Many gardeners start sowing seeds of plants to grow seedlings at home at the end of February in order to transfer them later to the open ground. But it is not possible to place the desired number of containers on one windowsill. What can be done? Here you need a special furniture – a rack. Make a rack for seedlings on the windowsill with your own hands is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. You only need a little time and effort, but the result will please everyone.
Lighting for seedlings on the windowsill
Sprouts take minerals from the soil, but organic matter can only be formed during photosynthesis, and for this you need light. With a lack of light, the seedlings form a weak root system, prone to disease, and the sprouts themselves will be sickly and elongated.
It is best to place the seedlings on the southern or southeastern window, the northern direction is not suitable for cultivation.
In late February and March, when seeds are usually sown for seedlings, natural light for seedlings on the windowsill is not enough, so artificial lighting is just necessary. Seedlings need extra light for 2-4 hours in the morning and evening, so that the light day for young plants is at least 14-16 hours a day. The best choice for backlighting seedlings on the windowsill will be phyto-and fluorescent lamps. If you equip the racks with their own hands, also a good option for backlighting will be sodium discharge lamps, they are very effective.
In addition to special lighting, for better illumination of seedlings on the window sill you can make with your own hands a reflective surface in size such as the window. Rack, made with their own hands, can also be equipped with such screens. As a reflector, you can use a mirror, foil or sheets of metal. Such a screen will contribute to the good development of seedlings, but in order to avoid burns, it should be installed at such an angle that a diffused light falls on the plants.
Humidity and temperature regime
For seedlings on a windowsill, air humidity is an important factor. If it is lowered, it can inhibit the normal growth of plants, more dry air promotes the accumulation of excess salts in the seedlings and soil, due to which the seedlings may become ill. The average humidity for seedlings in the window is 65-70%. If your apartment is too dry, you can place jars of water on the window sill or seedling rack, you can also regularly spray water with a sprayer. You can also hang wet rags on heating radiators, but it is better to buy a special device – a humidifier.
During the germination of the seeds the ideal temperature is 22-24 degrees, but when the first shoots appear, the temperature is reduced to 12-15 degrees for 2-3 days to harden seedlings.
After that, the container is moved back to a warm place. In cloudy weather and at night, containers with sprouts are better left in a cool place. At night, photosynthesis ceases, the seedlings accumulate strength for growth. But if the plants are warm at night, they will breathe and spend the accumulated substances.
Seedling containers and watering
Very convenient for growing seedlings on the windowsill special plastic cassettes, you can adjust them with your own hands to the desired size. Also, in this case, there is no need for picking, and each seed will have its own cell. Another good option – peat pots, they are impregnated with substances to enhance growth, transplanting is also not required here.
But if it is quite cool on the windowsill, it is better to take wooden crates or vases as containers for seedlings, because they are more dense. But insulate the containers on the windowsill with foam or cloth in any case does not hurt. If the rhizome freezes, it will only bring negative consequences. Some people sow the seed in plastic cups, and then set them in boxes made of wood. In this case, the sprouts will not freeze on a cool window sill, it will also be convenient to transfer the seedlings to the vegetable garden.
Watering should be done regularly, the soil should not dry out, but you should not pour it either. In hot weather, you can water the seedlings 2 times a day, but on cool and cloudy days watering is reduced. Water seedlings on a windowsill with water at a comfortable temperature.
How to conveniently place seedlings at home?
One way to conveniently place seedlings at home is hanging plastic bottles. We cut a “door” in the selected bottles, and then fill them ¼ full with soil mixture. Then cut off pieces of rope from a skein about 2 m long and tie it around the necks of the bottles. Such greenhouses should be hung from a ledge on the outside of the window. Watering is done with a sprayer.
Rack for seedlings is a compact shelf, the shelves on which you can make your own hands in accordance with the dimensions of the window or room.
A rack is very convenient for placing a large number of seedlings, because few pots fit on one window sill. С
oday ready racks are equipped with lighting and wheels for easy movement around the room, besides, they will decorate any interior + will help to save space.
Of course, you can buy in a store already equipped with all the necessary furniture attribute, but to make a rack with your own hands is also quite realistic.
What material to make a rack from?
Racks for seedlings can be iron, plastic and wood. Everyone chooses the material at his discretion. However, the following nuances should be taken into account. If the selected material is wood, then it should be a hard rock, so as not to absorb excess moisture. On iron can form rust, so it is better to use stainless steel. Shelves are better made of plastic, plywood or plexiglass. However, plywood shelves will need to be covered with polyethylene film, otherwise they will deteriorate due to moisture.
Racks: tips on equipment
Racks, made with their own hands, can fit perfectly into your interior and accommodate the maximum number of seedlings. And in this you will be helped by shelves, their number can be selected according to the height of the rack itself and your needs. It is recommended to equip a minimum of 3 shelves, maximum – 6. The width of the shelf should not exceed 50-60 cm, the optimal height – 35-50 cm. The length of the shelf should be such that it is possible to equip the shelf with lamps for seedlings dosklyuchivanie.
To create a rack on the window sill, you will need sheets of material, the size of which will be equal to the size of the window sill itself, these will be the shelves. You will also need material for the side racks, the width of which is equal to the width of the window sill, and the length – at your discretion. To make the construction stable, the shelf can be additionally attached to the frame or a window sill.
As you have seen, to make a rack with their own hands is not difficult. And spent effort will pay off with a good harvest.
A rack of more than 3 shelves almost completely blocks the daylight in the room. While the seedlings are small – everything is fine, there is enough light for people and plants. But as soon as it comes to the real leaves – the room becomes like a mangrove forest – dark and damp. Now I do not do more than 2 tiers.
What is the height of the window? If you make the height roughly equal strips of drawer-space, there will be light in the room, too. Shelving, in my opinion, takes away more light