Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Market-farming Digest, Vol 109, Issue 12

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Richard Moyer <ramoyer AT gmail.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Market-farming Digest, Vol 109, Issue 12
  • Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:09:44 -0500

Bill,
I just returned from the Organic Seed Alliance meeting, attended by seed producers and seed buyers.  The importance of seed (and seedling) quality and vigor was included in a number of the sessions.  It was stressed that growers need to maintain their plants in top condition through the seed production stage, not merely the vegetative stage.

As a seed grower with multiple seed contracts, I can assure you that seedling vigor is important both to me and the companies buying from us.  Multiple seed companies are looking for growers of certain seeds; it's been a valuable way to increase our farm income and diversify risk.  If we don't like what's available, there is the option of doing better ourselves.

Finally, the seeds I've put out over the last few months have resulted in quality plants, greens that we will be selling this weekend at our winter farmers market.  Two rows of chard have some spots where the seedlings did not thrive, but that's the only crop I've noticed with subpar growth.

Hope you figure it out,
Richard Moyer
SW VA



On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 12:01 PM, <market-farming-request AT lists.ibiblio.org> wrote:
Send Market-farming mailing list submissions to
       market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
       http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
       market-farming-request AT lists.ibiblio.org

You can reach the person managing the list at
       market-farming-owner AT lists.ibiblio.org

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of Market-farming digest..."


Today's Topics:

  1. Seeding issues (Bill & Izabella)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:10:09 -0600
From: "Bill & Izabella" <pureprairiefarm AT gmail.com>
Subject: [Market-farming] Seeding issues
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID:
       <CAJp=XtENHRZce195mceqoh=VawQK-=17i8oHf02uTjK2Pq32_A AT mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi Everybody,

How is your seeding going?  I am noticing a lot of early troubles
and I am beginning to think the vast majority of seed is extremely
nutrient deficient.

The other day some chard and spinach germinated and soon started
damping off despite sterile seed mix soil, gorgeous hot water bottom
radiant heat concrete germinating/growing pad, 70 degree air temp
and a gentle fan circulating the air.

I fed the seedlings a high calcium, high phosphorus, micronutrient
mix with some carbs and problems immediately stopped and plants
regained their vigor.

I have some friends germinating tomatoes for retail sales and 5 days
after emergence it is pale and weak and damping off despite the same
ideal conditions as above.

I thought seed had 21 days worth of food stored up inside.  These
new baby plants are horribly malnourished at an early age.

I am talking about seed from virtually every supplier; Johnnies, Burpee,
Wild Garden, Baker Creek, Ball, Seed Savers, etc.

Is agronomic practices among seed growers really that bad?  Why am I
having to rescue these plants at 5 days after emergence?

I don't mind if seed growers use various chemicals to protect their crops
but at some point they have to feed the plants.  Are things really this bad
or is it just me?  I can't figure out what could possibly be wrong that
results
are this disappointing this fast.

Any thoughts?


Bill
Chicago area, 5b I think.  They changed the map again.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/market-farming/attachments/20120214/b921ecef/attachment-0001.html

------------------------------

_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Get the list FAQ at: http://www.marketfarming.net/mflistfaq.htm


End of Market-farming Digest, Vol 109, Issue 12
***********************************************




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page