either. People have a heck of an appetite for buying those also and your turnaround is very fast. Maybe 10 days from seeding to sale. Just a couple of extra things I probably should throw in are when u seed your trays wet the soil good, seed then apply a thin layer of dry on top. Put your humidity dome on and u should be good on watering till they knee up. Additionally over the top watering will affect germination rates. Don’t be scared to buy seeds in bulk. If kept in the deep freeze pepper and tomato seeds will easily last 10 years without germination decline. Also if using a potting mix such as miracle grow that has time release already in it be vary weary of buying wet bags. I’ve got many in the past where all the time release either washed away or all washed to one part of the bag and killed multiple plug trays of plants at once. I’ve never used heating mats for seed germination. In your application on the floor it is probably wise to do but generally speaking if a light setup isn’t strong enough to sufficiently heat the substrate just by being close it probably isn’t hot enough to do the plants much good. All I can really think of right now and I don’t hold me to anything because this isnt a college degree speaking, just about 20 years of starting plants. Oh 1 more thing! If you are around any cotton or bean fields talk to the farmers and explain to them what you are doing. Dicamba is a serious issue and could easily ruin your hard work in a mere hour.

Craig, one thing i do is insulate between the heat matt and seed trays with a layer of cardboard. I saw that on a video that the seedlings can overheat if you put them right on the matt.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

I have a piece of cardboard under the mat (our floor is very cold), and a thermostat with soil probe to keep the temp in check. I will definitely keep an eye on the temp though... I can see it getting too hot. thanks!

Looks like a great setup! Good luck!!

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

thanks!

I just started a bunch of seeds myself a few days ago. Grow lights are great and can make all the difference in the world. The purple/"blurple" varieties will do the trick, but they generally went out of use by professionals years ago. I used to use them, as well, but I now prefer the white, full-spectrum versions. Easier on the eyes and you can spot any issues with the seedlings sooner, imo. Plain old, white, LED "Shop Lights", or strip lighting will do the trick and they're super cheap. If you want to grow a larger plant, like a tomato, indoors, you can get a "Quantum Board" LED grow light, which is just a more powerful version of the "shop lights" and are often dimmable and have timers, etc.... Good luck. Cheers!

My experience is that you need 3 of those strip lights for 2 flats end to end. Be ready with a lot more light. Also, the plants only do well under the lights for so long…then they really need sunlight and some sort of greenhouse. Just way to easy to get leggy veggies. Just my experience.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

thanks - will definitely keep an eye on it

great video!! let's get going, people!

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

We're so ready!

Veggies inside are a great idea I’ve been doing it for years. Now packing up to move it’s total Chaos but that’s OK. Just get my veggies on.

Pepper Geek is a great youtube channel for all pepper related questions or problems. You also might want to invest in something white to cover/hang down the front side to reflect the light trying to escape back on to the plants where its needed. I use sheets of white foam from the box store but a big cloth would probably be better than nothing.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

We bought a black curtain with a white back. White to reflect, black to help with the light not being so bright while we're in the kitchen. We'll keep the curtains pulled back as much as we can to help with air circulation as well. We'll have to find the right balance with all of it. And yes, pepper geek... I've used that channel a lot! They do a great job.

Very nice!!! I've been starting veg/flower seeds in my basement on a system similar to this for 15 years. I've never used a germination mat but I haven't had that problem, so I never added one. I would say, definitely throw an oscillating fan on those seedlings. 🌬️ Can't wait to see all your new baby plants!

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Got it. thanks

So weird seeing you indoors haha 😂 Great video as usual! 😊

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

I know!!

Plenty of excellent suggestions. When using a fan, if you swap the directions of your trays each day, you will strengthen the seedlings in two directions. This statement assumes your fan location is fixed. Also, swapping the directions of the trays prevents the cells closest to the fan from becoming dried out if the fan is on too long. Put your fans on a timer to help find the balance of air flow and soil dampness. Let me compliment you on your improvements to your nursery, I am very impressed. Wishing you a very profitable 2024.

@savvydirtfarmer

4 ай бұрын

Much appreciated!

