Early Indications
I used three different planting mediums to start over 1000 plants. I used dirt in cups, Jiffy Pellets and rockwool. Everything did pretty well. The cups were the most work. The Jiffy Pellets and rockwool were about the same. The germination rate between the cups with dirt and the Jiffy Pellets were about the same. (around 80%). The rockwool is almost 100%. Some stuff that I have just planted in rockwool has not come up yet; so a complete analysis is still premature. One problem I am having with all of the mediums is legginess. I am hoping transplanting will fix that.
In the garden, I planted more beets, carrots, radishes onions and potatoes. The only thing growing right now is Arugula and Onions. I did make a new ph map of the garden. The row for potatoes had dropped to 5 after I applied the sulfur. It has bounced back to 6.5. I don’t know if that is caused by the rain or what. I have not put any other amendment on the soil.
On February 1, I started a new compost pile for new compost. The old compost is being isolated so that it will be ready for planting when it is needed. I turned all of the compost Saturday and 4 bins became 3 bins. Most of the leaves and eggshells can still be identified; but most of the other things have become indistinguishable grains. By the time I plant, there will only be one bin.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Showing posts with label jiffy cubes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jiffy cubes. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Learning from Experience
Learning from Experience
I have really learned a lot in the last few days. A high learning curve can be painful. Soaking seeds over night in water is stupid. You will not believe how hard it is to take them out and lay them on paper towels to soak them for germination. That is stupid too. They are really hard to pick up and put into the planting system.
About planting systems… I have used potting soil and cups in the past. It is cheap and the cups are really easy to label with a permanent marker. Planting the pre-germinated seeds in the little cups is a lot of work. Every cup has to be labeled and filled. The seeds have to be picked up with tweezers and put into the cups. The whole thing has to be covered with a little bit of potting soil and tamped. They can be bottom watered; but the wicking is really slow.
Jiffy cubes are better. They are really easy to plant. They are virtually impossible to label. Just put them in water until they swell up. Put the seed in the little hole and smash the cube a little to cover the seed. The seeds do not really need to be germinated in advance. The jiffy cube is a great germinating place. Jiffy cubes cost $.16 each. Rockwool comes in 98 cube sheets that fit inside a flat. Just soak the rockwool for a few hours and put the seed in the hole. Break off a little piece of rockwool from somewhere to plug the hole. The seeds do not need to be pre-germinated. I have already germinated way more seeds than I really need to plant. What a mess.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
I have really learned a lot in the last few days. A high learning curve can be painful. Soaking seeds over night in water is stupid. You will not believe how hard it is to take them out and lay them on paper towels to soak them for germination. That is stupid too. They are really hard to pick up and put into the planting system.
About planting systems… I have used potting soil and cups in the past. It is cheap and the cups are really easy to label with a permanent marker. Planting the pre-germinated seeds in the little cups is a lot of work. Every cup has to be labeled and filled. The seeds have to be picked up with tweezers and put into the cups. The whole thing has to be covered with a little bit of potting soil and tamped. They can be bottom watered; but the wicking is really slow.
Jiffy cubes are better. They are really easy to plant. They are virtually impossible to label. Just put them in water until they swell up. Put the seed in the little hole and smash the cube a little to cover the seed. The seeds do not really need to be germinated in advance. The jiffy cube is a great germinating place. Jiffy cubes cost $.16 each. Rockwool comes in 98 cube sheets that fit inside a flat. Just soak the rockwool for a few hours and put the seed in the hole. Break off a little piece of rockwool from somewhere to plug the hole. The seeds do not need to be pre-germinated. I have already germinated way more seeds than I really need to plant. What a mess.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Colder Still
Colder Still
Yesterday was so cold that I just worked in town instead of going home and working in the greenhouse. I did take a few minutes to go down to the “Be Well Gardening Center”. I bought a pad of rockwool that fits in a flat and has 98 holes for seeds. I am going to try this at the same time as the “Jiffy Cubes”. “Jiffy Cubes” cost $.16 each. The rockwool plugs are only about $.10 each.
