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- From: "Amy K. Johnson" <akjedj AT access4cheap.com>
- To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: [Market-farming] RE: seed starting
- Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 10:31:31 -0800
I start most of my seeds under lights in the house and then
move them into an unheated greenhouse as soon as possible. I start nearly all
seeds in the plug trays that I will transplant out to the field from. I hate
pricking out/ transplanting into flats!!!! That's just me, it works fine, I
just hate doing it. I also use bottom watering by setting each plug tray
into a "leak-proof" flat (if you get the lighter-weight ones, they won't be
leakproof for long) and then I water by pouring water into the leakproof flat.
It keeps me from making a mess in the house, plus I feel they get a better
drink. Once they're out in the green house, I have sprayed them but I still have
problems with watering the soil right out of the plugs, plus I feel that
sometimes there's not enough water getting thru the depth of the plugs.
I once used the leakproof trays from Johnny's but they were a
bit flimsy. Now I get them from a local greenhouse supplier, but they are from
Wetzel. On most plug flats smaller than 72's, I have to cut down the sides of
the leakproof trays because the plug trays are shorter. I have been advised that
I could put some sort of support under the plug flat to support it, but then you
have a lot of water sitting in those flats that make it hard to move them
without making a mess. I did find a shorter bottom flat but it had drainage
holes in it.
The smallest size I now use is a 128 plug tray, because I
found that a 200 plug tray was too short to transplant into the field with- it
just didn't seem to have enough depth of root to get below the drier top surface
of the soil.
Picking out/transplanting into plugs trays probably works good
for those with the time to do it. Plus it does save space if you have a certain
area for germination (especcially if using a germ. chamber), but you ultimately
have the same space used up once they're transplanted into the plug trays
(unless germination is poor, than you can eliminate empty plugs).
I think in many situations, it just depends on your individual
situation. Remember what works for me may not work for you and vice versa. I get
so sick of going to a farming conference and hearing someone say basically "I've
tried that and it doesn't work--- He's full of (compost)!" Keep your mind open
and find what works for you.
Amy
Johnson's Produce Patch
Long Island VA -where they've
cancelled school because of 3/4 in. of snow!
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- [Market-farming] RE: seed starting, Amy K. Johnson, 02/26/2003
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