Sown chillis/peppers dilemma

[selfraising]

Hi have sown a mix of chillis and peppers in an 8 module tray which is in an unheated propagator on my windowsill. The dilemma is that 5 of the varieties germinated the day before yesterday and 3 have not yet. Do I take the lid off the propagator and risk the other seeds not germinating or leave the lid on but then risk the seedlings I already have becoming leggy. What should I do?

[w33blegurl]

Could you cling film over the ungerminated modules to keep them warm?

[BrideXIII]

if its a replaceable module tray, do what i do and cut them into individual ones, then you can remove the ones you want and leave the ones in that still need to be there.

[Two_Sheds]

This happens a lot. I always take the lid off once "most" of them are through

[Flummery]

I take the top off (poly bag in my case) whenever the first seedling shows. The rest follow shortly. They are germinated and staring to work their way up through the compost at this stage. Once germination has happened I am more keen that they shouldn't rot off or get mouldy. Just my way of doing things though. See what others say.

[cupcake]

What a good idea.

[selfraising]

bit tricky to clingfilm because those that have not germinated are not next to each other but inbetween those that have.

[selfraising]

Morning Flummery!
So are you saying that if I take the lid off, the rest should still push through?

[selfraising]

Thanks Bride
I'm really short on module trays at the moment so a bit hesitant to cut up but I may have to as a last resort. The problem is that those that have not yet germinated are all of one variety, which I would really like to have. I think the answer has got be for next year not to mix varieties when sowing in module trays, lesson learnt!

[smallblueplanet]

Do they look like they're going 'leggy' yet? Leave them all covered over until the germinated ones are big enough to prick out and then just drop them down slightly if they've gone a bit long.

[selfraising]

Hi Manda
Think they might be ok for another day then will do as you suggested. Thanks everyone for your help

[smallblueplanet]

Perhaps you could bring the compost into the 'warm' so they don't get too shocked?

[Alison]

I tend to take the lid off during the day and put it back at night but do try not to mix my sowings too much for this very reason. All my toms, peppers etc have been planted into individual newspaper pots for the past couple of years and that way I just lift them out to a different tray.

[Flummery]

Morning Flummery!
So are you saying that if I take the lid off, the rest should still push through?

Yes, within a few days I reckon.

[BrideXIII]

Thanks Bride
I'm really short on module trays at the moment so a bit hesitant to cut up but I may have to as a last resort. The problem is that those that have not yet germinated are all of one variety, which I would really like to have. I think the answer has got be for next year not to mix varieties when sowing in module trays, lesson learnt!

I have the same problem with mine for my chilli trials, but as you say, a lesson learnt, i shall do them in individual ones next time, must admit though the ones that have grown are doing fine inside the propagator while i am waiting for the others to come up *shrug*

plus as i have found out, some varieties take a lot longer than others to germinate, so i would be tempted to keep the lid on for as long as you can.