Celery.. No cover light required for germination at 70F taking 10-17 days.....Rutabaga/turnip light cover temp 70F taking 7-14 days to germinate.....Carrot light cover soil temp 64-72F taking 10-21 days....Lettuce light cover soil temp 65-70F taking 6-10 days to germinate. Many inserts for growing seedlings are 1 inch deep but others for starting trees are 6 inches deep & may be used for starting root crops.Starting in a cold frame is common & instead of using FRESH manure on the surface I use it & cover with 1-2 incches of sand & it generates a lot of heat. A light bulb will also help. Also look on the package it gives time to maturity ....pick those varities with with the shortest time to maurity. I hope this helps

Patty, yes the trees get all the measly chill hours South Florida has, since the trees are outside. My adult tree already shed all its leaves in September, and lost most of the new ones in hurricane Wilma last month.But they are coming back again. The Atemoya and Sugar Apple trees are still leafy. I have to hand pull the leaves from my Sugar Apple trees in Dec/January since they don't drop them all themselves. Same with regular Apple trees- it just doesn't get cold enough for long enough to make them shed cleanly. I don't know why the Cherimoya shed so early. Possibly the dry conditions caused it. BFreeman- the question was answered.. What makes your method the best? It takes a lot longer than the way I do it-what is the benefit? Are the seedlings healthier if they take longer to germinate? Lisa

I soak the seeds anywhere from a few hours to overnight. The seeds will sprout in just about any type of mix. I keep the soil lightly moist and use bottom heat unless it's summer, then I just stick the tray outside. I just put the seed head below the soil and keep the wing exposed. I occasionally get seedlings that won't shed their seed coat. First I try misting to see if that will loosen it. If that's unsuccessful I take two straight pins and carefully peel the seed coat away. Sometimes I end up decapitating the seedling but it usually works if you're careful. If the seeds are fresh I get almost 100% germination. That number goes down for older seeds though I've had decent germination with year old seeds that weren't stored in the best conditions. Most viable seeds will sprout within 2 weeks. Karyn

Thanks Stephen, I'd love to see a picture of your Stellar Lace. As for putting very young seedlings out in the hot sun.. Texas sun at that, I surely wouldn't have the courage!! They could dry out in a flash!! When I water my very young seedlings, I use an extremely weak solution of Miracle Grow and than only every few times I water them. But, that's just me, so, do whatever seems right for you but do be careful of the hot sun. There a several other hippie gardeners who deal with seedlings on this forum from Texas so perhaps their advice would be more appropriate than mine.... Donna