Very excited about this series of videos. I will be going into my 2nd year this Spring and also plan to offer seedlings, as well as some common flowers that are easy to start (i.e. marigolds). I have a similar set-up to you, except I just bought metal baker racks. The pain for me is when you pot them up and have to harden them off. Pots take up so much more room! Also, the constant walking all the potted trays back and forth outside is my least favorite task. I think I'm going to put up a small hoop house and let them further harden off in there after a few days. Interested to see how you manage your space once you have them potted. Good luck and am excited to see the videos from this endeavor!

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Yes! We don't have a great plan for moving them in and out, but we'll have to figure it out. We'll be living with many hundreds, or thousands of little plants for a while. Such is life in a growing nursery business.

I've got a heat mat, grow lights, and humidifier. Because it's winter and the heater is on alot the air is very dry in here.

Have an almost identical set up, but for trees. Excited to see results!

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Me too! thanks

Craig, this looks great! I had a few suggestions, but i see others have already commented. I would suggest more than just cardboard under your heat mats, especially since it's in your home. The heat will travel through the cardboard and could discolor your flooring. If you can get 3/4" foam board, that would protect your floor. I can wait to see how you do! Katie

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for the tips!

Looks wonderful! Watching you brings back some many memories of Dad doing his greenhouse! Your setup is great! Dad did many vegetable seeds for his greenhouse . Will love watching yours grow!

Nice shelf

I have a similar set up but I bought wire shelving. I calculated they are actually cheaper because they only take 10-15 minutes to put together. To me, time is money. I should add, I have a full time job, so it’s more economical for me to buy them. 2 sets at 129 ea.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

People say "time is money," and that is true. But I know that particular day, I wasn't doing anything but building shelves. They cost about $100, using some 2x3s I bought and some scraps I had. At the end of that day, I had about $150 more in my pocket than I would have had if I had bought them. Nobody was paying me for the time.

@Bandaid17

5 ай бұрын

Got some at Sams with wheels. They’re great and easy to assemble. If you don’t want stuff falling through the wire shelves they come with rigid plastic shelf liners. Also $129 each. 72x48x18.

@juneramirez8580

5 ай бұрын

I use what I have on hand so I have a number of different kinds of shelves. Money is tight but being retired I have lots of free time to find a way to build what I need from what is laying around. Recycle!!

Very nice video! Thanks

You are reading my mind!

I use a very similar setup to start seedlings. I had marginal success with two lights per shelf for my first two years. I increased the light to three per shelf and got much better results. Selling tomato and pepper plants on April 1 sounds crazy from where I am. My garden is usually covered with snow until late April and the soil isn't warm enough for tomatoes or peppers before June 1. I wait until June 5 to plant them in my garden.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Last year our opening day was April 1 and I was shocked how many people were asking for them. We didn't have any. This year, one way or another, we'll be ready.

@zone4garlicfarm

5 ай бұрын

@savvydirtfarmer ​ Most of the greenhouses that sell vegetable starts in this area open for the season the weekend before Memorial Day.

I started my seeds about a week or so. March is when I start the sale of my plants and stop salling veg's in May. I really did like your set up loved the color the lights put out

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

I just hope it all works! We shall see... best of luck to you on yours. What vegs are you growing?

Looks like a great setup!

that looks like a great setup! I would like to point out that the red lights can be damaging to your eyes. If you grab some of the black out curtains, you can block a good portion of the lights. One other thing to consider, you might find you need a fan to blow on the seedlings to get them strong before they go outside.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Already got em. thanks!!

@amandabottoms1

5 ай бұрын

@savvydirtfarmer sounds like you're all setup! Can't wait to watch yall grow!!

1. no more snow :( 2. please dont forget a fan, gentle breeze makes seedlings grow faster 3. there is a Mike Kincaid video, that suggest not to put the light too close. You might want to experiment the height. 4. I have tried this with just white LED lights and got 100% germination. Good Luck Mr Savvy Farmer, sir

Thank you! I’ve been hesitating on starting vegetables, but I absolutely must do it! My opening day is May 4, but our last frost date is May 15. Once again, I will benefit greatly from your wisdom and experience. Blessings!

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Will let you all know how it's going. thanks!

