just beginning to make a start-2007 season /sowing/compost

michael johnson · January 30, 2007

I am just begining to make a start, and crawling out of my sloth like winter hibernation-so to speak.

This season I am going to try the newish method of germinating seeds-using the plastic zip top baggies with folded tissue inserts, but I have modified this idea a bit-by obtaining a couple of metres of self watering irrigation material from the garden centre and cutting into oblong chunks about an inch smaller than the plastic bag, which should last for years if washed now and again.

In order to experiment a bit I am going to soak one lot with ordinary tap water that has been allowed to stand for a day or so, and the other lot with saved pure rain water -and see which gives the best results of germination.

Having just bought also, two 25ltr bags of Levington compost- which is supposed to be the best over here in the UK, for later transfering the germinated seeds into, and later still a homemade compost with all sorts of unusual things in it, spagnum peat moss, gritty sand,seaweed meal,basic fertilizer, trace element minerals, ground up leaf mold, powdered dried cow pats -(collected by hand)-"yikes,in the summer,and several other organic based additives , coarse grit, etc.

SO- I am almost ready for the off, rinsed out my seed trays and stacked them neatly- spent about two hours over a sink of hot soapy water with a course nylon scrubber and about 200 plant labels for seed trays-trying to scrub off last years pencil written names, very long and labour intensive, disinfected everything with a mild garden disinfectant-which is very good.

Now its just a matter of sit back and wait -for the sowing day -drawing ever nearer-"yikes.

January 30, 2007	#1
michael johnson Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: UK. Posts: 960	just beginning to make a start-2007 season /sowing/compost I am just begining to make a start, and crawling out of my sloth like winter hibernation-so to speak. This season I am going to try the newish method of germinating seeds-using the plastic zip top baggies with folded tissue inserts, but I have modified this idea a bit-by obtaining a couple of metres of self watering irrigation material from the garden centre and cutting into oblong chunks about an inch smaller than the plastic bag, which should last for years if washed now and again. In order to experiment a bit I am going to soak one lot with ordinary tap water that has been allowed to stand for a day or so, and the other lot with saved pure rain water -and see which gives the best results of germination. Having just bought also, two 25ltr bags of Levington compost- which is supposed to be the best over here in the UK, for later transfering the germinated seeds into, and later still a homemade compost with all sorts of unusual things in it, spagnum peat moss, gritty sand,seaweed meal,basic fertilizer, trace element minerals, ground up leaf mold, powdered dried cow pats -(collected by hand)-"yikes,in the summer,and several other organic based additives , coarse grit, etc. SO- I am almost ready for the off, rinsed out my seed trays and stacked them neatly- spent about two hours over a sink of hot soapy water with a course nylon scrubber and about 200 plant labels for seed trays-trying to scrub off last years pencil written names, very long and labour intensive, disinfected everything with a mild garden disinfectant-which is very good. Now its just a matter of sit back and wait -for the sowing day -drawing ever nearer-"yikes.