The Gamble

[berryman]

Starlight, I don't know if that's what they used to do..probably though.
What got me thinking was a study I read the other day where they compared yields from twice transplanted, once transplanted and direct seed tomatoes and the direct seed won.
Also in the same study they measured the root systems and they all were 36 in deep with some over 52 inches deep. Crazy

[Starlight]

Interesting. I can believe it though. Every time you transplant you set the plants back a couple of weeks. By starting from seed in the ground, the plant also would be able to adapt to its growing conditions right away. The soil and moisture content plus ferts in the pots would be alot different than your ground. Another set back while transplants get accustomed to the new soil.

I hope you keep us updated on how it goes. Always nice to learn new ways. With weather being so crazy anymore, you just never know when you might need a new way of growing.

[berryman]

Planted two 0-33 seeds in each contnainer and will update when something happens.
It is still six weeks early for last frost date here. I will plant some seeds in the greenhouse tomorrow so that I can have a control for comparison.

[Jonnyhat]

so your main plan is to maintain heat in the hole early in the season and hill up as the plants grow and the temps warm? I have one question/comment; mainly for discussion but if your worry is soil temp wouldnt painting the cones black help warm the soil around the plant? The white is going to reflect light back on the plant adding to its light exposure but will prevent the sun from heating that soil. Just my 2 cents, but I would love to see the difference 1 black one would make?

[berryman]

Holy cow Jonny hat I think you might be right. I'm gonna see if I've got some black paint.
I am just realizing though that I should have angled those reflectors to the south as not much direct sun gets down in there.
maybe I'll dig a little dirt and tilt them.

[berryman]

Well...I'll say that the gamble didn't pay off.

The main idea was for the hot compost to warm each pot but it didn't work. I put a lot of compost in a big hole, but I think it quit cooking when I buried it. So-no heat advantage.

Also, there has been quite a bit of rain here and I have kept the pots covered at night with plastic due to freezing temps. The trouble is, every morning there will be arachnids, bugs, beetles, centipedes, and crustaceans down in there walking around trying to get out. I have probably squooshed hundreds of potato bugs in there!
I think there are three or four seedlings of 0-33 that have sprouted and I'll keep track of them, but I don't have high hopes.

[Nematode]

https://www.google.com/search?q=wali...iw=732&bih=332

Walipini or pit greenhouse.

[ramapojoe]

Now i practice patience and laziness. Meditation helps with the impatience.

agreed.

[gorbelly]

Originally Posted by berryman

I think there are three or four seedlings of 0-33 that have sprouted and I'll keep track of them, but I don't have high hopes.

Did you pre-germinate them, i.e. on a paper towel or something?

[berryman]

Gorbelly,
nope, seeds right in the ground. I was hoping that the copious amount of hot compost would give warmth in there but no cigar.
You know, I think we have all heard stories about how they used to heat beds using compost but I think that they are mostly just stories.
I'll end up planting some starts out of the greenhouse in there in a couple of weeks.

[gorbelly]

I've found that seedlings will grow in the cold, albeit slowly, as long as they germinate somewhere warm, but seeds will just refuse to germinate when it's too cold.

[Gardeneer]

I call it an EXPERIMENT not a gamble. What you lost was just a few seeds and learned from it. That was your pay off, me thinks.

Gardeneer

[imp]

Originally Posted by berryman

Gorbelly,
nope, seeds right in the ground. I was hoping that the copious amount of hot compost would give warmth in there but no cigar.
You know, I think we have all heard stories about how they used to heat beds using compost but I think that they are mostly just stories.
I'll end up planting some starts out of the greenhouse in there in a couple of weeks.

The old way was to use fresh or fresher manures, buried under a good layer of soil to create a hot bed, usually had a wooden walls as well as a clear cover to also help heat the area.

The heat was from the fresh manure breaking down.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/build-a...hioned-hotbed/

http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G6965