This is how the the seedling's roots should look
getting ready for the test in seed starting
i'm absolutely with you bob. i didn't realize what the consequences would be when i gave your kit to janice.
when i get it i will be able to better cmpare the two systems and i appreciate your doing this for me.
frank
That's great Frank. D-mail your address again so I can get it out to you
Bob
Frank and I have had this same discussion. I feel that the ONLY real way to honestly and accurately test the system is to test all 3 systems in the exact same fashion. Here's what I propose for my experiment(s):
Experiment A:
There are 18 slots in the Park's sponge seed starting system. For an accurate test, I will do 3-sets of 6 each - one with the sponges, one with the coir/baskets, and one with Jiffy Seed Starter, using the exact same seeds in each, then potting up exactly as they are seeded. (The coir into coir, the sponges into MG potting soil (as I've always done), and the Jiffy into Jiffy.)
Experiment B:
I will then use BB's system. There are 50 slots, for which I received 25 buckets from Frank (less the 6 being used for Plan A), which leaves 19 buckets. After using 6 sponges for Plan A, there will be 12 sponges remaining. BB's system has 10 rows of 5 cells each, so to make an accurate test, I will do 2 rows each of the 3 systems as indicated in Plan A. That will therefore include 3-sets of 10 cells each. Again, I will use the exact same seeds for the 3 trial groups, potting up into the same medium.
In a perfect world, I would then plant out into containers using different mediums. (For example - of the 6-6-6 from Plan A, 2 of each would go into Miracle Grow, 2 of each would go into a home made growing medium, and 2 of each would go into coir.) I am not sure, however, if I will be able to easily find enough coir to test this end of the trial, so I may only be testing the seed-starting systems, not the ultimate growing potential of coir vs MG or a home mix.
I do think this will be a fair and accurate test of the seed starting systems being analized, though, and I hope I've explained my thought-process clearly enough to indicate what I'm doing! When I am ready to start my tomatoes, I will start a separate thread.
did you know that sequee used to be a NASA engineer. LOL she is putting my testto shame but have no fear. when it comes time to do my tomatoes i will do a bang up job using the sponges from park, the buckets and coir from bob and my store bought seed starting formula.
I'm sure you will. And as we discussed in your thread, I think the tomatoes are a better test anyway since they are far more stable/dependable/predictable than those pesky old HOT PEPPERS!
Can you believe we will actually be starting those puppies reeeeeeal soon?!?
I am starting my peppers and eggplant next weekend, around the 15th. We can put them out here around May 1-15th so I figure that will give them 60 days in the greenhouse. I didn't have much success with my g'house last year it was my first year with one. But I think I have mastered it, everything is doing great except I got too ambitious and impatient and started tomatoes and cukes way too early, they are getting huge!
oh yeah, tomatoes growing on the vine. sounds wonderful. i hope the snow melts by then. LOL
here is a pictujre of the ultra hot peppers that i grew using the 3 different methods. boca bob's, my own store bought pottingsoil and parks sponges.
to me, the winner hands down was boca bob. although i did not use his black buckets in the way he intended them to be used (i did not have the entire seed starting kit) his coir clearly was the best growing medium. after filling the buckets with the coir i placed them into a tray of water and the coir just absorbed what it needed. i had them under lights since the getgo and they stayed moist for over two weeks without adding more water.
my store bought soil was o.k. but i'm sure all of you know how you have to moisten them every other day or so. the parks sponges did well also but because of the size i ordered they did not repot well.
in the picture below you can tell which is the coir by the nice dark color of the soil in the first 3 of the back row,
the first one on the left in the middle row, andthe first 2 on the left in the front row. you can tell the sponges byu the circle shape in the second, third and fourth from the left in he middle row. the others are my store bought mix.
next month when i plant my tomatoes i will be using the entire boca bob system again the parks and that would be a better test.
Wow, those peppers look wonderful!
I tried starting some when it was cooler in my backroom greenhouse and they all just rotted and didn't come up but one.
I got a couple of Bob's seed starting trays and, granted, it is warmer now, but I replanted my peppers and they are up and growing in a matter of a few days! I had just about given up on pepper growing this year.
Has anyone else noticed how pretty the sprouts and plants look against the coconut coir's rich, brown and uniform texture? I think they are just beautiful when growing in the coir.
Yeah, Pugzley, I gambled and direct seeded a bunch of flower seed way too early. Last week we had four days of solid rain and 35 to 45 degree days and nights. I dont know the final results yet but it ain't looking good. Time to replant looks like.
That's a lot of rain, Jaywhacker. I hope they pull through.
