digitS'
Garden Master
It's this balance of life that I am hoping for.
Infected seed? That sparrow, that showed up on the deck and ate some of my tomato seed - what was he carrying? I don't want a sterile environment for the plant starts but, yes, the organisms are both cooperating and competing. My bet is that there is a great deal of competition but that with some of the life, the seedlings can both tolerate it as neighbors and some, gain benefits. Some of the activities, the seedlings will just shrug off because of their youthful vigor, others may well overwhelm them.
I'm a believer in the benefits (& risks) of fresh air and sunshine. That's part of the reason I'm happy to have the little backyard greenhouse. And, I'm happily willing (nearly ) to put up with the attention it requires during the spring.
I wish that there was some magic elixir that I could spray over the plants to establish them within a balance of life that would benefit them. Perhaps there is but I will treat any news on it with skepticism. However, until some great drama occurs in my kitchen, South Window or greenhouse - I will rely on experience. Dearly earned, I might claim but, really, I haven't had many problems with plant starts. Probably, there has been lots of dumb luck involved.
I'll say something about my limited experience with cuttings. Good Heavens. I'm injuring the plant! An open wound ... antiseptic, bandage, sterilized environment!! No, I have to allow for the cuttings' life processes ... I have used either sterile starting mix or 100% perlite with my cuttings (along with rooting hormone). Worked! In about 9 outta 10 experiments. And, that's what they amounted to, crude experiments that mostly turned out okay.
Steve
Infected seed? That sparrow, that showed up on the deck and ate some of my tomato seed - what was he carrying? I don't want a sterile environment for the plant starts but, yes, the organisms are both cooperating and competing. My bet is that there is a great deal of competition but that with some of the life, the seedlings can both tolerate it as neighbors and some, gain benefits. Some of the activities, the seedlings will just shrug off because of their youthful vigor, others may well overwhelm them.
I'm a believer in the benefits (& risks) of fresh air and sunshine. That's part of the reason I'm happy to have the little backyard greenhouse. And, I'm happily willing (nearly ) to put up with the attention it requires during the spring.
I wish that there was some magic elixir that I could spray over the plants to establish them within a balance of life that would benefit them. Perhaps there is but I will treat any news on it with skepticism. However, until some great drama occurs in my kitchen, South Window or greenhouse - I will rely on experience. Dearly earned, I might claim but, really, I haven't had many problems with plant starts. Probably, there has been lots of dumb luck involved.
I'll say something about my limited experience with cuttings. Good Heavens. I'm injuring the plant! An open wound ... antiseptic, bandage, sterilized environment!! No, I have to allow for the cuttings' life processes ... I have used either sterile starting mix or 100% perlite with my cuttings (along with rooting hormone). Worked! In about 9 outta 10 experiments. And, that's what they amounted to, crude experiments that mostly turned out okay.
Steve