BarG 2013 grow log; Texas, Brazos Valley

[BarG]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

What grow medium problems were you having and how did you solve them?

The miracle grow potting mix was staying soaked and settling too much so I started cutting it with peat and packing it into trays. About 50-50 mix packed a bit seemed to maintain a good wicking without the saturation and settling.

 

[indianjoe]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

BarG,
that mix is usually what I always use and once wet, it wicks great.

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

I'm using miracle Grow in my regular trays I seeded today.. I'll have to watch that. BigB sent special dirt with the float trays that I already transferred sprouts to. Once I got my lighting figured out, they're doing great.

 

[Boboro]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

I'm using miracle Grow in my regular trays I seeded today.. I'll have to watch that. BigB sent special dirt with the float trays that I already transferred sprouts to. Once I got my lighting figured out, they're doing great.

Id get rid of them plastic covers on them floressat bulbs they dont put out heat. my lizzard sleeps on them.

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

Id get rid of them plastic covers on them floressat bulbs they dont put out heat. my lizzard sleeps on them.

I took them off mine as soon as I got them out of that crazy plastic package. Whoever came up with that "clam shell packaging" should be dragged behind a truck on a dirt road.

 

[leverhead]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

I took them off mine as soon as I got them out of that crazy plastic package. Whoever came up with that "clam shell packaging" should be dragged behind a truck on a dirt road.

Use a chain! Rope wears out too fast.

 

[BarG]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

BarG,
that mix is usually what I always use and once wet, it wicks great.

Yea! I read that in one of your posts, and still had some left from last year. It works great. That miracle potting by itself stays to wet. I can take the damp mix and squeeze a ball of it as tight as I can and it still spreads right out when you open your fist so I started packing it in fairly good and the transplants took off. Trays that weren't transplanted but thinned, I took a plastic 1" wide cake knife and slid it down the edges of the cell compressed and lifted to pack the new mix as needed without having to transplant.

Knucks, that mix Bonner uses won't give you any trouble at all. I got some with my plants last year.

 

[Fisherman]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

Mr BarG..... that is awesome setup you have there! acess to the sun is great too..... Im hardening off from grow light starts and am getting more setbacks than your system could produce I am sure.

 

[Fisherman]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

Use a chain! Rope wears out too fast.

Remember the days in the boy scouts???
Use that tauntline hitch for rapid and surefire raising and lowering of your lights using rope. I use cotton 1/4 braided as I can get it free. Tauntline was the one you used for tying tent to the stakes.....

 

[BarG]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

Time to harden my Bursa off a bit, and make some room for more starts.

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

Ooooh pretty.

 

[AmaxB]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

Shooo man I agree Bg ya talk about shivering an timbers hell ya got mine shaking! I want to and am dieing to grow something was 55F or so here today I got to get going outside.

 

[Fisherman]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

Time to harden my Bursa off a bit, and make some room for more starts.

Lord that is pretty!

 

[BarG]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

Heres an outdoor seedbed started 3-3-13


I removed cover after about 2 1/2 weeks permanently [checking only to add water every several days while covered]

Bursa

Ct, Broadleaf

Perique


Since being fully uncovered they are in full sun,rain and have survived 2 frosts [2 nights in a row] that killed tomatoes,potatoes,melons,and squash. I gues I'll need to make room for some of these.
A lite sprinkling of composted manure was added on top of plants only after first frost.

Lesson learned: prepare small raised beds next time with elevated covering for each variety with same medium as I'm using in starting trays and better seed distribution method.
A small 2x8 frame with no bottom filled with grow medium leaving air space for cover and mixing seeds with something the same consistancy as seeds to sprinkle evenly so plants are spread more evenly further apart.

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

Very ingenious. I'm interested to see how well they take off compared to indoor starts. They're already pretty much hardened off arent' they?

 

[BarG]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

I transplanted 6 of each to the green house but some not all of the rest will be dug up and direct transplant soon, after the next expected thunderstorms. I think I'll plant all the bursa in the tight spacing I have been reading about and plant my greenhouse bursa with more space to see any difference.

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

There you go. I really want to see the difference in quality that Turkish vs American spacing makes on the orientals. Stogie is doing a similar experiment with one of his varieties. (Xanthi maybe??)

 

[rainmax]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

Bursa looks great. I wish I had a weather. Still snow here.
I can't even prepare beds on field.

 

[BarG]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

You work with what you got to work with rainmax! I am fortunate here but we'll see! Hopefully mistakes learned from will help offset other factors such as mother nature.

 

[BarG]

Re: BarG 2013 grow log

So far this year i have sucessfully germinated all of over 30 varietys using my green house only. My hardest have been the grow outs. Some so marginal a single cutworm could ruin it.Cross my fingers they all will be enough for a successful setting out.