Filed under: Blogroll, Gardening, business, climate change, cryptic, gardens, health, indoor, life, plants, random, soil, technology
As promised, this is the first instalment in a series designed to assist those who are interested in planting by the moon and other astronomical observations and in gardening as an art.
The planets in our solar system appear to move though the fixed constellations from aries through to pisces. Each constellation is within one of the four elemental triplicities Fire, Earth, Air, Water which correspond to the atmospheric qualities of Warmth, Cold/cool, Bright/airy and water with regards to weather.
As the planets move around the zodiac, they regularly make angles with each other. Students of Astrology will recognise not only the names of the constellations but these names of important angles wihin the ‘circle’ of the zodiac. Most important in forecasting the weather appears to be the 120 degree angle (trine) with conjunctions(where one planet joins another in the same space of the zodiac) and oppostions (where one planet stands opposite another in an elemental relationship of either Fire opposite Air or Water opposite Earth). Maria Thun has come to view these as the most important ones although Square aspects can also influence weather patterns as more will be explained later.
We are in mid-november, which when noting the planetary positions, shows us that the sun will remain in the constellation of Libra for three more days. Recent aspects of the moon in opposition with Venus (in sagittarius), Mars (in scorpio) and Pluto (in sagittarius) as well as the full moon and perigee of the moon, has, to be completely honest, revealed how much i have to learn of this science and how little i know. What you think you know and what you know are two different things!
Having had some successes in the summer with some short and long term forecasting, I have increased an almost religious-like dedication to noting my observations of weather in whatever region i happen to be in to compare them to newspaper forecasts, radio forecasting and maria’s hints advice and results. Recording of the general synopsis alongside this information will, in time i hope, reveal patterns of weather to compare to planetary positions enabling me to become more adept at interpreting information and forecasting weather.
What i seem to be noticing (almost obviously) is the simple four elements at play in numerous permutations, conditioned, for want of a better word, by the planets which reside in the constellations at any given time. What can be easily comprehended is the fact that the fire always burns, whereas the earth is the playground for all natures dramas and is by it’s very nature cold until the sun heats it up. Air is omnipresent and the photons of light pass throught it whilst its intrinsic nature, comes to our attention as winds and the movements of clouds, which brings us to the most interesting of the elements as far as i am concerned, namely water.
Water is a tri-phasic element appearing as solid ice, liquid water and gaseous vapours. The amount of water in the air (or cloud cover) will largely dictate how much of the fire reaches the earth…
The rest of this month produces some interesting angles, notably on the 21st when saturn and jupiter hit trine within warmth constellations of leo and sagittarius respecively, On the25th, the sun cojoins with mercury in the scorpeio region of the sky, whilst the new moon on the 27th brings a multiple conjunction with mercury and mars in scorpio. On this day the retrograde movement of Uranus is cutailed going direct (forward) again.The 29th has mercury and mars conjunct whilst the moon reaches apogee. The month finishes with a trine of venus and saturn in fire constellationshe 30th.
What will this bring…well i dunno! but we may see warmer than average temperatures with liklyhood of above average rainfall. I am betting on this because of the influences of warmth and water.
Filed under: Blogroll, Gardening, business, cryptic, health, life, random, technology
I simply am not qualified to fully extoll the virtues of this woman who has researched Rudolph Steiner theories on agriculture for more than 55 years.
Woking in Germany, This remarkable woman, who firstly, alongside her husband and then her son, has worked with plants and the soil for more than five decades, utilising astronomical data to expound upon noted observations relating to plant growth phenomena within her micro-climate and localised weather conditions.
Her work is based on the ancient philosophy that earthly phenomena and matter are comprised of four elements, namely: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water which themselves make up the zodiac of 12 constellations (there being 3 of each element).
By drawing together ancient knowledge strands of planting by moon cycles, Maria Thun postulates further that plants and plant growth behave subtly differently, as the moon(which takes on average 27.3 days to orbit through the zodiac) and other planets pass though each element of the zodiac…and moreover, their is a corespondance betwen the elements and regions of plant growth therby enhanced. Therefore, Fire corresponds to Fruits, Air being Flowers, Earth being roots and Water, the leaves.
