I got a plastic spoon and dug into the paper cups and only one had a seed in it that looked as if it’s sprouting and the other three seeds had not done anything. I stuck that one sprouting back in the soil but I probably ruined it by digging it up.
I found this grow light thingy that is compact for I need compact in my small downstairs area. Please read this and see if you approve this unit would grow seeds inside. One of the comments about this unit is from a woman from Houston and it was hot summer when she tried to grow seeds and finally went to this unit to get seeds to grow inside until they could withstand getting put in the hot sun here.
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-JSV2-2-Foot-Start-System/dp/B0006856EQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t
You’re going to tell me to put the paper cups in a sunny window. I don’t have one downstairs and it isn’t feasible upstairs. This is a townhouse. There is one window on the front in the kitchen and it has a tower in front of it with hanging pots, pans, etc. There are no windows on the sides. The back sliding glass doors go onto a roofed deck, no sun there plus one is now in over 100 degree heat.
The downstairs of this townhouse is dark unless a light is on which it is over my chair. The grow light, then, could make these seeds sprout inside.
Actually, this part of Texas is the pits FOR ME for sprouting seed. If had sunny window could do it, but I don’t have that. Then, can’t sprout seed before winter is over, either. OK, I fixed the winter one - got that very small greenhouse so could sprout seed before spring actually gets here - fixed that. Now, have to fix the summer sprout seed problem with some type of grow lamp.
Then, there’s Johnny who snaps his finger and has a whole garden growing around Fort Worth.
Oh, and unless you broke off the root, you probably did no damage to the seed. Some varieties take longer than others to sprout, even though they are all squash, etc. Even the same variety, out of the same packet, will take longer or shorter times to sprout depending on the exact conditions.
Sprouting times, like ‘days to maturity’ are averages, not absolutes, and even partially depends the health of the parent plants; and on how/when the seeds were harvested, handled, and stored before you ever got your hands on a packet.
It's ok, amazon is selling them - but then I see that they will normally ship in 2-4 months. I'm growing plant starts now - not in 2-4 months. A handful of sellers have them available for extravagant prices. Eventually, with no other options, I bought from one. If I'm lucky, I might actually get to use this light this season.
For the future, if I can source cheap bulbs, I might keep using this grow light. But so far it seems like their proprietary bulbs are short lived, expensive and difficult to find.
I would suggest to anyone who is planning on purchasing this fixture to keep looking: for one that uses a standard bulb length.
Outfits like this are in the business of selling their proprietary bulbs to a captive audience. And, when they fold, you'll never be able to get another expensive, short-lived replacement bulb. Keep looking!
This looks like it would be good. They don’t give much info regarding the light, but I think T5 might be full spectrum. I don’t think you need the heat mat and fancy trays though.