Hmm, some stuff doesn't seem to jive here, help me understand. You say your mums sprouted within 48 hours, and then you removed the dome. Did you remove it as soon as you saw the first seedlings emerge? If not, possibly the seedlings were in too humid an environment, and damping off got them. How 'moist' is the soil?

Also, you stated you couldn't blame it on 'wind, sun'. Are these seedlings outside? If so, you're probably dealing with a lack of light as well as too-cool temperatures for newly sprouted seedlings.

I would say damp off got them. You must remove the humidity lid as soon as the plants sprout. You may have had it too wet in the first place.

When you plant seeds you want the soil moist right through but not sopping. I wet my soil and mix it before I fill my containers. I lift a handful of soil and squeeze. You only want a little water to come out. Then the humidity cover keeps the seeds moist until they sprout, then remove the lid. It now has roots and there is no need to keep the top of the soil moist

I agree with the ladies above.

Domes are great when used correctly

Keriann~

The seedlings sprouted and remained under the lid for about 10 or 12 days, then I thought they looked big and sturdy enough to be without the lid. They were inside my living room near a sunny( but not drafty) window the entire time, so there was no significant change in the climate in the room.

The soil was moist but not sopping wet.

I would try wintersowing them, if you sow another batch this month you will get blooms in the fall.

There is another forum all about the 'how-to' and mums would do great with the WS method.

Keriann~

Way too long under the dome, it must be removed immediately after the first seeds have sprouted. Germinating seeds need humidity, sprouted seedlings do NOT. Also, not enough light. Being 'near' a sunny window is nowhere near enough light for tiny seedlings. Sorry, mobyclick; get some lights and try again or try Keriann's suggestion.

sleepy is right - the dome cover is used ONLY for germination. Once the seeds break the surface of the soil the dome must be removed. It is never left on once the plants germinate or as you have discovered, they die. Indeed many experienced growers never use any dome or cover as they cause far more problems than anything.

And "near" a window won't cut it sorry. If you aren't going to use a light set-up then in has to be IN the window, a very BIG window with thin glass and no double-panned e-glass, with 12 hours of bright sunlight and even then, unless it happens to be the perfect window it seldom works well. ;)

Also, for future reference - mums aren't a spring crop. They are a fall crop normally seeded and grown in the cooler temperatures of autumn.

Dave

well, after reviewing all the responses, i won't have any plants and that is just how things must be. i don't have any more money for this, not exaggerating even a little.

so much for trying. thanks anyway for the advice.

You can choose things you can direct sow outdoors and all it will cost you is the $1 pack of seeds from Wal Mart. Things like marigolds, cosmos, sweet peas, poppies, etc. Sorry it didn't work out with the mums. I understand having a limited budget, I'm in between jobs right now, and you have to prioritize. Research ahead of time makes a world of difference. Best of luck.

moby, do you need some seeds? I have some left over of about 5 or 6 different things. Just let me know!

gardenluv: that is super generous of you. I sent an email. thnx!

I tried to send you an email. I can send you some seeds to try as well. Just let me know, OK?

One thing to watch for: the air indoors is drier than the Sahara desert because of the HVAC system. If seedlings have grown for long in high humidity, their stomata are open, and some genes may be turned on in the seedling adapting the plant to expected high humidity. Hitting extremely dry air can be harmful to the leaves even if the roots are moist.