I AM SOWING MY FIRST SEEDS apart from onions about now—Brussels sprouts and broccoli right this moment, with tomato-sowing time simply forward right here at mid-month—with a comforting, luscious copy of Ken Druse’s 2012 paperback version of “Making Extra Vegetation” by my aspect. I’m sharing a few of Ken’s recommendation on stopping that the majority dreaded of seed-starting mishaps: the fungal killer known as damping off.
Like all of Ken’s 18 books (!!!), “Making Extra Vegetation: The Science, Artwork and Pleasure of Propagation” is wealthy in instruction, but in addition visually arresting, since he’s an award-winning photographer, too. It covers the botany of propagation—the why’s behind how one can make extra vegetation of a selected species sexually or asexually or each—as a result of as Ken says:
“It’s not important to find out about botany to backyard nicely; it’s inevitable.”
Then in phrases and intimate photos he covers just about each tactic for doing so, from seed-sowing to leaf and root cuttings, to layering, grafting, division and extra. The pictures are so stunning, and Ken’s apparent enthusiasm so evident on each web page, that I need to attempt the whole lot. (Simply what I would like: extra vegetation!)
However making an attempt to be well timed and topical, I requested Ken for his hottest seed-starting tip—which he mentioned with out hesitation was methods to forestall damping off. It’s all within the poultry grit, you see:
how ken druse prevents damping off
(By Ken Druse)
A LOT OF PEOPLE have bother with damping off, the fungal ailments that assault seedlings. I don’t use doubtlessly poisonous fungicide. As a substitute (like alpine plant folks do), I fill pots to the brim with sowing medium (recipe under), tamp that down, sow and sprinkle on somewhat extra medium to cowl the seeds adopted by a skinny layer of superb hen grit or very coarse sand.
Flaked granite hen grit (“starter” is the best grade for small seeds) is on the market in any respect agricultural provide shops. It’s cheap however is available in massive and heavy baggage. Maybe you will get some buddies to share the lifetime provide you’ll get for about ten bucks, but it surely may also be used as a potting soil modification for bettering drainage. (I used to have the ability to substitute parakeet gravel, however currently the product appears to have modified and is not merely very coarse sand.)
Filling the pots to the brim reduces the realm the place air is perhaps trapped together with pathogens. The inert grit is an inhospitable materials for fungal development.
I sow most seeds in very clear, 3.5-inch sq. pots, from 6 to 60 seeds or extra, relying on their measurement. Fewer seeds if large (squash, as an example), extra if small (flowering tobacco). Cowl the seeds to a depth equal to their thickness (Nicotiana and seeds that want gentle to germinate get no further medium).
Recipe: The medium could be a store-bought, peat-based sowing preparation with the addition of grit or perlite to “open it up” a bit–enhance the drainage–since common sowing media are inclined to get waterlogged. The medium could be round 20% grit or perlite.“I often use sifted coir (coconut hull fiber– accessible as compressed blocks from mail-order backyard suppliers and higher backyard facilities) and perlite, or sifted compost with perlite. I place compost or any questionably clear seed-sowing medium in a store-bought roasting bag in a microwave-safe pan and zap it for about 10 minutes on full energy till an instant-read thermometer plunged into the middle registers round 160 levels F.
Watch out opening the bag in case there is perhaps a cloud of steam.
After sowing, I water the seeds from the underside by inserting their pots in a shallow pan of water till the grit on high adjustments shade–from white to grey. The pots might not want watering once more till after they’re up and rising.
the place to search out ken and his books
methods to win ‘making extra vegetation’
I do know–a few of you’re shy (or aren’t sowing something!) so in these instances simply say, “Rely me in!” and also you’ll be entered for the random drawing. My reply: In addition to the Brussels sprouts I discussed, I’m going to offer broccoli one other do this yr–these can be amongst my first indoors sowings.
I’ll choose a winner after entries shut at midnight Sunday, April 8, 2012. Good luck to all–with the competition, and with this yr’s seed-sowing adventures.
(Pictures courtesy of Ken Druse, from “Making Extra Vegetation.”)