took some diggin... but i found the link.... not sure if it is still being offered though
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=5884999
Gardening: Cottage Garden Seed Swap & Chat #27
Nada The worms must be on strike No free poop But Thank you for looking
~Tubby
I was typing while you where posting I'm off to look
Oh poop offer expired Thanks again
This message was edited Feb 1, 2009 12:58 PM
This message was edited Feb 1, 2009 1:04 PM
Does anyone sprinkle vermiculite over the top of seeds? I am wondering if it helps keep the top from drying out - or does it make it worse? I am asking because I am hesitant to do it since I haven't had any problems without it. I might just save it for giving cuttings a- go again this season. I haven't had any luck with cuttings yet.
I've found what works for me for pretty much any seeds.
I have a mop bucket I got at the dollar store, designated to my seed starting. I use it to premoisten my pro-mix and it does double duty, because I use it to dump excess water from the trays into, when watering all my seedlings. I haven't tried making my own mix because I haven't had any problems with it. On the bag it says it has a special formula to help evenly absorb water and I've found this to be true. I think the trick to stuff not drying out is making sure it has a perfect moisture ratio before filling seed starting containers.
I like my seeds quite damp when first sown, I think it is similar to soaking them this way. I think that's why watering them and leaving them without a dome on them overnight works so well. It gives them that extra bit of moisture they need to get them to wake up. Kind of lke a good rain does in nature.
It's six dry quarts.
I don't use vermiculite Meredith, but am thinking about it if I change mixes this year.
6 quarts -- wow, that's a lot of (free) worm poop! :-)
best thing I've found for keeping even moisture around my seedlings is to add polymer moisture crystals -- no more than recommended, or the seedlings will heave around when the crystals swell. I have some finer crystals that I like which are no longer available.. when I run out of those, I'll just zip some medium ones around for a few seconds in my coffee grinder (just like "making" superfine sugar).
is anyone else getting ansy for spring???
OMG ME ME
OH heck... i can not wait!! we are above freezing 2 days in a row now.... then cold again, but it's forecasted late next week almost 40!! woohoo... heat wave.
and the best part... dont think we've had any new snow in a week now.
Same here
We've had atrocious weather this winter. More sub-zero temps and more snow than we've had in a long time. And today the sun is shining so brightly and the snow is melting and I think I should be outside planting. LOL.
Yes. I have spring fever BAD.
They can't help being spoiled LOL
Sunny Sorry to here about the drought It would be nice if could just share like good little kids
AND I credit her for saving my life when I SICK (cancer) Also my DM & DMIL
~Tubby
This message was edited Feb 1, 2009 4:11 PM
Welllllllllll, I think I'n finally done with WSing. 140 containers! 16 have sprouted so far. Here's the pic I promised...
Lol, I have some of my first WS containers that have heaving soil from the unexpectedly huge size of the moisture crystals. Will be interesting to see if this causes problems with germination.
I didn't want to use my coffee grinder, for fear I wouldn't be able to clean under the blade properly, so this last time I soaked the crystals first, and then put the big soft ones in the food processor. That seemed to do em nice and fine, (and I can remove the blade on it to clean).
55 containers and counting... about done though.
>>able to clean under the blade properly,
I always use the air compressor.
food processor with the wet crystals sounds like a great idea.
Only have a moment here. Wishing you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY PYROMOMMA! May all your seeds sprout and give you a bountiful harvest!
Walk In Beauty!
SW
Oh my Singing Wolf, what is the name of that lovely flower that you posted?
Did you save seed?
Maxine
Ya ll think it bad out ther ein the snow and cold?
Well maybe this will cheer ya up a touch. Synda poste dit yesterday and just had to have her post it in wildlife forum so ya all could see, this up by my hometown.
No who ready to wintersow. ho-hoho
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/948384/
Ugh! I just had my first germinating mishap when I dropped a tray of 2 day old torenia. Do you realize how small torenia is at 2 days? In case you don't let me give you a visual. Picture a green pinhead and you've got a pretty good grasp. LOL But oh yes I did scoop up all the dirt and sift through it to save as many as possible. I have no idea if any of them will live, but I transplanted about 40 of those little green pins.
Oh no!!!!!!!! don't ya just hate that. I have doen the same thing, just scoop up the dirt , spread out thin and hope they come back.
Lala, do you still have seeds in case you need to try again? if not, LMK if your little guys don't make it, and I'll drop a pinch in the mail.
