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4:57 pm
March 13, 2011
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What a wonderful idea I shall certainly have a go at this. I will get some thin toilet roll and try the flour and water paste many thanks for sharing the idea. I was going to put the carrot seed in today but it turned real cold so decided against it, good job I did as this certainly sounds a lot more efficient
11:04 pm
November 11, 2010
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Miss Judy said:
I thought about white glue but was afraid they might not sprout. Did you have any trouble with that?
Miss Judy, I don't have anything up from my seed mats yet. I did them about 4 days ago. Hopefully something will be sprouting by this time next week and I will let you know as soon as their little heads pop thru the soil!
9:04 am
January 21, 2011
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I just thought the glue woud 'melt' away with the watering of the seeds.
10:50 am
May 5, 2010
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I used white glue on cheap napkins last year for planting lettuce, carrot and radish seeds, dropping two seeds per spot of glue. Pretty much every seed germinated requiring some thinning, but there was definite satisfaction in seeing near perfect spacing between plants for later harvest without the backache! As to the glue, try Elmer's School Glue (ridiculously cheap in August during back-to-school sales) which is designed to dissolve quickly in water … particularly if your adventurous child has schmeared it all over clothing!
2:35 pm
November 11, 2010
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Miss Judy (and everyone else!), I am happy to report that I have zinnias sprouting up from the seed mats I planted on the 25th. That's just 4 days to sprouting, wow! I am calling this a success. Thin toilet paper and white glue worked! Will let y'all know how everything else comes up, but so far, so good. So happy!
5:47 pm
January 21, 2011
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That is fantastic! I can't wait to try it. I am planning on doing the flour and water since I have that on hand. :)
8:00 pm
February 22, 2010
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I am glad the glue worked. If I would have thought about it I would have realized that the washable school glue would work. Duh… I only work in an elementary school!
9:16 pm
August 24, 2010
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I wonder if the school glue in glue sticks would work? I bet it would make putting them together a whole lot easier.
9:31 pm
January 21, 2011
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Sure, hershiesgirl, I'm sure it would work fine. Anything to stick the seed there long enough to get it in the ground. I think that's a good idea! :)
11:44 pm
May 15, 2010
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After reading about the homemade seed mats I had to try it. Its a awesome idea but I think I may have messed it up somewhere along the line lol. I made the seed mats for my carrots this year and planted about 3 weeks ago. I made the mats back in march and did 3 rows with 3 in. spacing inbetween. I cut between each row to make strips to plant. I used cheap 1 ply tiolet paper and the water glue idea. I keep asking them to grow but they aren't listening lol. Most of my other vegetables are doing just fine but where I planted the carrots ( only one I used the seed mats on ) is still barren.. sigh*. I had visions of crunchy munchy carrots to nibble on this year :).. Wondering if any of you wise ladies might have any ideas for me. Btw.. I am a avid fan of this forum but usually stalk quietly hehe. I am also a 1st time gardener and in love with it!
7:37 am
November 11, 2010
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Victoria, maybe the seeds are bad? Have you tried direct planting a few as a test? I have never made my mats weeks ahead of planting, so I don't know if that is a factor or not.
8:36 am
May 15, 2010
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I wondered about that also, but after planting over a hundred of them I was thinking the odds would be that maybe just one would at least germinate lol… but nothing yet. Its been about 3 weeks. Crossing fingers still :)
8:56 am
February 22, 2010
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Carrot seeds are kind of slow to germinate. If you've had a cool spring it could take up to 3 weeks! Give it another day or two. I hope you didn't plant them too deep …it only takes just 1/2 inch to an inch of dirt covering them.
10:29 am
June 27, 2010
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Morning, I made carrot mats at the end of April. I seeded the toilet paper with 306 seeds in the am and planted in the afternoon when the glue was dry. Everyone came up in about 2-3 weeks. I planted them in a mixture of sand and Miracle grow potting soil. They are now about 2-3 inches tall. The crows have had some good eating off them, but they were kind enough to leave enough to dry. Aren't they kind. :) I love this method for planting small seeds. I have to agree that it is possible that you had a batch of bad seed, covered too deeply, to dry, or to wet. I would recommend doing it again with new seeds. Good luck.
10:27 pm
May 15, 2010
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Thanks for all the suggestions :). I think I am going to wait another week ( yes it has been a cold and wet spring here and still is.. Planting season is very late this year. Average temps have been in the low 60's and that is warm considering what it has been. Feeling waterlogged. If I do not start to see growth soon I will replant.
