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  • From: <miranda AT tagoresmith.com>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Perforated bags & red chard seed
  • Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 15:58:56 -0400

Hi.

I use perforated bags for salad greens, herbs, or microgreens that I
have hydrocooled. No matter how much I drain them before packing, there
is still too much moisture left on the leaves to put into an air-tight
plastic bag. Things that slime in a closed bag will last a week or more
in one with lots of holes. Washed carrots, beets, ruties, turnips, and
parsnips are all prone to fungus attack when they are tightly packed
into a 25-lb. plastic bag, especially in the center where some heat from
respiration can build up, even in a reefer truck. If you perforate the
bag before shipping--and remind people to get them out of the bags as
soon as possible, they'll be OK.

Depending on how much chard you are planting, there are two ways that
seem to help germination. If you're only doing a bit, you can spread out
the seed on newspaper, put another layer of paper on top of that, and
roll over them with a rolling pin. The seeds will be released from the
"fruit," making them better able to absorb soil moisture when you plant.
However, be advised that you have to keep the furrows constantly
moist--they don't have the fruit to store water for them.

The second works with planet jr's mounted on a tool bar or a
hand-seeder. Soak the seeds for about 8 hours--until they really plump
up. Drain them, roll them around on newspaper and set them in the sun
until ONLY the surface is dry, and put them in the seeder box and plant.
You have to dry them a bit before putting them in the seeder box so they
won't stick together, but you can't dry them too much or you'll kill
them. --Happy medium--use your thumbnail to check on them as they dry.
Also, be certain to test the plate size on the seeder; these seeds are
appreciably larger than they were before you soaked them.


Best,

Miranda Smith




  • [Market-farming] Perforated bags & red chard seed, miranda, 06/01/2004

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