Re: RE: HYB: Seeds Germinating

Mary, 
   
  If you're potting up all your sprouts and labeling them individually anyway...  Something I'm trying this season is communion cups as individual seed pots.  So far I'm satisfied the survival rates are the same as they would have been with larger pots.  You can drill a drainage hole in them with a drill if you're careful, or with a twist of an exacto.  Added bonus I can see clearly if the sprout is rotting off before it pop-tarts, or if I need to water.
   
   I picked up some square cake pans at the dollar store, the disposable kind, and they work fairly well for a tray to hold the communion cup pots.
   
  Christian

Mary Swann-Young <MryL1@msn.com> wrote:
  Couldn't even speculate on the amount of cold seeds can
withstand. My husband once put a batch that were ready
to chill in the freezer instead of the crisper and I didn't find
out about it for 6 hours. About 600 seeds in that ziplock bag,
and I think I wound up with 2 sprouts. Ones actually sprouting
would probably be more sensitive. Drier seeds, less so.

The first year I started seeds indoors, I potted up all the seeds
from pink/yellow crosses after 60 days, others after 90. Had lots
of damping-off losses, trying to keep the soil moist enough for
the ones that hadn't sprouted.

The second year, I tried waiting until I had some sprouts, then
potted up the whole cross of seeds. Same problem, just not
quite as bad.

Since then, I've only potted sprouts. Until they break ground,
I keep the pot fairly moist. Once they're up, I keep them quite
a bit drier and have no problem with damping-off. I use a pot
big enough for the number of sprouts I have to plant. Makes for
a lot of labelling, especially for the random sprouters. But when
you hate winter and your soul craves gardening it's a pretty good
winter hobby.

I've had to repot a few of the most ridiculously vigorous already
this year. Since they're already spaced, it's easy to set the root
ball into a bigger pot without disturbing them.

Looking through burritos is like a little treasure hunt while you sit
in front of the TV. Active crosses go back in the bag last, turned
perpendicular to the rest. I check about once a week, and every
other time I'm only looking at the actives. Usually not ready to
quit when I run out of ones to check.

Mary Lou, near Indianapolis, Z5 - celebrating first sprout of
Clarence X Vienna Waltz and of Bonus Mama X Starring

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