6:29 am
July 24, 2010
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Victoria, just to let you know, everything that I started from seed this spring took forever to sprout. I wasn't using seedmats, but I had sowed in starting medium in the greenhouse, using seed I had saved from last year. The flower seeds (2 kinds) finally sprouted after 3 weeks, and the peppers took about 3 1/2. I got very poor germination from the peppers. I think that the cool spring really affected them, as I had turned off the heater in the greenhouse. I suspect that a number of the pepper seeds just rotted. All of this just to say that you are not alone in seed starting trials this spring. But part of the "fun" of gardening is getting to try something new and different next time!
9:24 am
June 1, 2011
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I began making seed mats like these back in 1998 for my market garden!! And yes, it's a great winter time project, takes care of that dirt-digging itch when there's 2ft of snow on the ground!
For those with germination problems, two things to do. First check for the germination rate/percentage on your seed packet or in the catalog/website from which you ordered the seed. I'm not talking about the "x number of days til germination" info. This is a stamp that gives a percentage for particular batch of seed, you'll usually find it stamped on the side or bottom. Many seed varieties have less than stellar germination rates under the best of circumstances, meaning perfect moisture, perfect heat so the germination problems you're encountering may have nothing to do with your enviroment, it's the seed itself. Fresh seed has the best germination rate, and any seed you hold over from year to year is best kept refrigerated to maintain the highest germination rate.
Second, you can test your germination rate yourself. Sprinkle 10 seeds on a damp/wetish paper towel (don't use tissue because you don't want it to disinegrate), fold over so the seed is sandwiched between 2 layers of paper. Roll up and put in a ziplock bag or plastic container and put somewhere dark to simulate being in the ground. It's a good idea to write on the paper towel the seed specifics. Check it every day and record your findings. This will give you your own germination rate, and an idea as to when that seed should start popping out of the ground. I actually used this method to pre-sprout many crops I direct sowed, or to fill in non-germinated seed in my homemade seed tapes/mats. It insured 100% ground coverage, and was faster/cheaper than growing transplants. This is also a good idea for those crops who don't like to be transplanted–like corn, root crops, etc. You just have to be prepared to plant as soon as there is germination so the tap root isn't disturbed which will cause the plant to die or stunt it tremendously.
Happy planting!
Oh, PS, homemade seed tapes are a great way to start those fall crops that require vernilization to germinate, notably spinach & lettuce. Just make your seed tapes a couple of weeks before you plan to plant and stick them in your fridge. Then once planted, cover with shade cloth and water with the coldest water you can. This simulates spring growing conditions and maximizes germination/growth rate.
12:05 pm
May 5, 2010
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Liz Pike said:
Oh, PS, homemade seed tapes are a great way to start those fall crops that require vernilization to germinate, notably spinach & lettuce. Just make your seed tapes a couple of weeks before you plan to plant and stick them in your fridge. Then once planted, cover with shade cloth and water with the coldest water you can. This simulates spring growing conditions and maximizes germination/growth rate.
Wow, this info is a big help, particularly the last paragraph for our hot area here in central CA … August and Sept scorch any efforts to plant cool loving plants so fresh lettuce is usually out for our garden at a time when you're craving salads most. Until now. Thank you, Liz! I've used the shade cloth over an entire bed but it never occurred to me to chill the seeds! One of the things I have discovered with seed mats is keeping them damp as much as possible … again requires frequent checks during a hot valley day … helps progress the germination. Also this year I'm double-seeding a few mats with carrots and heat-resistant spinach interspersed as carrots take forever to launch for me as well. Taking a page from French intensive gardening of mixing the two seeds with different germination periods (harvest one as the second starts) although these are launching late due to weirdly cool spring (second year in a row!) and family distractions. I plant them east of taller plants or trellises so they net some shade in the afternoon …..
12:03 am
May 15, 2010
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You ladies are all so wonderful and I am so excited lol. As I was checking on my garden after dinner tonight, I decided to take a much closer peek at my carrots and was able to tell that I have some very small carrot tops amongst the small smattering of weeds. I hadn't really weeded a bunch in that area since I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for yet. I wasn't sure what the carrot tops would look like, but once I saw them, I knew. So yahhh for having patience lol.
This is my first year doing a garden and it is so exciting. Everything I do know about growing one comes from my grandparents farm when I was a kid… many many moons ago hehe, So while I remember eating from it, I dont remember the work part of it.. prob cuz grandma did that lol.. and since she is sadly no longer around to ask, I am so fortunate to be able to gain the knowledge that everyone shares here. Thanks!
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