How wonderful. Best of luck. Great learning experience.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

yes - we've got a lot to learn, for sure

We are doing this too this year!! Same reason, people were asking for veggies and annuals. So we decided to start them inside to have them ready. Not as fancy as your set up. We are using metal racks, enough for 24 trays. Heat mats and grow lights all set up. We have seeds germinating already and off the heat, with just grow lights now. This will be a piece of cake for you!!

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

I hope so! Any time I try something new, I'm a tad anxious about it until I see it working though.

Wow, looks like a great set-up. Will be interesting to watch and a nice expansion of the nursery!

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

I think so too! Definitely some things to tweak as we go and some issues to pay attention to... the comments here are great!

Nice setup! I've been growing seeds for years. There is a learning curve, but lots of good info online. One thing to watch out for is fungus gnats, which you will seldom encounter outside in the open air. Starting with sterile soil and not over watering is key. Grow lights can be cheap and simple -- over 5000 lumens and 5000 kelvin shop lights. You don't need full spectrum just for seedlings.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

Keep us posted

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Definitely will.

Could you maybe use the top shelf with some clip lights? Just a thought. Praying you have great success!

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Possibly, but it's pretty tight on top.

Add a fan, to your germination setup. The gentle breeze will toughen up your seedlings.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

For sure... got one.

💜💜

We searched fb marketplace for free shop lights that fit our grow bulbs from menards. My set up is very similar except we put osb board on the shelves. In the middle, we put our flowers that we overwinter, begonias and geraniums and coleus and impatients and we put the shelving by the window so those plants don't use a light, but use natural sunlight. Tips: fungus gnat problems make yellow traps from yellow plates and tangle foot glue and put a mosquito dunk in a 5 gal bucket of water once a month and water with that. We dedicated my office to a grow room and a small closet also has grow lights. Fans are a must to make strong plants. I also fertilize with weak fish emulsion occasionally.

I'd love to share my seed starting experience with you. Among a few other things, I recommend placing cardboard under your heat mats. Doing so will keep some of the heat from dissipating downwards. I use about 90 to 100 degrees to germinate pepper seeds, which usually occurs in about 7 days. 80 to 90 works well for tomatoes.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Already got the cardboard down. Our floor seems real cold so I thought it may help the process along. 100 degrees? That seems high. I'm about to get started with some hot peppers and I'm starting at 85... we''ll see how it works. thanks!

@williamkennedy6423

4 ай бұрын

I had mine really hot this year, and germination, although high, was mixed between fast and slow. The remainder germinated once I took them off the mat. 85 is a good temp, but it needs to be kept. I prefer higher, but only for Chinense varieties. Also, for the Barrina lights, I prefer the 5000K white light model. The pink, yellow, and white/pink models don't seem to grow quite as well.

You’re going to do great. Can’t wait to see how many tomato plants fly of the table this spring. Truly a good cash crop.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

We certainly hope so... thanks

Make sure to lower those lights within 3" as the plants start to grow. And fertilize just a bit when the true leaves come in. The red light are to help fruit plants fruit. The blue lights are to grow the green leafy parts, I would go blue in the beginning or half blue, half red.

I watched a Lot of of videos too and basically made the same set up lol!

@savvydirtfarmer

4 ай бұрын

Watch videos. Make a setup. Adjust as you need to. That's my plan.

@painchaud2000

4 ай бұрын

@@savvydirtfarmer that's how I do thibgs to 😉 just saw your other video about the starter plants and I learned a lot! Going to get more seeds tomorrow to sow 2 seeds per tray! And two fans 😉

Thanks for the great details! One piece of advice that I got is to use a moving fan to simulate wind to strength the plant and aid with air flow

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

On it! thanks

Set up looks good. Plus side of plug trays is a lot of seeds started in small space. Down side is not too much soil for the new plant, in my opinion. Then you need to plan if you are going to pot up your seedlings. THAT'S going to take up a LOT of space. If you're going to harden them off in the plug trays start building some 2 x 4 saw horses to make tables for your trays. 2 saw horses with 2 2 x4 x8 will hold a lot of trays. Good luck.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

That's the plan. I'm hoping by the time we start potting up, we'll be getting very close to longer periods without frost... it will be touch and go for a few weeks as far as space, for sure.

