germination and watering...

[mallett]

Hi,

I am having a few problems germinating my bagseeds, I think I may be over watering them but on the other hand I get too paranoid that they are dry!

I usually soak my seeds overnight in a cup of lukewarm water pre-boiled with the kettle to kill and bacteria, I also add a little bit of rooting hormone gel.
Once the seeds have been soaked overnight I use multipurpose compost in small peat moss pots. I then sprinkle lukewarm water over the soil and place the pots in my thermostat controlled propogator to get the soil temperature correct before planting seeds. I then place the seeds taproot down(using tweezers) and surround the seed with dirt leaving the top exposed. I put the plastic lid on my propogator(which is in a small unventilated cupboard 2x2x3ft and leave the seeds do their thing at around 85 degrees farenheight in total darkness. My propogator gets a lot of condensation on the inside should I wipe this off everyday? also should I keep the vents open on the propogator? and how often and how should i give them fresh air?
My main concern is watering - how much should I water the soil at the start before planting the seeds and how often should I water the seeds? The propogator I'm using has a thermostat controlled heatmat which the pots sit on - should this be kept moist at all times? I normally try and tell if they need watering by putting my finger into the pot but I just can't tell - is there any digital device I can buy to tell if the soil is too dry? If so where can I get one from? - also how long should It be until i put the seeds under light?

If I'm doing something wrong please let me know!

Thanks

mallett

[unoit]

HIGH All, condensation shows your soil is still moist...letting your soil dry before watering is what most do...lifting your pots is one of the best ways to tell..if it's feels heavy it's still moist and if it's feels light it's dry. Do a test run and see how they feel and when you get the feel of it, it won't be a mystery anymore. Me as soon as I see them popping though out they come into some light and yes I'd keep the vents open (wouldn't hurt).