Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Problems starting plants

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Marlin L Burkholder <gleneco1 AT juno.com>
  • To: market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Problems starting plants
  • Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 20:50:17 -0500



Dorene,

Thanks so much for replying to one of my posts again. This is so
helpful. Your evaluation pretty much agrees with what I have been
suspecting, that the problem is in the potting soil. Too bad it has
to take me two plant starting seasons to reach a conclusion--one of
the downsides of being too patient.

I just finished going through my month old cabbage seedlings that
have done absolutely nothing for two weeks. I transplanted a little
over 1/2 of them into new soil. The rest were trashed. Don't know
if it will work or not. Most of them had very weak root systems. I
did the same thing about a week ago to around 100 tomatoes. They
are just now showing signs of coming out of it. The first planting
of broccoli is roaring. Can't figure that one out. About
everything else I planted in that ------soil has either been trashed
or is (was) in serious trouble. After several years running of
having fairly good luck starting plants (not withstanding a few
glitches with leggy plants started inside a south facing sliding
basement door and then some plants getting too cold at night after
getting a greenhouse), I am humbled by the realization that there is
still a lot I need to learn about starting plants.

One question though-- Did I understand you correctly that carried
over potting soil will degrade to the point that it will cause
problems if you use it in another year? I thought it should be ok
if I kept it dry and clean and in a cool place. Since I also had
a lot of trouble last year, I think the soil was bad from the
beginning.
>
> Good plan. Use ProMix -- I love the stuff! :-D
>
I think I used ProMix the year before that. I always thought the
various companies that make the stuff used similar ingredients so I
was not that discriminating about brands. Now I will be a little
more wary.

> I germinate in a plug tray of 100% ProMix, then put in newspaper pots
with 50% ProMix and 50%
>worm castings. Vermiculture is *definately* the organic gardener's
> friend -- it is WELL worth your while to have a worm box on site!
>
Having listened to a great presentation on vermicomposting by Kelly
Slocun at the VABF conference in early Feb and now am reading
another article in Organic Gardening, I've got to get those worms
ordered come hell or high water!
>
I should try to plant fava beans and peas this weekend . . . maybe next.
. .
>
I planted peas about March 3rd. Carrots, radishes, spinach, and
direct seeded lettuce goes in this week I hope. Since all of my onion
starts
have bombed, I had to order a caselot of yellow granex from Piedmont
Plant Co,
Albany, GA, cost $30.00 for a thousand plants. They will come in around
Apr 1st.

I *love* your posts. You seem to be a sensible "organic oriented"
person but not an "organic fanantic". Having grown up in conservative
Mennonite
circles, I am all too familiar with the self rightious legalism that
some of them practice.
I have lots of positive things to say about many Mennonite beliefs and
practices, and the
same holds true about how I feel about those in the "organic" and
"sustainable" living
movements, but self rightiousness and legalism stinks wherever it is
found.

Marlin Burkholder
from VA




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page