The outdoor grow year
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Seed start — what should be happening
Seeds are germinating under a cheap shop light on a 18/6 schedule, in solo cups with drainage holes drilled in the bottom. Keep the medium moist, not wet, and don't transplant until the first real set of leaves is out.
Common mistakes at this stage
- Overwatering solo cups because the surface looks dry — check by weight, not by eye.
- Starting too early. Six weeks under lights before your last frost is plenty; ten weeks gets you a rootbound, stressed plant.
What we did this year
Started four seeds Mar 3, three germinated by day five. Lost one to damping-off — too much surface moisture, not enough airflow.
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