We're thinking of growing 2,000 tomato/cucumber/courgette/salad seedlings and giving them away or asking for a donation. Has anyone tried this? Our main question is what was the best way to distribute them? Any other tips and lessons learned along the way also very welcome. Thanks, Michael
Transition Towns Forum » TransitionGroup: Food
Growing and giving away veg seedlings
(7 posts)-
Posted 6 months ago #
-
Intriguing idea! As a keen veggie gardener I couldn't resist answering this. I suppose I grow about 2000 seedlings myself a year - more rather than less perhaps.
From a practical point of view I ask - 'what are you going to grow them in?'. I grow everything in modules (plastic but re-usable) - either modules of 20 per half seed tray, or 12. Has anyone got a more 'green' solution? Given a good crop I find that a household generally only needs about 3 courgette plants.
Secondly I wonder how you are going to deal with the timing - tomatoes, cucumbers being frost tender, whereas salads liking it cool. Currently at the beginning of Feb in N Devon I have broad beans, spinach and salads in modules with a very few tomatoes being VERY carefully looked after. How much space have you got and do you have a variety of growing environments?
Keep us in touch with how you get on - and good luck!Posted 6 months ago # -
Perhaps rather than try to distribute them all yourself you could get a growing network together where a group of people buy and grow different plants and then gets together at a big plant swap? Much easier than trying to distribute so many yourself.
Posted 6 months ago # -
DaveDann -
The greenest solution I know of to growing starts is to use a soil block maker (SBM) -- that means no pot at all. The SBM takes moist soil and makes a compact block with a divot in the top for the seed. We use capillary mats under the blocks, so one just needs to keep the mat well watered, which can be "automated" by keeping it in contact with a water reservoir.
Here's a good intro to soil blocks: http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/2008/02/27/soil-blocks/
Posted 6 months ago # -
Unfortunate that this link about soil blocks appears to suggest the use of peat. I wouldn't consider that green. But perhaps there's a good alternative?
Posted 6 months ago # -
JudithN
Thanks for the link, lovely site. I've bookmarked it. I've tried this sort of thing before but found that getting the mixture consistently right is difficult. The time factor in making the blocks is signficant as well. Also I wouldn't like to move soil blocks around.
Must try some capillary matting though. Automatic watering must be a priority this year.
Thanks again.Posted 6 months ago # -
Just to say, DaveDann (and others), that we used soil blocks last year, albeit at a much smaller scale than you and found it easy to do. We managed to get the right moisture level in the seedling mix so the blocks held together beautifully. And once the seedling's root system fills the block, it's no problem. Also, since the blocks never dried out (thanks to the mats), they never got crumbly. The only likely thing that would do them in, IMO, is powerful overhead watering or cats walking on them. :-)
BTW, HarrietSJ, there are alternatives to peat that provide the same functionality in retaining moisture.
Posted 6 months ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.