Monday, March 2, 2009

What I did...

...to get my seedlings to look this amazing.

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Here are a couple cheap ways to get the heat going in your seed trays.

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Under the beer box is a hot water bottle and you can see the milk jug. I crushed it so it would be flat and cover a large space. Strangely enough the milk jug stays warm longer than the hot water bottle. And I know the jug works because as soon as I put a covered seed tray on it condensation instantly appeared.

Another thing I did, and I'm thinking it helped, was to sprinkle kelp powder on the plants as soon as they popped up. Seaweed is an excellent fertilizer. You can buy a small packet of it from the health food store for 1.99. And a little goes a long way.

Next step is to find a way to get my beans out of there without disturbing anything else. The box is just about ready to decompose, which is just what I was hoping for, but I still need it to hold out for a few more days. Just until I can get more pots and the weather to warm a bit.

5 comments:

enormous said...

Hi Jessie,

What are you growing? I've great plans to grow carrots, onions and green beans this year but I'm still trying to get my plot ready - I'm nowhere near the seedling stage. Hope I haven't missed the boat..

Roseanne

Blogcrumbs said...

@enormous I'm growing beets, beans (2 types), peas, carrots, garlic, shallots, strawberries, tomatoes (2 types), sunflowers, calendula, poppys, black-eyed Susans, corn, broccoli, courgettes, and lettuce. Trying for brussel sprouts too. You haven't missed any boats. Some people start seeds indoors, other sow straight to beds. March is ideal for starting seeds. If they grow fast you can put them out quicker.

enormous said...

And there was I thinking I was really challenging myself with carrots, onions and green beans...! Oh and sunflowers for the craic.

Have you grown veggies before? Did you have any joy with the carrots? I hear, to quote someone today, "they're a divil". Any tips?

I decided against starting seeds indoors as I just don't have the space unfortunately.

I look forward to more updates. I must post my progress on my blog too... *Adds something else to the long list*
:-D
Roseanne

Blogcrumbs said...

This is my first year growing veg. Carrots can be a pain and they hate transplanting and root disturbance. I would just throw seeds in your garden and see what they do. Plant them near garlic to keep pests away. Make sure you have flowers in your garden to bring in the bees.

Anonymous said...

Really interesting!
I'm also planning to grow a few things this year, I'll start small because I don't have much time. My priority is radishes, I know, it's a funny choice, but I love them. I'm kind of tempted growing some green beans as well... We'll see, but I'll keep a close eye on this blog for tips!