Craig, I predict that you will sell out of your vegetable starts.. My setup is similar to yours.. I stopped trying to germinate in my flats… had too many not coming up. I mass plant mine in large containers and pot them up.. As I increase my volume and add landscape plants, I will have to figure something else out. Good luck! OH.. Those mats do wonders for rooting figs! lol

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

I hope all goes well, myself. Definitely gonna learn something anyway. Thanks for the cuttings, I sure appreciate you sharing some.

Looking good. I like the little cup hooks to be able to adjust the height. I have metal shelves and use zip ties. One suggestion I learn from "Laura", get yourself a bag or two of Vermiculite from the big box store. About $8.00. Sprinkler lightly on top and it helps to keep soil damp. Not perlite. I use it and it works especially good when sowing tiny seeds too. Thank you for sharing your video🌱🌱🌱🌱💚🤗

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for the tips!

@juneramirez8580

5 ай бұрын

​@@savvydirtfarmer I wish I could find vermiculite for $8.00. I used to mix my own potting soil but vermiculite isn't sold in the stores where I live in AZ. And buying it on line from big box stores is just out of the question. The prices are outrageous. Just where do you find it for $8.00? I would like to order some. Thanks

My biggest regret having had a nursery for 15 years was not planting one of each variety in our landscape.

@savvydirtfarmer

4 ай бұрын

I've definitely got to get more plants in the ground!

Start peppers NOW. or buy plugs super cheap from like.. north carolina farms

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Actually started our very first peppers today. They're on the heat mat now.

Looks like a good setup I’m doing something similar to sell some starters this year for some cash

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Great! let me know how it goes

nice setup, im in the process of building something similar. ty for your work here, seriously, you are helping a lot of people out, bless you. Id add a few more slats for the trays to sit on, to help keep them level. Also i think the gains a little to high on the microphone, probably from being inside vs outside. From a musician/ homerecorder i can also add that you might want to look into a 'compressor' its an effects processor that can lower the volume before it clips/peeks, its what keeps everything the same volume for a radio station. peace

Good luck. It's time consuming and needs lots of room. Glad you're growing in your learning. Its very beneficial to do that's for sure. May God multiple your learning and may He bless your efforts. 🙏✝️ just make sure you label them. I've always had trouble with that myself but you need to do it if you are selling them.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

That's the plan!

Very nice start. Turdferguson814 had a lot of great suggestions. The fan is important for the reasons mentioned. I think it's best, if you can change the direction of the airflow once in a while as well. One other thing I would suggest thinking about is planning to put the seed trays in a low container (or taller tray) so you will be able to start watering the plants from below. Watering from below is simpler, causes less mess, and waters the tray more evenly. Plus you don't have to worry about hurting a baby plant from hitting it with water. Good luck. I know you'll do well.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Thanks! Once seeds germinate, I'll be watering from below.

@blubbietweeduizend

5 ай бұрын

​@@savvydirtfarmerconsider putting a capillary mat underneath.

I like the breakdown of how you built it and put it together. I don't think that any apolgies for explaing is needed. Explanations are helpful for anyone who wants to do this

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

thanks!

Happy to see you are expanding your offering. Just wondering why the slats on your shelves are so far apart. I have metal shelves so the spacing is very close to support the trays evenly as they get heavy when watered.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

I had scrap wood and used what I had. They're plenty strong. I would rather have used something solid like plywood (or wire), but I chose to spend less and do it the way I did it. If it goes bad... I'll let yall know.

@HoaGarden902

5 ай бұрын

@@savvydirtfarmer I use scrap wood and materials also. If it's available why not use it. Need to save money to make money.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

@@HoaGarden902 I try to use what I have on hand. Sometimes I don't have what I need - so I buy it. Other times, I can make do - that's what I did with the shelves, a mixture of scrap and new.

They say you can connect as many lights as you wish, but at 14 spread between 2 timers, I say thats not accurate. Sometimes it gets a lil sketch if I run extra things in my art studio 😆

What’s the potential sale point on them

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Probably $2.50

What size pot do you recommend to start chrysanthemums

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

Never done it. Maybe someone else can help.

@juliknapp9270

5 ай бұрын

If u get plugs. I start in 9 inch mum pots. Hope that helps u

Cover those lights, bad for eye exposure.

@savvydirtfarmer

5 ай бұрын

10-4