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["Rob Walton" <waltonrp AT gmail.com>]

> I'm not banking on the plant workshop being finished this year.  If it
> does great, if not, I'll make do another year.  What is   your method
> for starting seeds?  If you have the perfect greenhouse set-up, please
> don't tell me.
I have started my onion and cabbage seed separate communal flats. I used cut 
off cardboard boxes lined with a garbage bag. I put these inside garbage 
bags and set them on a (waterproof) heating pad set to the lowest temp. They 
sprouted last week so will sit in the window for another week maybe. Then to 
the cold frame.

I just planted some early peppers, just a few. They are started in some 
clear plastic snap closed containers from the grocery. I have another one 
ready to take just a few basil and culantro seeds, maybe something else 
herby. I'll do that tonight. They work like little greenhouses.

It is amazing how fast and well seeds germinate when they are at the right 
temp. Someone else said she sets them on top of the fridge to warm the soil.

For the peppers and other stuff, I'll pot them in newspaper pots and set 
them in a cardboard box tray before they go to the cold frame.

Cold frame is strawbales. South bale sunk in the ground partly and side 
bales sunk to match. Window pane on top and some extra bales for really cold 
nights.

I have an outing to my new horse manure source on Saturday. Reportedly she 
has some 15 pickup loads and a dump trailer to lend to haul it. Nice 
contact. I may just get some of the fresh stuff and do a hot bed like the 
cold frame. Anybody done one? How deep to dig and how deep of manure over 
the compost/soil.

Hope you get your plant workshop. As you can see I don't have them perfect 
greenhouse setup!

Rob -Va