Today is warmer; but the weather man is calling for rain. That should mean it will be dry. I forgot to bring my gym bag to town; so maybe I can go home early and work in the greenhouse. This is also the day that Blum’s says to plant root crops. I have a few potato eyes from potatoes I put in the beans yesterday. They will keep in the ground as well as anywhere else, if the squirrels or mice don’t find them.
I went to Renfrow’s hardware Saturday. I really love going in there. It is like stepping back in time. The had some pads that will heat 4 flats. I don’t know why I did not buy one while I was there. They also have clear plastic covers for flats. I will go by on my way home today. With heating pad and covered flats, the greenhouse may be just a little redundant. I’m not sure my wife would let me have all of that mess in the house though.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Yesterday was so cold that I just worked in town instead of going home and working in the greenhouse. I did take a few minutes to go down to the “Be Well Gardening Center”. I bought a pad of rockwool that fits in a flat and has 98 holes for seeds. I am going to try this at the same time as the “Jiffy Cubes”. “Jiffy Cubes” cost $.16 each. The rockwool plugs are only about $.10 each.
Today is warmer; but the weather man is calling for rain. That should mean it will be dry. I forgot to bring my gym bag to town; so maybe I can go home early and work in the greenhouse. This is also the day that Blum’s says to plant root crops. I have a few potato eyes from potatoes I put in the beans yesterday. They will keep in the ground as well as anywhere else, if the squirrels or mice don’t find them.
I went to Renfrow’s hardware Saturday. I really love going in there. It is like stepping back in time. The had some pads that will heat 4 flats. I don’t know why I did not buy one while I was there. They also have clear plastic covers for flats. I will go by on my way home today. With heating pad and covered flats, the greenhouse may be just a little redundant. I’m not sure my wife would let me have all of that mess in the house though.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Monday, January 21, 2008
More Hard Freezes
More Hard Freezes
We got down to 24 degrees the night of the 17th. My first out-of-the-house action that morning was to check the greenhouse. It was nice and toasty. Since then we have had sub-freezing temperatures almost every night. Last night it went to 17 degrees. I did not go out this morning because I leave for work at 0 dark 30.
Saturday the weatherman called for snow starting at 2:00 in the AM. It did not happen. Saturday morning I put all of the seeds to be started into cups of warm water to start the germination process. My “Indoor Gardening” book (I will give the references and a review in a later blog) said not to leave them there over 24 hours. I took them out Sunday morning. By the way it did finally start snowing Saturday morning; but it never got cold enough to stick.
I put the seeds between labeled sheets of paper towels and layered them in a flat. I put the flat on a heating pad in the greenhouse and soaked the paper towels with warm water. I will check them every day and when they start to sprout they are planted in cups, peat pots or jiffy cubes. I bought 50 jiffy cubes to give them a try. I will let you know how they work.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
We got down to 24 degrees the night of the 17th. My first out-of-the-house action that morning was to check the greenhouse. It was nice and toasty. Since then we have had sub-freezing temperatures almost every night. Last night it went to 17 degrees. I did not go out this morning because I leave for work at 0 dark 30.
Saturday the weatherman called for snow starting at 2:00 in the AM. It did not happen. Saturday morning I put all of the seeds to be started into cups of warm water to start the germination process. My “Indoor Gardening” book (I will give the references and a review in a later blog) said not to leave them there over 24 hours. I took them out Sunday morning. By the way it did finally start snowing Saturday morning; but it never got cold enough to stick.
I put the seeds between labeled sheets of paper towels and layered them in a flat. I put the flat on a heating pad in the greenhouse and soaked the paper towels with warm water. I will check them every day and when they start to sprout they are planted in cups, peat pots or jiffy cubes. I bought 50 jiffy cubes to give them a try. I will let you know how they work.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
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