Her work reveals remarkable patterns of weather here on earth, also seemingly determined by what constellation of the zodiac the various celestial bodies are passing through, as well as the patterns or angles the planets are making with each other at any given moment. This, together with the effects of phenomena such as planetary retrograde motion (apparant moving backwards of planets though the sky), Full and new moon, planetary nodal points; where a planet is crossing the plane of the ecliptic(apparant path of the sun through the sky), and other phenomena including apogee and perigee(the maximum and minimum point in the sky traversed by the moon also reportedly affect the incoming formatative forces impacting upon the earth at any point in time and space. Her observations for 55 years are an extroadinary piece of dedicated work and are a foundation or my own sudies of planets, plants and plant growth.
For weather purposes the corespondances are thus: Fire….Warmth, Earth…Cold/cool, Air…Bright/airy, Water…water!
A yearly sowing and planting calender compiled by Maria and her son Matthaius is published each year and it is proving a ‘must have’ for me to enable some foresight into invaluable weather predicting on an incereasingly volatile planet.
Filed under: Blogroll, Gardening, business, climate change, cryptic, gardens, health, indoor, life, plants, random, soil, technology
I return from a lengthy, enforced period of rehabilitation following some extremely trying times. My protracted legal fight with Devon and Cornwall police continues (of which more details will follow) and i write with renewed passion and determination in my quest to spread the word of foraging and growing our own food and medicine.
A message of old that medicine is our food and food is our medicine, will be once again weaved into this blog whilst I knit together tales from my various horticultural interests such as growing under LED plant lights, Biodynamic gardening, Medicinal herb preperations, vegetable growing, Astronomical weather forecasting a la maria Thun and wild food foraging. All this and more will be procrastinated on as i continue to roam around the rivers, fields, highways and byways of the UK discovering plants, habitats and eco-systems that regail our magical isle, sustaining our richly diverse native and naturalised flora.
I hope i can give clues to how easy it is to take a significant step back from the consumption of mass market poison masquarading through marketing as balanced nutrition. This sorrowful excuse for food being bought by people unaware of other, simpler, easier, more efficient choices allows the continuation of planetary rape conducted to produce food to dull the minds and souls of a global village. On a world where resources are shrinking, Im on a mission to make a dent in this waste of humanity by revealing tips, hints, blags and design solutions for urban and rural living.
As I have only just got back into any semblence of mental health and peace of mind following my outrageous treatment at the hands of prejudiced police in Devon, Im now burstin to relay all the news from the many exciting events and places i have been to since that day in may 2007, as well as to talk about the coincidences, life changing and life-affirming happenings which offset the dusting down of myself after the towers i built came crashing down around my ears.
I will inevitably wax lyrical about my-first-ever-real-time in-the-now-soul mate-love affair which sems inevitable as i walk this path. As i meet more amazing healers, be they with herbs , homeopathy, energy healers, shamens, reiki mistresses, dowsers or many others, i feel more and more blessed to be knowing them and to be able to assist any crossing my path who need help. Once again, the people i meet are touching my soul and giving me great hope for humanity (after the mass extinction of course!)
Some of the plants ive met this year on my travels have been old friends not seen in the wild or for a while, whereas others are seen in their naturalised state for the first time by these eyes, examples im thinking of right now include Sapponaria oficinalis (Soapwort), Amoracia rusticana (Horseradish), Lycopus europaeus (Gypsywort) Water speedwell (Veronica anagallis-aquatica) as well as a still unspecifically identified Ulmus (Elm) plant. The chances of it being an english elm are prety small but it seems there are a few escaping cultivars of Elm which have various degrees of resistance to ‘dutch elm disease’ Other plants i have the pleasure to live with and near on the river include Mentha aquatica (Watermint) Watercress, (Nasturtium officinale)and certain members of the voluminous, formerly leguminosae(Fabaceae) family including gorgeous crimson clovers living with the red and the white near to each other on the same land near the thames in oxfordshire.
More later today…
Filed under: Blogroll, Gardening, business, cryptic, health, life, random, technology
off the cuff…I was wondering what mamba meant by his comment and am still puzzled?
