Re: Holland's germination method

Don:

I used Holland's method of starting seeds in a cooler chest. Mine was a large
marine chest, 168 qt.capacity.  It held heat well and took HOURS to cool off.
I only changed my water jugs twice daily. Plenty warm.

I used a large cooler because I was starting about 30 seeds for a large 4-H
project.Use a good cooler with a tight fitting lid. Also, keep it inside. Do
not stack trays of peat pots like I did, it resulted in a bit of mold. (I
corrected it by a captan bath.)

Try to use good seed starting mix, and take care not to moisten it too much.
Dampen the peat pots and poke ventilation holes in them with a pencil. Fill
with lose soil and plant the soaked seeds tip down, covering with 1/2 inch
soil. Mist if they become dry. You should see results within about three days.
Be careful about peeking, you could disturb the tender new roots beneath the
seed.

It is an effective method. If you are starting only three or four seeds, you
might want to talk to Bill Verchere about his neat electric frypan method. He
is a clever fellow and found that most electric frypans have extra low heat
settings, perfect for seed germination.

Right now, my plants look as if they will begin to vine soon. I have roughly
an acre planted in a commercially zoned field in a downtown setting. Things
are looking good so far, save termites in the compost. The fellows at the Ag
center will flip over that one!

Good luck!

Barb

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