I can't get him to help with my plants to save my life... well, at least not unless it comes to saving energy, I can get him to turn off the grow lights for the seedlings :-)

BTW, I am growing Geraniums first time from seed and can't believe how easy it is! I planted 2 weeks ago now, I must have had about 95-98% germination, and they have really well established first true leaves already!!

I put mine into peat pellets, just under the surface, then into a flat with a cover. The temperature was around 70% in the room. Sometimes with more stubborn seed I will place it on the heating register to help warm it up, as that usually seems to help...

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes!

I meant to say 40% where germinated in 7 days, I had some up in 3 too I think... they don't seem to take long at all! Not like growing Sweet William! lol.

But now I read I should have done it mid-January...will I even get any flowers this summer???

Scared! Because these seeds weren't cheap. ; )

Thanks,

Paula

Here's a website (I'll include another as well) that tells the time it takes to make a sellable/flowering plant. Also as suggested above in a few words, if you use supplemental artificial lighting for the remainder 4-6 weeks and prior to a last frost, then you'll have plants that are ready to bloom all summer and at the very beginning. Pretty cool huh? :) Turning them on between 10pm and 2am with a mimic to the light conditions being observed outdoors, you'll induce flowering.. and have plants that are ready to bloom all summer in your own garden, from your own seed.

Best Regards,

Dax

Seed Germination Database

Weekend Gardener

Tom Clothier's Garden Walk and Talk

Seeds:
neseeds

Swallowtail Garden Seeds

I'm a little late to start mine, too. They were started on 2/6 and are just getting their first true leaves now. <3 Had I known I was going to get so smitten, I'd have started a lot more.

Isn't she sweet? lol

As for the lighting, if you have a regular light bulb, then surely you can modify it to get in a Florecent! All you have to do is visit the lighting / hardware department at any good hardware store, and in the section they usually keep switches / plugs etc, they have an adaptor that you can screw into a regular light, just like you would a light bulb. instead of having a light in that spot, you adapt it to a plug! Now, you have a place to plug in the flouresent! Remember though, you want the flouresent as close to the plants as possible, not at the top of the green house!

Obviously, one 4 foot light would not be enough to light up the whole green house! But, for the geraniums, it can give the extra boost they may need. All the other plants are on sun time

The important thing though is don't overload the socket. If it is designed for 60 watts, don't go above say, 2 T8 bulbs (32+32) watts, (now that is 4 watts over, but in my untrained opinion I don't think 4 watts is too much of a stretch, just you don't want to put anything else in it!) or if you think you could put a 90 watt bulb in it, then perhaps you can use 2 T12 bulbs, 40+40) Two T8 will put off the same amount of light at two T12, they are just more energy efficiant. You just need to make sure the shop light can take the type of bulb you are putting in!

I can't get the photos to work, but if you are not sure what a light socket outlet adaptor is, these are few examples..

http://electrical.hardwarestore.com/12-34-outlet-adapters/lampholder-socket-adapter-601209.aspx

http://media.mydoitbest.com/imagerequest.aspx?sku=520243&size=2&warehouse=C&newsize=200

That reminds me. I haven't looked at them in a few hours ..... lol

Here is a picture of 2 packs of geranium seeds that I started 3 weeks ago. I had good germination rate and, they are my favorite to start from seeds.

Betty