[blackcat]

 

I have a plastic greenhouse which I brought the other day, have some seed trays in there with lettuce, radish and spinach seeds in with no covers (don't know if this is right or not?), but the soil is drying out very quickly - can anyone give me any pointers as to how to keep the soil moist please? 

[Roll Roll]

I tend to sprinkle some vermickulite on top of the trays, It seems to work.

[p00rstudent]

you could add moisture retaining crystals to it, or i occasionally will put a propagator lid on the tray so that the moisture lost from the soil condenses on the the inside of the propergator lid and then drips back down, this helps to keep it moist. but you do increase the liekly hood of mould etc.

[Aunt Sally]

I generally put some kind of lid over mine till they have germinated.

If your plastic greenhouse is in a sunny position it will become very hot and you must open it and ventilate to keep the temperature down during the day.

[blackcat]

I open it first thing in the morning - about 8:30am and close it about 8pm..  but it is in full sun for most of the morning ..

[Aunt Sally]

Can you shade it a bit on the sunny side with green shading net ?

[blackcat]

I will have a hunt for some netting to shade it then..  Would a propagator lid do for putting over the seed trays?

[blackcat]

PS will fleece be okay to use for shading as I have some of that

[Aunt Sally]

Propagator lids would be fine.  I often put a piece or newspaper over that to keep the heat and light out while the germinate too.

I should think the fleece would certainly be worth a try

[blackcat]

thanks a lot!   

[Aunt Sally]

Just drape it on the outside of the poly house.  Cloths pegs might be a good way to secure it.

[blackcat]

Thanks, have put paper over the salad seeds as the tray was too big to put a propagator over it, put propagator and newspaper over the broccoli seeds in there newspaper pots and put propagator and newspaper over the radish and spinach seeds, will water tonight and see what happens

Fleece is next with the clothes pegs ! 

When the seedlings start sprouting do I still keep the fleece on ?  I know I remove the propagator lids and newspaper.....

[Aunt Sally]

Fleece is next with the clothes pegs ! 

I think we'll need a photo of that 

When the seedlings start sprouting do I still keep the fleece on ?  I know I remove the propagator lids and newspaper.....

If it get's too hot the little seedlings will wilt and die so some shading may be needed then.  I'm sure you'll be able to judge it OK.