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  • From: "Rob Walton" <waltonrp AT gmail.com>
  • To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Seed starting methods
  • Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 18:26:48 -0500

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




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