flower system admin

So, I planted 4-6 Seeds Directly in the garden a couple of weeks ago or so. Here’s the healthiest looking plants.

These were planted directly in the ground, in a small section of garden that is in between two driveways. Probably gets the most direct sunlight of any location possible in my parents back yard. The Seedlings are not overly stretched, they are already developing a strong thick looking stalk and off to a good start.
In another location, planted directly outdoors, the spot was shaded by a large oak tree and local competition in the garden. This caused the seedling to stretch a bit and bend a lot in search of light.

I did plant other seeds directly outdoors, but have either forgotten where or they havn’t germinated yet.

Two of twelve seeds started indoors in peat pellets have germinated. I believe the poor rates are due mostly too poor environment. My Humidity dome was far too wet and not properly cleaned from the last time I used it. There were definite signs of mold on most of the peat pellets by the time I gave up on the rest.

Two ounces of prevention are worth a pound of cure. Early last winter, I volunteered at a Chicago Park District greenhouse one Saturday afternoon. It was a very cool place. Walking around the place, they had a lot of interesting plants growing at the beginning of one of the coldest winters I can remember. It was at least a great break from shoveling snow.

My job while I was there consisted of cleaning out plug trays to get them ready for the planting that would take place in early spring. Using a sponge and a bucket of watered down bleach, I scrubbed out loose dirt, crystalized salts and other fodder from the trays. The bleach kills any bacteria or mold that happend to be left over from having wet media in the tray for an amount of time.

Back to my sunflowers in the peat pellets. The two that did sprout were kept indoors in indirect sunlight for too long before being transplanted outdoors. They stretched quite a bit and developed little.

Perhaps, given time, they will recover somehow to mature into nice plants, but I doubt it. Next time I must be sure that I’ve cleaned my trays well before starting any new project. Also, vigilance and an attention to detail would help my timing on when to bring the seedlings outdoors.

In other news, I started some flower seed that my mother gave me, and they are ready to be placed around the garden.

The tall seedlings with thin leaves are Cosmos and the shorter broader leaved ones are Four O’Clocks. The Four O’Clocks open their flowers for their namesake every day. The Cosmos are supposed to attract butterflies. I tried germinating some Spider Plants in the empty spots, but those seeds may have been too old to germinate.

All the seedlings in this tray were germinated and grown outdoors, and they appear to be doing great. They got plenty of sunlight and when it wasn’t raining I tried to keep the soil moist.

Well, that’s it for now. By the time this story will be published the pictures are already a couple of days old. Until next time, I’ve got a lot of practicing to do for both the bands I’m in, I have a couple of gardens and lawns to maintain, and a temporary day job.

Grow in Peace, to Love and Serve the Earth!

While drastically rearranging my life in May, I received a nondescript brown package in the mail from Todd Seeds. The package was small and begging to be opened from the moment I saw it. I was not able to open it immediately, but I was well aware and expecting the contents.

For the past year or so, I have been experimenting with some houseplants. My favorite plant to work with has been the Epipremnum aureum ( Commonly called Devil’s Ivy or Pothos.) This vine is naturally a tree climber, so I’ve got a couple of projects going to grow it up.

Pothos is great to work with, It roots very easily in water or peat pellets, and it is very hardy with over/under watering conditions.

You see, sometimes the universe conspires to push you along your path. You can take the hints and follow the omens or you can ignore them. The omens and universal hints had been piling up on me for years. By the time the slap in the face woke me up from the comfortably numb slumber I had resigned too, there was a rush of change and challenge the likes of which I have not been presented with in years. And it shows no signs of settling down quite yet.

So, anyway, I did eventually get around to opening Todd’s package and planting some sunflower seeds. So far, the seeds sewn directly in the garden seem to be the most healthy looking plants.

I will post a more detailed report of methods and madness as time permits. :-)