What Are You Planting Today, This Week, This Month?

[lesa]

What an adorable gardener, Jack! She is too cute! So, you germinate in the coffee filters and then plant in soil?

 

[wsmoak]

We germinate them in moist coffee filters as we get better results that way.

How does this work? Maybe between two layers of damp filter? And then do you pick up the little sprouted seed and put it in a pot for a while, or does it go directly outside in the ground or to its final growing place?

-Wendy

 

[jackb]

What an adorable gardener, Jack! She is too cute! So, you germinate in the coffee filters and then plant in soil?

I was afraid you would ask that. I use the filters as the root does not penetrate them and get damaged when you pick it off. As I grow hydroponically I poke a small hole in rockwool, or horticubes, and place the seedling in them with tweezers. I let them grow in the cube until four true leaves have formed and roots are coming out of the cube. At that point, they can go either into a hydroponic system, or a pot with potting mix. It is neat, clean and darn near foolproof. The cubes are very easy to transplant and the plant is not stressed.

 

[jackb]

We germinate them in moist coffee filters as we get better results that way.

How does this work? Maybe between two layers of damp filter? And then do you pick up the little sprouted seed and put it in a pot for a while, or does it go directly outside in the ground or to its final growing place?

-Wendy

As I just plant as many seeds as I need, I write the variety and date on the filter then I moisten the filter and fold it in half. I place the seeds in the center and fold in both sides and then the top. I place the filter in a plastic sandwich until the radicle emerges and is 1/4" or so long. Then, using tweezers, I place the seedling in in cubes. You could place it in moist potting soil also. Just bury it so that the cotyledon leaves are not completely covered. This way I don't deal with damping off and starting dozens of seeds to get just a few plants. Lettuce seeds will start usually within 24 hours, but flowers will take a few days.

 

[thistlebloom]

oooo, what are those green things on your brownies Jack?

 

[Rozzie]

Planted today, so far:

5 Heritage Red Raspberries
1 Thompson Seedless Grape

Still to go before we call it quits tonight:
4 more grapes (1 Thompson, 2 Concord, 1 Niagara)
2 Gooseberry (have 3 to plant but will only get two in tonight)

Also constructed wire fencing "cages" to go around all of these to protect these, as well as earlier plantings, from my puppy. IN a year or two I can remove these if he isn't chewing up everything in sight...

 

[jackb]

oooo, what are those green things on your brownies Jack?

At current prices you are looking at about $35 in lettuce.

We have not purchased greens in years, and we don't worry about pesticides or chemicals either. Fresh when you want it, and, it does not need to be washed. Next on the menu, my favorite: Swiss Chard. Ahh, you gotta love it.

 

[wsmoak]

As I just plant as many seeds as I need, I write the variety and date on the filter then I moisten the filter and fold it in half. I place the seeds in the center and fold in both sides and then the top. I place the filter in a plastic sandwich until the radicle emerges and is 1/4" or so long. Then, using tweezers, I place the seedling in in cubes. You could place it in moist potting soil also. Just bury it so that the cotyledon leaves are not completely covered. This way I don't deal with damping off and starting dozens of seeds to get just a few plants. Lettuce seeds will start usually within 24 hours, but flowers will take a few days.

Thanks! I just put some lettuce seeds in a filter to see how that works. I started the last ones in a small flat of soil,but it's kind of a pain to scoop them out to repot them.

I wonder if that would work for carrots. I know you're not supposed to transplant them (or they won't be straight) but if you did it *that* early maybe it would work. I have such a problem with the carrot seeds getting washed away and/or never sprouting.

No kidding on the lettuce prices -- $3 a bunch last time, though it does hold up well in the fridge, which my attempts so far have not. (Haven't let it mature though -- how long does that take? My 6 1/2 week old lettuces don't look anything like what I buy in the store.)

--
Wendy

 

[jackb]

Wendy,
My wife priced speciality lettuce at the local supermarket at $3.99 for 5 oz. I can grow it for about twenty five cents. I guess you could try the carrots, but they will not transplant well. You might have luck getting them to germinate though. I grow leaf lettuce in three to four weeks after transplant. I guess the answer is about five weeks, but at times less. It depends on the variety. Good luck with the filters.
Jack

 

[PotterWatch]

I'm off to the community garden this morning to do some planting. We started a new model at our garden where instead of having all individual plots, there are eight plots that several of us are all caring for and are going to split the harvest.