I have not seen any posts (or emails) from Brugie since Dave's went down, hope everything is OK lots of this nasty flue going around, even if you did get a flue shot.
WHERE IS BRUGIE
She's fine. Lotta things going on.
I'm here. Thinking about going shopping because I'm suffering from winter boredom. So sick of this gray weather and the view out my windows isn't pretty either. Thanks for your concern Doris. Hope you are feeling much better now. I've got to run through the posts and see if there are updates on your Maya now.
Thanks scooter. Whew a sigh of relief, I always see Brugie's post on here and I missed them, glad everything is OK. sure wish kell was back too.
i was looking for her, too.
shirley, should you check in again, i am wondering if brug seeds can be soaked more than 24 hours. my rockwool delivery got delayed. i can go with the orig plan to start them in small individual pots.
i was going to e-mail you, but perhaps posting this, others will learn, too.
thank you!
annapet
http://aoeu.davesgarden.com/forums/t/482589/ On this thread Sherry talks about soaking her seeds for two days before peeling and then another period of time after peeling with good germination. You might want to look and see how she did hers. I just do what fits my schedule and space. I have way too many planted right now.
Moonglow, the same thing happened to me, whew!! I thought I was up a creek. It did not hurt mine and they were soaked several days, some peeled, some weren't. I wish I had known that you can soak them again, after they are peeled. My batch that I did that way came up better/quicker than the other two batches. Have you tried to peel one?? If not, do it, and, it is fun, I will always peel every seed from now on...and, I've learned that you don't even have to soak them in the cork first, just pick one up and try it, then tell us what you found. BTW, some seeds are empty...
This message was edited Feb 2, 2005 5:55 PM
Actually, I think they are easier to peel dry and then soak because when that cork gets wet, it gets slimy. The little buggers are hard to hang on to then.
that is what I do Brugie peal then soak, plant some in rockwool and some in seed starter, see which is best.
Yep, I no longer soak them before i peel, a wasted step, IMO. And, you are right Brugie, they are slimy and bend, making them more difficult to hang on to and to peel. Tell me this: the last two batches I've started have gotten ZERO sun - as a result, no moisture in their teepees and they seem rather dry, should I give them a little drink in the am?? Some I transplanted cups were really needing water before I got to them. I just don't know about seeds, I don't want to over water - the rockwool is rather dry, waddayathink?? And, if I water them, should i do it from the bottom up???
Maya - I think I got a cutting of one this year but it didn't make it :o(
I'd use a spray bottle and give them enough to wet the top. They are probably still moist down a little ways. I don't think you want to let them dry out, especially if germination has started.
That's what I thought, will spray them in the am with room temp water...thanks!!
thanks for the info. I always soaked first, peeled and planted. From now on will peel then soak and should have better success.
I have forgotten my seed soaking for several days, at least 3, and still had very good germination. I think if the seeds are good to begin with then they can take some abuse.
Hope this helps
Dee
Speaking of abuse, in Dec 04, I peeled a seed, just to see if I could, and dropped the seed and thought I lost it forever, but I found it three weeks later and stuck it in a pot and it sprouted. I don't know who it is, but it sprouted. I was amazed. Yesterday was our first sun in 12 days!!!
I always peel but never soak. I just put them slightly pressed in the wet rockwool. I never sueeze the rockwool out. I just put it in my plastic tupperware, then put in the sink and fill tupperware with warm water.
I then turn it over and drain it but leave the rockwool saturated. I then with clean hands, press each seed in slightly in each hole. Often I add 2 more holes to each cube. I then put it into a clear plastic bag, blow it up and seal it as airtight as I can before I place it as close as I can to the lights.
I get great gemination! It never dries out and I do not open the bag again until it is time to pot up the seedlings into dirt.
I just doing seeds. So rewarding.
That is how I do mine most of the time, sometimes I peal half of them just to see which ones do better, I can't realy see much difference.
Kell, my head will not let me correctly understand your post. Tell me, is this correct?
1. peel seed/don't soak
2. wet rockwool and do not squeeze
3. slightly press seed into the wet rockwool and never squeeze rockwool
4. put in sink, fill tupperware with warm water
5. ?????????do you then turn it over and drain but leave the rockwool saturated?
If that isn't correct, where does #5 go??? Also, what kind of plastic sack do you use and do you use tape to close the sacks??? I've attempted to copy your procedure but can't seem to get it right. I have my seeds, tupperware, etc, sorta like that but my sacks are blown up Hefty bags and they go down, and, when the sun does shine, so much water forms in them that it's like pouring rain. And, of course, I've opened the bags to see if they are sprouting. TIA!!!
