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  • From: Ken Bezilla <kenbez AT hotmail.com>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Germinating and planting spinach
  • Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2012 20:30:10 +0000

I've never tried it, but Steve Solomon wrote about this in one of his books (Water-Wise Vegetables) -- "Heat one pint of water to the boiling point. Dissolve in 2-3 tbsps. of ordinary cornstarch. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to cool.  Soon the liquid will become a soupy gel.  Gently mix the cool starch gel with the sprouting seeds," then put the mix in a ziploc bag, cut a hole 1/4" or smaller in a corner of the bag, and dribble into the planting furrow.

Ken Bezilla
central VA


From: wshoemak AT illinois.edu
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2012 20:18:26 +0000
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Germinating and planting spinach

I don't remember what they used, but it could be as simple as Knox gelatin. I'll see what I can dig up and report back.
 
Bill
William H. Shoemaker
University of Illinois, Crop Sciences
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road, St Charles, IL  60174
630-584-7254, wshoemak AT illinois.edu

From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] on behalf of Wiediger, Alison [alison.wiediger AT hart.kyschools.us]
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 3:16 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Germinating and planting spinach

Now that's an interesting idea Bill.  What would you use for the gel?  We have been pre-sprouting  spinach in the refrigerator for 15 or 16 years, and it works great for getting a great stand, but it is a pain to do.

Alison Wiediger, Au Naturel Farm

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 8, 2012, at 3:13 PM, "Shoemaker, William H" <wshoemak AT illinois.edu> wrote:

Back in the 80's there was a lot of work done with gel seeding, where seeds were germinated such that the radicle, or root tip, was just emerging from the seed coat. The seeds would be placed in a fluid gel then planted with a gel seeder. I didn't follow the work too closely, but I remember seeing a demo was at a conference. It was promising because it advanced emergence after planting and improved stand rates. But placement was awkward and it never caught on. It might be a good answer to the challenge of planting these germinated seeds. Perhaps it could be done with a pastry bag and a proper sized tip. My wife tells me she uses a heavy-duty zip loc bag in the kitchen instead, which might help with even distribution because you could see the seeds in the bag. She just cuts the right size hole in the corner of the bag.
 
Bill
William H. Shoemaker
University of Illinois, Crop Sciences
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road, St Charles, IL  60174
630-584-7254, wshoemak AT illinois.edu

From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] on behalf of Pam Twin Oaks [pam AT twinoaks.org]
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 2:11 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Germinating and planting spinach

I use the sprouted seed method I learned from Paul and Alison Wiediger. We drain the sprouted seed, then mix in a little dry (non-powdery) foodstuff like oat bran or dry corn grits. It stops the seeds sticking to your fingers. It takes a little while, sure, but it really works, and you save the time you'd spend resowing if you used unsprouted seed!
Pam, Twin Oaks, zone 7

--
Pam Dawling
 
Author of Sustainable Market Farming, Intensive Vegetable Production on a Few Acres
http://www.sustainablemarketfarming.com/
http://www.facebook.com/SustainableMarketFarming
http://www.newsociety.com/Books/S/Sustainable-Market-Farming



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