Hey ho…
This applies no matter where you live or who you are
… our limitations are only set by our imaginations , there is truly no one else to blame. As an individual representation of godhead… whatever we want to manifest..we can.The same applies to destruction. This may mean nothing to the vast majority of people using wordpress blogs i would bet… But i had to witness a friend undergoe ‘treatment’ from the NHS to abort her unexpected unplanned baby just a few days ago and it is nothing short of barbaric. Pills that mess you up internally, hormonally and mentally with no choice of herbs which would do the job just as effectively. It hurt to watch my friend in pain, although it hurt more knowing this was and is always avoidable. There is no reason to treat people in this way aside from keeping the profits healthy at a few global pharmaceutical companies.
Intention, Love and synchronicity continuously reveal themselves to me to be one of our most powerful weapons in all this ‘dream creating reality’. Boundless love, endless dreams…Back to the lights!!!
The LED lights I am experimenting with are currently being built into a 7.5 tonne truck and will hopefully be showcased at the most exclusive and respected flower shows we can get to such as Hampton court and maybe chelsea if we can afford the mortgage needed to exhibit at the show!
Experimenting with new technology is always exciting and daunting. However, having spoken to some relevant stakeholders at a climate change conference recently I feel less daunted by the seemingly huge amount of networking which needs to be done to get these lights into some top quality research establishments so we can get some badly needed data.
To me it all seems obvious that LED’s are the future for many resons spoken earlier about on this blog…but existing commercial horticultural methods will only be swept aside by brave pioneering people whilst others (the majority) seem to follow examples of best practice or highest economic yield(after all we are herd animals!!)
Although somewhat forced out of the game whilst I aided the recovery of my mental and spiritual health following outrageous allegations and my wrongful arrest made by the police in Devon and cornwall… (for which I needed to prove myself innocent, as seems to be the case more than ever here in the UK) I am now more determined than ever to make a success of the social enterprise i have begun.
Never let the bastards grind you down and remember the police road signs are giving us the information we need…police, slow. This may be true, but they are also proven institutional racists… and we now know in devon they are still very much influenced by institutional prejudice against travelling folk.
Things have to change…nature never remains the same which is why i am confident that one day all people will walk free and be able to do as they choose…do what thou wilt, harm none…
Untill i have something plant-related to rant about i will get on with some more building work…pics of truck to follow very soon, as will be the upgrading of ipsophyto website, giving it a more funkier appeal with flash graphics and a more professional look thanks to (www.zdo9.co.uk) there should be a shop eventually to catch the winter/spring seed ordering…fingers crossed that the orwellian state doesnt come in as quick as it looks like.
Ya basta!
We will be demonstrating our state of the art LED grow lights at Glastonbury Festival of performing arts from Friday 22 June – Monday 25th June 2007.
Set up on a solar powered milk-float, “No Alternative” they will be appearing all over the Festival site, raising awareness of the myriad benefits of LED lights as opposed to any other source of light bar sunshine. Because this product doubles as a tool in our personal fight against an ever increasing ecological footprint, it warrants some attention .
I think that in this business of niche cullinary and phytotherapeutic horticulture, installations as well as advice in the form of fact sheets ought to be negotiable for the client in response to our added value approach to marketing, promotion and price.
Details will appear here shwing photographic evidence produced from the University of minnesota’s (U.S.A) tests run a couple of years ago.
We will have order-forms and leaflets accompanying the small quantity of five light ‘LGM5 Pro-5′ units which we will have on site to exchange and mart. These are an improved professional version of the LGM3 unit and are also far superior in terms of useable light per square foot when compared to the three light standard bar which is our bargain basement unit.
Improved spectral tuning of the Pro-5 blue, red and far red diodes produces more of the light quality within which plants thrive. This is not to say that the ‘hobby bar’ is not worth having immediately because it is. Tests reveal superiority compared to Metal halide light sources(High Intensity Discharge lights) and proof of puddings are whether you spit or swallow.
Further to this, Full spectral comparison charts to be uploaded within the next 48 hours will whet your appetites just before one of this isles greatest social events…see ya there!
OH YEAH P.S
Lower Costs – LED grow lights can save you money!
LED grow lights use 33 times less energy than comparable metallic vapor lights (based on 3 LED bar setper
400 watt MH ). According to a study by the EPA, this energy savings is equivalent to planting a 1/2 acre of trees per year.
