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Originally Posted by Michaelangelica
What a great idea! I usually almost fill a pot with potting mix then put a layer (handful) of vermiculite on this, then the seeds, then another handful of vermiculite. This sandwiches the seeds in a moist, sterile miix . This is especially good for organic seeds that don't have a coating of fungicide or pesticide.
I have good success except when i forget to water (I use a little pump sprayer recycled from the Kitchen cleaner) Lately I have not been well, so lost a lot of spring seeds as a result of not keeping the vermiculite wet. After abit of promising rain it has gone dry here again. (71% of NSW drought declared)
Your method sounds worth a try, and abit more foolproof if you can't or forget to keep the vermiculite moist. Can I have it?
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Go right ahead.
I am not the first one to originate it, but I have tested a couple variants on this basic idea of a humidity chamber over the last couple years. I like its hands-off approach to gardening and its self-regulating nature. When you do it right, almost any seeds can be grown quickly and without too much trouble.
What are important factors though are a level of cleanliness (not absolute sterility, but relatively clean is important) and not too little or too much moisture (because too much moisture will bring on fungus, bad bacteria, and kill the seeds quick). A nice balance of temperature (20-30 C, depending on type of seeds), moisture (just a few drops condensing on the sides of container and soil/pebbles are damp, but not fully wet), and light can speed it up. I find they don't do too well in dark. Soft light seems the best for most of them, and encourages them to come up more compact, well-formed, and robust, light to dark green, and ready to grow in tougher conditions. In the dark, they'll come up spindly and yellowish...and don't make the adjustment to full or strong light and drier conditions as well.
Another commercial variant of this idea can be found in the plastic baskets & containers which I used as a child to grow daikon radish sprouts cleanly and safely for salads. We ordered these for sale from Japan at my parents' grocery store but people here never purchased them...so we took them home to use. I don't know if I can find a picture for this (or I can take one later of my old ones), but here's the general idea. A clear plastic container is filled with tap water. On top of this, you can put a white plastic basket with tiny holes in it which allow water to seep upward and into contact with the daikon seeds. The holes are small enough that the seeds won't fall through. You add just enough water so that the seeds will always remain partly wet and exposed to air. This can be put on the windowsill and exposed to light. Seeds should sprout a few days later and will try to send their roots down into the water while they grow upright. (When they reach desired size, then you pluck them out and eat them in your salads.) This could be modified easily by putting a plastic or glass top on of some sort, to help speed germination. Water should be changed every couple days to keep your seeds and container clean. You can also put paper towels, tissue paper, or thin fleecy cotton on top of the holes of the basket to get a "wicker effect" and provide bedding for the seeds to sprout on.
Wash hands with soap and hot water before any germination projects to keep it clean and promising for your little babies.
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You do have to be careful with charcoal. Too much will make the soil alkaline
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It's been a while since I've read papers on terra preta, but I remember that the addition of charcoal to soil, even in large amounts, pushed the pH to around 7.5-8.0. Most plants seem to be all right with this. If needed, pH can be controlled by introducing more compost and organic matter. Things like coffee grounds are pretty good to bring down the pH of the soil a notch or two, because of their high content of complex organic acids (things like tannic acids). For really acid-loving plants like blueberries or cranberries, I would definitely make an effort to keep the soil well-supplied with acidic items like coffee grounds, diluted vinegar (acetic acid), or pine needles and bark.
Another thing to do to keep the soil from becoming too acidic or basic is to keep it aerated and porous. If there is not enough aeration in the soil, it will promote the growth of anaerobic organisms, which often create a lot of anaerobic decay, fermentation, and acidity, that can harm or kill the plant's roots. If there is enough air and water getting to the roots and aerobic microbes living down there, they should create an environment that is nice for the plant and its little friends.
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Re Washed river sand as an alternative in potting mixes.
Isn't this doing just as much environmental damage ripping out sand from rivers? It would be also more expensive to ship as coir and peat can be compressed into bricks.
Also much coir is made in by poor pacific nations who make an income from the coir (from coconuts). Personally i have found it OK in potting mixes or as a mulch but not so hot when making cuttings.
I do mis my "environmentally unfriendly" peat. By adding a handful to a standard, cheap potting mix you can quickly and easily change the pH and water holding capacity of the mix. You can go from potting camellia to potting lavenders in a blink by using ,or not using, the peat.
I have yet to test the pH of coir- Does anyone know what pH it is?
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I actually suggest collecting pebbles or little rocks from your garden or local area, washing them with soap and water, then using them. I think about pea-sized is ideal. Now, you might say this is harming the local environment, but I think it's still better than digging up rocks or sands from a riverbed or so.
I haven't used coir, but I have heard that it does not perform as well as standard peat in potting mixes or for growing seedlings and plants in general. It's possible that coir, coming from the cononut husk/shell, may have complex organic acids (phenols, tannins, etc.) in it, in addition to its major composition of cellulose and lignin, that would bind to and inactivate nutrients present in the rest of the mix, water, or fertilizer. If it does have complex organic acids in it, it would make the pH of coir slightly acidic.
Coffee grounds are known to have a high concentration of organic acids in them, have a high surface area and large amount of porosity, and so they take a while to break down (tannins, etc. are rather toxic to microbes and fungi) and also act as excellent "filters" or "sponges" to suck up minerals, organic molecules, etc. I use this ability in my potting mixes to suck up extra nutrients from added fertilizer and seaweed, with the hope that the coffee grounds and charcoal will help release them as time-controlled fertilizers, especially as the coffee breaks down and becomes a fertilizer itself. Since I produce a lot of spent coffee grounds all the time, this is the best way I've found of "disposing" of them to my benefit.
If I overproduce coffee grounds, I also leave them to be chowed on by fungi in a closed terrarium and enrich the terra preta there as it decomposes. Keep away from kids, prying pets, or easily offended wives/mothers. I currently have a pile being dismantled by my little fungi helpers in a terrarium. It is sealed, so that fungal spores will not leak out and become a health hazard, and decomposition will take place rapidly and safely. I much prefer this to dumping them in the garbage, where they will end up in some landfill.
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Having said that, it doesn't hurt to stop occasionally and ask why you do use something. Is it environmentally friendly and is there a better alternative?
Thanks to maikeru's practical suggestion I now have a new way of germinating seeds.
PS maikeru If you want good germination of Australian natives use "smoky water." Water that you have blown lots of smoke through!!
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Er, I hope I won't have to shoot myself to save the Earth, but I hope that finding better and more efficient ways to live and hurt the Earth less will make the place a little cleaner and greener.
I will also try the smoky water idea. Utah has a lot of desert and mountains, and I think many of the native plant species here rely on fire to help germinate their seeds or at least prepare the soil and clear an area of competing vegetation. We have a lot more forest fires and wild fires than we should, because the ecology and forest ecosystems are out of whack here in the American West. We also are in a drought. If I ever visit Australia, I think I'll find the deserts remind me of home.
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Teach a Wall Street banker how to build a fire and he'll be warm for the night. Set a Wall Street banker on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
Logic
The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding.
--Ambrose Bierce,
The Devil's Dictionary
Re: Why do gardeners use products such has perlite and vermiculite