Here are my results so far with BocaBobs Seed Planting Kit! So good that I am not going to re-pot them but put them directly into my EBs. I've never had such healthy pepper seedlings even with Parks system so I advise you Herbie to save your money and go with BB's. All I've done was water every three days and once every ten days useing the Miracle Gro Tomato water soluable at a quarter teaspoon per gallon.
If that darn construction inspector would only get here to approve everything which a lot of the construction is involved my growing area so I can get started?
Tplant, those plants are just beautiful! I'm glad you posted what you did, mine are going to get the same treatment. And I want to transplant directly to the growbags with transplanting, too.
Here's a pic of my baby peppers in Bob's seed sprouting trays. They sprouted on 3/13/09.
There's also some Stevia herb in there, if you think peppers grow slow... stevia is the tortise of all the plants I've sprouted this year. LOL
Oh, and I had 100 percent germination, too. I never expected that!
This message was edited Mar 19, 2009 2:56 PM
tplant - they look terrific.
Tplant and Pugzley,
All I can say is WOW !!!!!!
I'll tell you if that inspector doesn't show up soon , I'm going to have indoor peppers!
GOT THE OK TODAY! THE GARDEN IS ALL MINE! WILL START TOMORROW.... AY LAST!!!!
You know, these baby peppers look nortoriously like baby tomatoes... LOL! NO MORE TOMS!
Good for you Tplant! I can imagine all that waiting was pure torture for you.
Congrats Tplant!!!!
Tami :)
Pictures please
No can do today! RAIN AND MORE RAIN! Oh well! Starting to get used to the delays as I watered my peeper seedlings today so they'll be prepared for tomorrow.
get gardening
My firstb3 tomato seeds have germinted - 2 ala b_b and one on PS. We shall see what develops from here...
will be starting my tomato seeds today or tomorrow.
Go b_b !!!
Ok, here's a photo of the first experiment, taken on 3/12 when I planted my second set of tomato seeds.
Ther are 3 sets of seeds - the first in coir and b_b's baskets, the second in Park's jumbo sponges and the last set in potting soil. The 6 varieties are:
Amazon Chocolate - 1 up 3/22 Sponge
Black Sea Man - 1 up 3/22 Sponge
Chocolate Cherry
German Red Strawberry
Johnny's 361 - 1 up 3/22 b_b's
Sandwich Steak 1st up on 3/21 in PS, 2nd up b_b's 3/22
The second set up is in boca bob's kit...
This set up has 16 varieties if tomatoes, but only 12 that compare all 3 mediums. The rest are just comapring the buckets of coir vs potting soil. There are also 4 cells with Chicken Heat Peppers ans 2 with eggplant.
These seeds were sown on 3/14, with the first up on 3/21 being a Cherokee Green and a Cerise Orange - both in b_b's, very quickly followed on 3/22 by 3 in potting soil - Cerise Orange, Cherokee Green, and Zapotec, and 1 sponge Orange Pixie.
So, after the first full week, with 11 germinated, there are 3 in sponges, 4 in coir, and 4 in potting soil.
Sequee
I am looking for something to rooting coleus cuttings in. Most of the doomed seed starting kits are not tall enough for cuttings.
How tall is doom on your second set up, boca bob's kit? It look like it would handle cuttings up to several inches tall.
Thanks,
Jerry
It's about 7" tall/ Unnecesarily tall for the tomatoes and peppers, if I was making it, I think I would half it. It would still be tall enough for seedling and short marker, but not so tall as to be cumbersome like this one is. With the lid on, it will not fir on a standard gh shelf if it has a 2" long growlite installed on it.
Sequee, I have come to the same conclusion about the high dome. Unnecessary. I now include a shallow dome, and have reduced the price. The 7 " one is available if one wants it.
BocaBob
I had heard that you were making the smaller dome now, did not know that you still carry the larger one. I'm glad to hear that as there are certainly uses for it.
The picure here shows how difficult it is to find a spot for it when "domed"!
i also started my test with boca bobs method and the park sponges. i used 6 buckets from bob and 6 sponges. i used 2 red penna seeds in both, one each of sandul moldovan, one each of eva purple ball and one each of orange strawberry. now i will wait and see what happens. i also started a big bunch of sun gold tomato seeds in my store bought seed starting formula placed inide my 2 inch containers.
i always forget to add the picture but here it is
and here is bobs
just wantedto show you how well my peppers are dong now. i must say that the biggest plants are all in the coir from boca bob's.
Where's the pic?
Poor Frank is attachment challenged!
I also want to know how 2+1+1+1 equals 6!