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Six days after putting 80 spinach seeds into damp coffee filters to pre-sprout, all 72 soil blocks have been planted, and most are showing tiny seedlings. Germination was an excellent 90% on these Tyee spinach seeds from Fedco. I've left the remaining 8 seeds in the filter to see if it eventually hits 100%.
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Five of the six containers of onion seedlings are looking great. The sixth is looking a bit wimpy, but I really think I'm going to have plenty of onions this year!
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I only wanted 2 or 3 parsley plants, but three late-comers popped up last week after I seeded another pot, thinking only one was going to germinate from this planting.
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Three days ago I put some Little Gem lettuce seeds into a damp coffee filter to test viability. The very next day they began to sprout, and I now have a dozen soil blocks planted and already growing (thank you for the seeds, Daphne). Pre-sprouting worked so well with these lettuce seeds, I started coffee filters of four five more varieties today, and I'm busy making another 42 51 soil blocks for them.
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I'll be picking some lettuce tomorrow The tomato plants need to be repotted, but I went to three stores yesterday and none had large bags of potting mix yet. No way am I spending $6 for a small bag, so hopefully they'll have big ones soon.
You're welcome. I love how seeds get passed back and forth. I still remember giving you some bean seeds one year (whose parents came from another blogger). Then a year or two later I accidentally ate my seed beans, so you came to my rescue and sent the next generation back to me. Oh how they have traveled the world. Or at least North America.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Daphne, you're not supposed to eat your seeds! I got accused of eating my spinach seeds this morning. I was picking out the ones that had sprouted, and I noticed I had a little bit of peach jam on my finger so I licked it off. My daughter was here and I got "Mother! Are you eating your seeds???" No, Amy, I'm not completely senile...not yet. ;-)
ReplyDeleteGranny, you have inspired me. I'm planting my onion seeds tonight! Hard to think of starting anything else right now because I am not sure this winter will ever end and I may have to eat my seeds.
ReplyDeleteDavid, if spring never comes, you can eat the onion tops! We're having fresh windowsill lettuce and onion top trimmings as our salad right now!
DeleteWe're expecting temperatures in the teens again this week but I have to remember that the seasons tend to change abruptly here. I can't wait to start my early season greens this upcoming weekend.
ReplyDeleteI pre-sprout my spinach seeds as well (which I'm sure I got the idea from reading you blog). I wouldn't do it any other way!
Thomas, I got the idea from Ed. See how we all learn from each other? Now I'm even pre-sprouting lettuce seeds, and those little things really take off fast!
DeleteMy Little Gems are well established too. Nice trick checking viability in coffee filters. I'd do that if I was more organised!
ReplyDeleteTIG, the nice thing about using the filters is that the little sprouts don't readily stick to them, so they can be easily moved into a soil block or cell to continue growing. No wasted seeds, and no wasted soil blocks. The bad thing is that a packet of lettuce seeds is capable of growing a thousand plants. I probable won't live long enough to use them all up!
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