Like many people, I start seeds indoors so as to be able to plant them out when spring arrives. I put transparent covers over them while they are germinating to avoid the risk of them drying out. Then afterwards I also leave the covers on for as long as possible since I often have to leave them unattended for a few days and I fear that if they are uncovered they can dry out and die in that time. In fact I often leave the covers on until the plants are about 6" high. I am starting to wonder if there is some reason why I should NOT do this. I read an article on some plant recently that emphasized the need to remove the cover as soon as the seeds germinated - and although I could see how a cover might be unnecessary, I can't see how it could be detrimental. Anyone know?
They may be concerned about mold and damping off. I wouldn't worry about it if your method is working for you. Many, many seeders use domes or other plastic covers with great success. Happy Seeding!
They may also be concerned about heat build-up if the cover is setting in the sun. Also the level of CO2. - Millet
I hadn't thought about the CO2 possibility, but on reflection it may indeed be that leaving on the cover would be like leaving an infant in a hermetically-sealed room. Not sure about the mould issue. Mould on the soil surface when I'm trying to germinate seeds has proven fatal in my experience, but mould once they are growing seems to be harmless: most of the plants sold at the local garden centers have their soil surfaces covered by mould.
