When I first started using this blog site, every photo went just where you wanted, all your sentences stayed together! Well, it must be related to my flower shop, because when I started my plants several weeks ago, things were more orderly and stayed together, before it got disorderly. Maybe it's just me!Here are some broccoli transplants. Yes, they are early....but these will be going in a hoop house outdoors and growing on in there. Our plants are fed with organic kelp-seaweed fertilizer. Like a big vitamin pill for the plants full of trace elements required for optimum plant growth.
The plant racks below are filling up quickly. Doesn't matter how much space I have. 'I' will always run out of room. The plants are rotated twice daily in and out of the light and sunspots. I keep a fan running to move the air and encourage the plants to grow thicker stems as they prepare to move to the field.
I start most of my seeds in these slot trays. When the seed is very tiny, like this Gypsophila seen below, I mix it with a little sand, and then use a spoon to sprinkle it in. On all the untiny seeds, I use the latest in hi tech equipment: a ruler and a bamboo skewer to plant the seeds one at a time. Ha! When seedings are this close together, they are re-planted in small clumps. Most seedlings go from the slot tray to a 6-pack, and then to the field.
Typically, on a well germinated slot tray I will get 200 plus plants. Some more difficult to germinate trays not so good. One type of Achillea
(below) Just when you were feeling bad that I had to plant these all myself! See, gardening is so easy even a little kid can do it. Here Gavin and Jace are demonstrating the 'ruler and one seed at a time technique.' Jace has the phone nearby to field calls from customers, and the sippy cup isn't too far out of reach either. They are anxious to plant their pumpkins in the field again this year.
(below) Here is a fine example of a seed tray gone wrong. Seeds all have different germination rates, and it is good when you remember that when combining in a tray. I did this purposely to show you what can happen. (well maybe) (I could blame it on the kids) Anyway, here is why it is a problem. The 'stocks' are more than ready to be transplanted, and the 'larkspur' is just poking along, one here, one there, one taller, one shorter.....not consistent at all. So the problem becomes space when the whole tray can be re-planted at once. Also, the tall and short heights are a problem under the lights as well. Lessons learned, forgotten, and re-learned. But like the lady in the Avon ad says "I can't get fired, it's my business!"
The plant racks below are filling up quickly. Doesn't matter how much space I have. 'I' will always run out of room. The plants are rotated twice daily in and out of the light and sunspots. I keep a fan running to move the air and encourage the plants to grow thicker stems as they prepare to move to the field.
I start most of my seeds in these slot trays. When the seed is very tiny, like this Gypsophila seen below, I mix it with a little sand, and then use a spoon to sprinkle it in. On all the untiny seeds, I use the latest in hi tech equipment: a ruler and a bamboo skewer to plant the seeds one at a time. Ha! When seedings are this close together, they are re-planted in small clumps. Most seedlings go from the slot tray to a 6-pack, and then to the field.
Typically, on a well germinated slot tray I will get 200 plus plants. Some more difficult to germinate trays not so good. One type of Achilleaonly yielded 1 viable plant from a whole tray! Often these difficults ones are ordered as plants or plugs from wholesalers. They are more hi-tech then a ruler and skewer!
(below) Just when you were feeling bad that I had to plant these all myself! See, gardening is so easy even a little kid can do it. Here Gavin and Jace are demonstrating the 'ruler and one seed at a time technique.' Jace has the phone nearby to field calls from customers, and the sippy cup isn't too far out of reach either. They are anxious to plant their pumpkins in the field again this year.
(below) Here is a fine example of a seed tray gone wrong. Seeds all have different germination rates, and it is good when you remember that when combining in a tray. I did this purposely to show you what can happen. (well maybe) (I could blame it on the kids) Anyway, here is why it is a problem. The 'stocks' are more than ready to be transplanted, and the 'larkspur' is just poking along, one here, one there, one taller, one shorter.....not consistent at all. So the problem becomes space when the whole tray can be re-planted at once. Also, the tall and short heights are a problem under the lights as well. Lessons learned, forgotten, and re-learned. But like the lady in the Avon ad says "I can't get fired, it's my business!"
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