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- From: Rachel Evans <rachel AT sunshinefarmmarket.com>
- To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: [Market-farming] plug production questions
- Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:48:56 -0800
Hi all, I need some basic guidance on producing plugs for transplanting. We're planting out just 2 acres of market garden this year (up to 4 acres in the past) here in north central Washington, growing all our own transplants. Up until now, I've used the soil block system, which was what I was taught on the farms where I interned. I'm thinking of moving to using plug trays and experimented with them last year with not so good results. I think I'm lacking some basic understanding. I think our major problem last year was with our potting mix. The mix needed for blocks must be very different than that used in plugs (esp. smaller sizs eg 128s). Our soil block mix, which we made ourselves, was about 3 buckets of worm castings, 3 buckets of peat, 2 buckets of perlite, plus lime and organic fertilizer. Nice and sticky so the blocks would hold together but I'm thinking I need much less compost in a plug mix--more like half peat and half vermiculite or something? and no compost? I think one of the mistakes we made last year was filling the plug flats with moist potting mix. Again, this may sound basic--but with soil blocks of course you start with the mix nice and wet. The mix wouldn't get to the bottom of the plugs. So...if I fill the plug trays with dry potting mix, what's the next step? Do you irrigate first or seed first? If you seed, andif you're putting on enough water to soak the peat, doesn't the irrigation water dislodge many of the seeds? Or do you bottom water? Bottom watering seems like a good plan, but with more logistical fuss... do you keep bottom watering or then move to overhead sprinkling? Do you seed first or bottom water first? As far as fertilizer, are people able to put enough granular fertilizer in the plug mix to support a transplant for 4 weeks, or is foliar feeding always necessary? (We're talking about organic production here.) Finally, if you don't mind, these are the size plugs I'm using for various plants. Does this all look right to you 72s--lettuce, brassicas, greens, etc, (or are people generlaly having success with 128s--they're so small!) 50s--cucurbits 24s--tomatoes (or 3.5" pots), eggplants, peppers 128s--for starting tomatoes before potting up(--or is this weird?) I see the advantages of plugs as being: less time and labor compared with making blocks, less space used on the greenhouse bench, possibly easier transplanting (we've played with the hatfield from Johnny's). But there's no advantage to them if I can't figure out how to grow a high quality transplant! Are there resources or books people can point me to so I can get my remedial education on this? Thanks, Rachel -- Rachel Evans The Sunshine Farm 37 Highway 97A Chelan, WA 98816 509-670-8958 On Jan 21, 2009, at 2:10 PM, Wyatt Jones wrote:
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[Market-farming] plug production questions,
Rachel Evans, 02/10/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] plug production questions,
Wiediger, Alison, 02/10/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] plug production questions,
John Hendrickson, 02/10/2009
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[Market-farming] germination chamber,
Marie Kamphefner, 02/10/2009
- Re: [Market-farming] germination chamber, Tom at Limerock, 02/10/2009
- Re: [Market-farming] plug production questions, Andy Fellenz, 02/10/2009
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[Market-farming] germination chamber,
Marie Kamphefner, 02/10/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] plug production questions,
John Hendrickson, 02/10/2009
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
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Re: [Market-farming] plug production questions,
JOHN A HENDRICKSON, 02/10/2009
- Re: [Market-farming] plug production questions, Beth Spaugh, 02/10/2009
- Re: [Market-farming] plug production questions, Owsley lucy, 02/11/2009
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Re: [Market-farming] plug production questions,
Wiediger, Alison, 02/10/2009
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