http://www.durgan.org/URL/?VYKOC 28 February 2009 Tomato Seed Germination Plastic biodegradable cups used, and drain holes made. Coffee filter to contain soil and roots to assist in transplanting. Toilet filter used to keep moisture near seed to enhance germination. Clear plastic bag to contain humidity. This means the seeds need no care until germination, when the bags will be opened. Any loose soil and water is contained by the bags, making a neat and clean plant area.
You are all right, reusing whatever we have to pot our seedlings, is appropriate for any green gardener. I wish to apologise to all or any of you whom I may have offended, this was not my intention. K R Baron :(
this is one persons technique - being shared so that others may learn and experience the same success rate this person does with this particular procedure as well as provide food for thought as to what other items can be used to obtain positive results for germination. this person posted information on a forum - which, by definition, is a place to discuss ideas. not everyone has the same way of doing things and some differ very much with their basic ideals. all the better on a forum because it's a place to DISCUSS such differences. it's not appropriate to disparage someone for the way they do something, nor is it appropriate to admonish the forum for not 'promoting' something or other. it's not the forums duty or responsibility to do such...the purpose of the forum is to be an avenue for discussion and learning. if you want to promote a different manner of doing something, then please do so - with as much detail as durgan provided so that we may all learn of another way to accomplish the goal of successfully germinating tomato seeds as well as other types of seeds. as for sites that promote ecologically friendly gardening techniques and green gardening, there are plenty of sites and/or forums that do such. i suggest a google search to find them.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?VYKOC 28 February 2009 Tomato Seed Germination 28 February 2009 Tomato Seed Germination Now very carefully study picture one of the series. Those cups ar biodegradable. Green is a pipe-dream. It makes people feels good and accomplishes nothing.
I would say that the shame is on you, for not noticing that the pots are compostable and environmentally sustainable. There are a lot worse products out there that Durgan could be using. Ever heard the saying "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say it at all."
Pretty mean stuff going on here. What's the up side? Come on K, you know what you should do. Doit! Bob
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?PBDEP 5 March 1009 Tomatoes Germinated in 5 days. The plastic bags are turned back and now the seedlings are exposed to maximum light. During the day the containers will be placed in the greenhouse if the temperature is above 20 degrees C.
The plastic is all re-usable or recyclable... Durgan can keep them for next year and re-use them. What energy and resources may be used producing one-time-use alternatives that are considered environmentally friendly? Quite the conundrum..
I really like the coffee filter inside the pot idea. This saves a ton time rinsing and scrubbing pots. May I suggest some alternatives to a whole lot of plastic bags? Why not cover each cup with a square of newsprint or craft paper? Tomato seeds need darkness to germinate, so the extra dark could enhance germination. As each pot germinates, remove the paper and let the seedling get some air circulation to avoid the damping off. If the paper covers don't retain soil moisture as well as plastic, you could use squares of cotton fabric (old T-shirts maybe) and spray them daily to keep them moist. Or you could put the cups in a re-usable tray with a clear dome lid. These can last for years if they're used gently. Re: biodegradable cups. There is doubt about the bio-degradability of anything that ends up in a landfill. If you can't home-compost your cups, you could try using recycled single-serving yogurt cups. The local cafeteria or day care center often has scads of these that they don't mind collecting for you. It's really easy to make holes, too. Just get a steak knife and make two or three "pokes" in the bottom. I've got yogurt cups that are on their third season of use. They last far longer than the flimsy cell-packs that greenhouses use, and they're fairly resistant to cracking in the sunlight, unlike the green hard plastic garden-center pots. They can be scrubbed and sterilized. If they start to crack you can cut the sides into lengthwise strips and use them for plant markers.
Nice looking little seedlings, Durgan. I was surprised that you covered the seeds with a small piece of paper, I would have thought that that would have hindered the seeds ability to break through, obviously not. The paper must break down substantially in the few days that it is in contact with the unsprouted seed. Hope mine look as good when they finally come up - growing Manitoba and a variety of Roma this year. Anne
I planted my first set of Tomato seeds yesterday. As it is early for me to plant tomatoes, I only planted one of each variety. I will plant the rest in a month. Here is a picture
Cute. I have used that method in the past. Those peat bundles can dry out very quickly, so I use to put them in a large container surrounded by earth in an attempt to keep the moisture longer.
I find they work well for Tomatoes, but as you said you have to watch that they don't dry out. I find the biggest problem, with Jiffy Pots, is trying identify the varieties. This year I decided to try coloured push pins. I hope they don't fall out. :)
I wish to apologise to all of you on this forum and those that I have offended. My take on being green was offensive and this was truly not my intention. I feel that I have misused my privilege on this forum. I will endeavour to put the interests of all others first before I interject with my own take or point of view that may be contrary to others. Shame on me. :( KRB
Quit grovelling. I happen to think Green is a pipe dream, but I started my life off Green, and it meant a lot of physical work. Good or Bad, I don't know.
