Seed Germination Chamber
My name is Caroline Hampton, I am a sustainable vegetable, herb, and flower producer in my first season, farming at the Farmer Incubator and Grower (F.I.G.) Farm in Valle Crucis under the name Octopus Garden. I would like to build a germination chamber for starting seeds at the FIG Farm. A germination chamber is any type of insulated box with a heating element in it. Seeded trays are put in the germination chamber and the temperature is regulated by switching the heating element on and off depending on the reading from a thermometer inserted in the soil of one of the trays, so that the chamber does not overheat. There are many different designs out there, including that of my former employers and mentors at Loon Organics in Hutchinson, MN, and one on the Farmhack website as seen here. The germination chamber is fairly easy to build and inexpensive. My materials should only cost me about $350.
The FIG Farm is a collaborative project between several small producers, and sharing resources means limited space. We are already struggling with spacial constraints in our greenhouse when the season has barely started! With a germination chamber, we will be able to better utilize our space, placing newly seeded trays in the germination chamber, and only putting them out in the greenhouse once they have sprouted.
A germination chamber would be helpful to us at FIG most importantly because it will create ideal conditions for seeds to sprout- a constantly moist and warm environment. Most vegetable seeds germinate best at a temperature of between 75 and 90 degrees, and outside of this optimal temperature range, you are likely to experience slower germination, sometimes making a different of as much as a week or more in the time it takes for seedlings to sprout. A week’s difference in timing or even a few days can make a big difference when you are trying to produce food with certain goals for selling at markets, etc. I will be selling at the Watauga Farmer’s Market, and having produce to sell when the Farmer’s Market opens is important for my business.
It is cold outside right now, especially at night, which explains why seeds are slow to germinate. But even once it gets warmer, seeds will sprout quickest and most reliably in the ideal environment created by the germination chamber. A germination chamber will help the growers at the FIG Farm keep our production on track and free up more space in our greenhouse. This germination chamber is extremely important for me and if I do not receive funds from SEAM I will seek other ways to fund the construction of the chamber because it is so necessary to my success and something that I will continue to use long into the future. I hope that you will consider this project for a SEAM grant.
The FIG Farm is a collaborative project between several small producers, and sharing resources means limited space. We are already struggling with spacial constraints in our greenhouse when the season has barely started! With a germination chamber, we will be able to better utilize our space, placing newly seeded trays in the germination chamber, and only putting them out in the greenhouse once they have sprouted.
A germination chamber would be helpful to us at FIG most importantly because it will create ideal conditions for seeds to sprout- a constantly moist and warm environment. Most vegetable seeds germinate best at a temperature of between 75 and 90 degrees, and outside of this optimal temperature range, you are likely to experience slower germination, sometimes making a different of as much as a week or more in the time it takes for seedlings to sprout. A week’s difference in timing or even a few days can make a big difference when you are trying to produce food with certain goals for selling at markets, etc. I will be selling at the Watauga Farmer’s Market, and having produce to sell when the Farmer’s Market opens is important for my business.
It is cold outside right now, especially at night, which explains why seeds are slow to germinate. But even once it gets warmer, seeds will sprout quickest and most reliably in the ideal environment created by the germination chamber. A germination chamber will help the growers at the FIG Farm keep our production on track and free up more space in our greenhouse. This germination chamber is extremely important for me and if I do not receive funds from SEAM I will seek other ways to fund the construction of the chamber because it is so necessary to my success and something that I will continue to use long into the future. I hope that you will consider this project for a SEAM grant.
