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  • From: "Jill Taylor Bussiere" <jdt AT itol.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Seeds
  • Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003 13:13:34 -0600

I am finally turning my thoughts to seeds. Very late this year.

So far, I have only ordered 3 varieties of onion seeds, which I usually have
planted by now. Someone was asking about onion planting earlier, and as I
read others' methods, I thought I would add mine.

I make a soil mix of worm castings, coir, and a few trace minerals and
stuff - a bit of alfalfa meal, azomite, etc. I put them in cedar seedling
boxes, with the soil packed down hard. Then I take a chopstick, or round
handled pickle fork, and poke holes about 1/4 inch apart, everywhere in the
soil. If I had a template with nails to poke the holes all at once, it
would be much quicker. But I haven't done that yet. Then, I put one onion
seed in each hole (sometimes 2 or even 3 fall in, but not usually). I water
with a plant sprayer, then put a little more soil mixture on top, then water
again. The water usually has abit of liquid sea kelp in it. This past
year I used a heat mat for the first time, and I think it speeded things up
a bit - but I don't think it improved the germination any.

I chose 3 varieties this year - Walla Walla, Copra, and Bennie's Red. I try
to grow open-pollinated varieties, but have come to realize that I won't
save seeds from any more than one variety a year anyway. I have grown all
three in the past, and all do very well here. I haven't grown Copra in
quite a few years, but they did exceptionally well when I did, and since I
am ready to try a hybrid again, I have chosen it.

I also ordered a spinach that is new to me - called Erste Ernte. Have any
of you tried this? It says it is German for First Harvest. It is organic
and open pollinated, crunchy, has arrow-shaped leaves, and is upright. It
bolts early, it says, but supposedly tastes good even then. 30 days it is
listed as. I would love to hear from any of you who have tried it.

Jill





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