Longer Bulb Life- Based on data published by the manufacturers of components used in LED products, the expected LED
bulb life is 100,000 hours. This is ten to fifty times longer than typical glass grow light bulb life expectations. Replacing
glass bulbs every year adds a lot to the expense of a growing system. With the LED Grow-Master Grow Light you won’t be changing
expensive bulbs every year.
No Ballast- Fluorescent tubes and metallic vapor lamps all need a ballast to operate, and ballasts eventually burn out and must be
replaced. These LED Grow Lights do not need a ballast, eliminating this recurring cost from your growing system.
No Reflector- Conventional glass envelope grow lights emit light in all directions. In order to use as much of this light for plant
growth as possible, these lights are generally fitted with bulky, unattractive reflectors to direct light back toward the plants. With
LEDs the reflectors are built right into the LEDs themselves, so no secondary reflector is needed. Almost all of the light generated
by the LEDs in these LED Grow Light is directed straight at your plants.
Less Waste Heat- Conventional grow lights are very hot, running from several hundred degrees to Over fourteen hundred
degrees Fahrenheit at the bulb’s surface. This excess radiated heat output adds to the cost to cool your home or office. Our grow
lights are merely warm to the touch, even after operating for hours, greatly reducing your cooling costs.
Targeted Light Output- Unlike “broad spectrum” plant grow lights, which produce a lot of light plants can’t use efficiently, LED
Grow Lights only deliver the colors of light used by plants for efficient and healthy growth. By leaving out light plants
don’t need, we provide still more energy savings over conventional plant grow lights.
Greater Safety – LED Grow Lights are safer to use in your home
or office!
Lower Voltage- Unlike conventional grow lights, which operate on 120 VAC at the bulb, LED Grow Lights run typically
on less than twenty volts at the bulb. This fact greatly reduces risk or fire or injury, especially in wet growing environments.
Lower Burn and Fire Risk- The high heat generated by a typical metal halide or high pressure sodium lamp is more than enough
to ignite nearby combustible objects such as paper or cloth. Their reflectors often get very hot as well and can cause severe burns
if they are accidentally touched. Our LED grow lights operate at just a few degrees above room temperature. Just slightly
warm to the touch while running, LED Grow Lights are safer to use around children and pets.
Light Weight- LED Grow Lights have no bulky reflector or heavy ballast, and weigh only a few ounces. The ballast of
a standard metallic vapor lamp, on the other hand, can weigh up to fifty pounds requiring special consideration when fitted to a
reflector and hung from a ceiling. Our LED grow lights are easy to place around your valuable plants, without the risk of
heavy objects falling from your ceiling!
Less Fragile- The glass bulbs of other grow lights are very fragile. These LED Grow Light has no glass parts, and is
much harder to break.
Less Environmental Hazard- Metallic vapor and fluorescent lamps all contain mercury, a heavy metal identified by the U.S.
Government as hazardous to the environment and our landfills. LED Grow Lights contain no mercury.
Friendly To Your Plants and Home…
No “White Light” Glare- Other plant grow lights use technologies generally used to light rooms and buildings, which makes them
very bright to the human eye. The LED Grow Light delivers light that is very bright to plants, but relatively dim to
people. Your plants get what they need without the “white light” glare you don’t want, making our grow lights welcome in your
kitchen and living room, instead of your basement.
Plants Stay Cooler- There are two types of plants, those whose chemistry works better in hot weather, like corn, and those who
like it cooler, like most plants you’d choose to grow indoors. Most cooler growing plants shut down when it gets too hot to avoid
losing more water than they can bring up from their roots. The LED grow Light gives your plants all the light they
need, without the heat of conventional grow lights, letting them grow quickly at room temperature.
Cuttings Root More Easily- The leaves of plant cuttings are often snipped in half to reduce water loss until new roots are formed.
For cuttings of many types of plants, this isn’t necessary when using the LED Grow Light. Since your cuttings aren’t
wilting under the heat of the sun or conventional grow lights they can keep their leaves to speed new root growth.
