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market-farming - [Market-farming] germination chambers, revisited

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  • From: "Liz" <liz AT horseshoegardens.com>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] germination chambers, revisited
  • Date: Sun, 1 Mar 2009 19:49:41 -0500

Hey everyone!
 
After getting a false start last year (we only did pasture poultry and eggs), I decided this year to quit monkeying around, and get back into this fulltime.  We're set up to sell at 4 really good markets this year, but after more market research I'm thinking of concentrating on the 2 largest markets since they are also year-round markets in large population areas .  Any advice on year-round markets is greatly appreciated.
 
Marie, y
ou asked about using your old refrigerator/cooler as a germination chamber.  I've been so busy getting ground worked up and prepped I've not had time to post this about ours.  Now that we've got 6" of snow on the ground and more to come, I've got time to post ; ))  Joe's family has used this for their greenhouse bedding plants for about 6 years now.  This year we're using it to start crops.  It's undercover in the front of one of their greenhouses.  You can see pics and read about it here on my new blog.  It is strictly a germination chamber--no lights, though it could certainly be fitted with them easily enough.  We rotate out germinated flats so fast it isn't an issue for us.   
 
There are pros and cons to using these--mice can wreck havoc very quickly if they get in through any holes (Joe's dad punched a hole in the sidewall to thread through the plug for the heater and the mice went crazy chewing up his seedlings.  He put up with this for years before I suggested expanding foam in the hole which worked).
 
It's hard to adjust the temperature to specific crops.  Since heat rises, we put the seeds needing more warmth on the top shelf and those needing cooler temps on the bottom.  
 
The chamber stays moist and consistently warm...no problems with hot/cold spots, and no drying out of the seedlings.  We do cover flats with clear domes to further keep in the moisture.   I'm hooked on this versus heat mats and won't ever go back.  This chamber holds 24 flats, but with additional shelving (which we intend to build next winter) it can hold twice that. 
 
Liz Pike
Horseshoe Gardens.com
Hillsville VA
zone 6b/7a



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