That's what I did Star. I 'planted' those that I could find and just put the rest of the dirt back on the mat to see what would happen.
Critter I don't have any of that particular seed (Clown Blue) but I think I still have another blue one and I'm guessing there's not much difference. Thank you for the offer though!
Oh dear Lala! Knock wood - I've not had that happen to me yet. NEARLY a couple times, and it sure does get your attention! Now every time i go to move a tray I stop and make sure I'm not about to outsmart myself. I hope your bouncing babies do OK!
I'm afraid no seeds, Maxine. That beautiful plant is my brothers' and is some kind of Heather. Unfortunately, while gorgeous, they just don't survive in my climate. They might like yours though. : )
I believe my brother just bought it, because it just showed up one day last week. I'd check out the Heather family and see if they have something you could grow. I do know they need a lot more water than we have, and they don't survive our summers' dry heat. The last ones I had didn't make it past May. : (
Hope that helps.
WIB,
SW
Heathers are beautiful - at least the kinds that I'm thinking of. There's another plant called 'Mexican Heather' that isn't hardy up in Z5 either, but still a wonderful little plant.
Singing Wolf,
why oh why can't we just grow what we want to see , We all want them all , think we are all just craving flowers . They pop up and then they go and worry are they gonna come back and they always do my great grandaughter can spot a flower to pick all the time , she is 3 she is getting pots to watch at home and hope the parents can say hold on Kenny then you can pick. she love's picking flowers for everyone. Just got to find bloom's all year.
Hope your doing well,
Carolyn
2 degrees ..but warming up this weekend can't wait
we are at 5° on our way to 18° ... but same as tubby -- we are expecting warmer weather this weekend.... 40's i think, if we are lucky... just hopefully enough to melt some snow.
We're waiting for the latest round of snow to stop so we can go out and shovel...it's all of 21* here right now. I do so hope it gets warmer this weekend as we've got to drive up to Coldwater Michigan to pick up our new dog, and I don't want to have to deal with blowing snow.....am I whining?? I need more tea!
Hmm, I'm considering a flight through Detroit later this week... wonder how dumb that is?
Tea fixes everything...
Temperatures are 30 degrees at 12:30 pm. Snowing now. But it could be as high as 50 degrees by Sunday!
Tea does fix everything!! Cheers!
Just what are you girls putting in the TEA
LOL.. Tubby, I'll take yoru two degrees to add to my temps. It only two. This way ya cna start out at zero a nice fresh clean slate. LOL
They change dmy temps, gonan be in teens tonight and singe didgets tommorrow be lucky to be 8F tomorrow night and teens the next noight and then hopefully back up for the weekend. Everythign gonan get bit fo rthe second time.
This why it so hard to witner sow in the south. This is Alabama, almost to florida and freeizng here. Ya put the seeds out and ya get just enough rain and warmth to germinat ethem then zap ya way below freezign and the tiny little guys shiver , freeze and become compost. Gets frustrating soem times.
Star as they say that SUCKS !!!!
We are finally getting a nice snowfall. It looks beautiful. The kind that sticks to all the branches. It is very mild here. We somehow miss the line of snow that goes through northern NJ and hits New England. We usually get the sleet or rain part of the storm. It's nice to finally see the snow part :-) It's only a few inches but it feels like winter. I'm actually bordering on a zone 7. I usually can't wintersow until Feb because Jan can get warm sometimes with flukey weather. Now that Feb is here, I've been cutting my milk jugs and sorting my seeds. Woo Hoo! Gosh, I'm going to have to get everyone to drink more milk and soda this month! I've been doubling up and putting 2 different cultivers in each milk jug or similar type plants. I can't believe how many I have to do this year. My eyes were bigger than my jugs! LOL!
Hmm, was wondering about that. At what point is it too cold for WS seedlings? I've got almost all my poppies up now, and a few others. Nothing too cold in the forcast yet.. but there will be before spring I bet.
Got my Poop today!! WOW huge bag... I woulda been happy with half of that for free!! woohoo.... bring on Spring!
DH was laughing when i said... Oh YAY... got my worm poop!!
Hahahhahahahaha ya all are crazy. hehehehhehehe
Ya knwo we really need to get lives. We gettign pretty pathetic when the bestest gifts we get are worm poop and cow manure and a new shovel. hahahahhahahahahaha
I can't stop laughing. : )
Oh but Ella... it's the lil things in life!! heck, and the FREE things in life.