[Markjp]

I always seem to get confused about when to remove the lids off my mini windowsill propagators. 

As an example I planted 8 chilli seeds in one propagator and this morning 2 have come up.

- Do I remove the lid now and leave on the heat to stop the 2 seedlings going leggy? The likelyhood that no more will germinate.

- Or do I leave the lid on and hope for a few more to germinate, but with the likelyhood that the first 2 will become leggy?

I need 4 seeds to germinate as that is the number of plants I want. Maybe I need to resow?

Can anybody help me out of my dilemma?

[mumofstig]

If I faced the same situation, I would leave the lid on for just 24 more hrs, in the hope that a few more would germinate...but keep the lid as dry as you can so that as much light as poss gets through the plastic.
Lid off tomorrow but keep the heat on and fingers crossed for the rest 

[goodegg]

i agree with mum take the lid off and dry inside then replace it some chillis will take longer than others do you could have some a week after the others

[Markjp]

Thanks for quick replies 

Once the lids are off how long should I leave my seedlings on the bottom heat?

[mumofstig]

I would leave the heat on until they are big enough to pot, then if you do that carefully you could put the ungerminated ones back on the heat for a little while longer...still with fingers crossed  

[Kristen]

I read "take the lid off immediately" advice often. I'm not sure it works for me, nor that I have trouble if I leave the lid on for longer.

My windowsill propagator is on a West facing window, and doesn't get any direct sun until 2pm (so not brilliant light, particularly early in the season.). I do have a home-made tin-foil reflector behind to improve the light.

My 1/4-sized seed trays have clear plastic propagator lids with a single "vent" that I can twist sideways to let some air in.

My reckoning is that if I remove the lid immediately the seeds have germinated then start to dry out and then struggle, particularly the later seedlings that come along a bit later.

So I now leave the lid on for several days - but I do open the vent immediately that I see the first seedling is "up".

I may get slightly more leggy seedlings as a result, but I just plant them up to their seed-leaves when I prick them out, and can't say I've really noticed a problem, long term.

(I do make sure that my propagator lids are spotlessly clean when I sow seeds though ...)