I wish I had my pictures accessible. Switch #4 with #3. I pull the size container that fits how many seeds of one kind I am doing. I fill it wilh a block of rockwool. I go to sink and fill it with warm water and leave it long enough so that it penetrates thru rockwool. Then I turn over the plastic container and hold rockwool in so it does not fall out and let water drain out. I turn it back over.
I take a pen or pencil and make more holes in top of rockwool block. I slightly press in my peeled seeds. I take a clear plastic bag ( I order them from a bag company Brugie told me about) and I take to sink and put some water in bag. I turn it over and drain out excess water, shake it a bit. There is some beading of water on the inside of the bag.
I place my tupperware container at the bottom of the bag. I blow in it to puff it up and then I take garden velcro and after I twist bag closed on top, I put the velcro around it tightly. I do not open it again until they are germinated and ready to go into dirt. Usually they are about 2 inches tall. Though if some are shorter, I pot them up also. If all are not germinated, I switch to a smaller container and rebag it in a new bag. I always wash my hands before I start this.
Hope this helps Sherry.
LOL kell., I have never washed my hands as often as I do since I started Brugs, I feel like I am in the operatiung room.
LOL Doris. It is just that a warm wet environment is heaven to some nasty things. Washing your hands lots also keeps you healthier in general!! I wash my hands so much in the hospital. My mother keeps getting infections and I do not want to add any myself. In fact to get an infection, you just need to become a patient. They run rampant in hospitals.
kell you are so right, if you are not terribly sick when you go in you will be in a short time. I just hope your Mom gets to go home soon
Kell, that is WONDERFUL, thank you so very, very much!!!! My next batch will be planted your way, if I can find the bags in time, lol - I already have the garden velcro...I really appreciate you taking the time to do this, knowing that you are exhausted being in a hospital setting, where it's sit and wait, and wait and sit. It's tough duty and you are doing the right thing, which, of course you already know. I hope your mom rallies and will get to a room and maybe home - it could happen!!! It did to my hubby's mom, she was in the hospital then rehab for two months and one week and is doing better now than she has in the last five years...take care of yourself too!
Sherry, Food Storage bags by Glad or Baggie work just fine. I use them a lot because they aren't so big and bulky as the others that Kell mentioned getting.
Brugie, might I find them locally, like at the grocery or Wal-Mart?? I like bags that are not so bulky, but, when I did a google search, I found so many bags, I had no idea which one to select. Thanks!!!!!!
I buy mine in the grocery store where all the bags are. The are probably gallon size.
I'll be at the grocery in the am - have to go anyway, I'll check out the bags, thanks!!!!!!
I think the last ones I bought were about 15 inches by 12 inches. I use them for cuttings also if I decide to bag them to root. When I do not need them so tall, I just use the velcro low and then cut the top off. I am on my second case of them. This lot, I got bigger ones so bigger cuttings would fit in them.
I was thinking last summer when you add up all the special things you buy to make it easier to grow these in huge numbers, it does get expensive.
Yes, Kell it does get expensive, but I'm thinking that this year it won't be nearly as expensive as 2004, unless we have a alien bug infection or a locust blight, I believe I have enough products for any and all occasions, whew!!! This year, I'll be working on slug elimination before i pot a single brug!!!
This message was edited Feb 8, 2005 11:58 AM
I wonder if Tanglefoot would work on slugs? Anyone know? I've used it to keep ants from climbing the pole and getting to my hummingbird feeders and I used it around the fence posts that my bluebird houses are on to keep the snakes from crawling the posts.
I'm starting with the Safer brand slug stuff. Tanglefoot is a brand I haven't seen around here.
Lowes has greatly improved their gardening supplies - it was about time, but they still don't carry a fertilizer with numbers I like...maybe it just hasn't come in yet, I hope!
Tanglefoot is stuff you paint on and when something tries to crawl over it, it becomes glued to the spot it came into contact with the Tanglefoot. It is some nasty stuff to get on your hands, but comes off with vegetable oil.
thanks Brugie i must remember that this summer, I am always having ants in my hummer feeders, I tried putting oil on the post but it dried out too fast
Brugie you are so right about the Tangelfoot being sticky and messy. And it works really does work well - lasting for most of the season here. But cleaning it off my hooks and poles was a real pain. Because I'm always looking for less work (lol) I cut a strip of plastic and wrapped it around the hook and pole first and then applied the Tangelfoot directly onto this plastic strip.... it sure made cleaning up much easier.