Lower Chance of Heat Induced Root Damage- Plant roots don’t like to be hot, and potted plants left in direct sun are prone to root
damage where sunlight heats the surface of the pot. The same damage can occur in closed rooms with hot, conventional grow
lights and inadequate ventilation. These LED Grow Light operates at such a low temperature that incidental root
damage is unlikely.
Less Watering- Using the LED Grow Light, your plants will transpire less, letting you extend the time between
watering cycles. If you need to leave your plants unattended for a few days they’ll have a better chance of surviving if their grow
lights aren’t drying them out.
Good News for Terrariums and Other Plants Grown “Under Glass”- Plants with high humidity requirements, like African Violets,
ferns, and many carnivorous plants, are commonly grown in Terrariums, also called Wardian Cases. Unfortunately, the
combination of high humidity with the heat from most light sources, either the sun or conventional grow lights, causes a great deal
of condensation on the inner surface of the glass, obscuring your view of the plants inside. By using LED our Grow
Lights to light your Terrariums no heat is added, Over 85% of the light from the LED Grow Light passes through to
your plants, and the glass stays mostly clear of condensation. Some seedlings with very high humidity requirements are grown
with glass covers Over their pots for a period of time. Getting enough light to these plants is a challenge, but not if you use our LED
Grow Light. These LED Grow Light emit so little heat, it can be placed directly on top of the glass cover if
desired.
Enjoy Delicate Blooms Longer- Flowers are very delicate, as can be seen from the spotting and edge burning they get outdoors.
Richly colored rose petals fade quickly under the summer sun. This is not true when flowering plants bloom indoors under LED Grow Lights. Miniature roses have been grown with LED Grow Lights with blooms that were picture
perfect and unblemished, with some varieties having flowers that lasted for months without change.
Greater Versatility Lets You Be Creative…
Completely Directional- Most grow lights can only be mounted one way – suspended from the ceiling and pointing toward the
floor. And even if they can be hung different ways, their bulky reflectors make this a lot more difficult than you might like. Small and
light weight, the LED Grow Light can be positioned any way you like. And because it produces very little heat it can be
mounted within the foliage of large plants, ensuring all parts of your plants get the maximum light they need.
Use Only As Many Lights As You Need- With more cumbersome grow lights, you often have to bring your plant to wherever you
are able to mount the light. Wouldn’t it be better to put your plant where you want it…on a table, on a shelf, on a windowsill…and
bring the light to the plant? The small size and lightweight of these LED Grow Light let’s you bring the light to your
plants. If your plant has a cascading form, arrange lights to shine on the plant the way it naturally grows. There’s no need to light
up half of your living room just to try to grow a few prized plants indoors.
Tools
In order to propagate plants successfully it is important to have a clean and tidy working area, efficient and effective tools and kit and to follow a standardised procedure.
Failure in any part of these factors may result in frustration and more importantly, delays that will reduce the probabaility of success.
The most important of gardeners tools and special equipment for plant propagation are a sharp knife, a pair of secateurs, a dibber, suitable compost and a selection of trays and containers. Not all fancy tools and equipmen neceassrily will necessarily enhance the success of propagation, but the important ones will because they make the job easier, and if the job is easier it often succeeds more.
The use of suitable tools helps give the plant the very best start. To avoid crushing or tearing, for example, always use a sharp knife or razor blade and a clean sheet of glass when preparing a soft-wood cutting for planting. If the plant material is damaged , it will most likely die and become a site for possible rots to infect the cutting. Similarly, it is important not to push the cutting into the compost; always first make a hole with a dibber of suitable size and then plant the cutting in that hole. A dibber should be roughly the same diameter as the cutting to be planted. Anything you find to hand should do, I have used nails, knitting needles the list goes on!
Many people will use a kitchen table to propagate, although the most suitable place is a bench in the garden shed, garage or potting shed with a convenient shelf for all the bits and pieces of kit, tools etc. The height of the bench is a crucial comfort factor if considerable time is spent propagating or potting up. Incorrectly sited benches will encourage backache and cricks in the neck. It is also advisable to have good lighting directly over the bench itself.
Plant propagation has been likened to surgery, and nowhere is there more routine and standardised procedure than in an operating theatre – where all concentration is centred on the patient. Therefore the secret of propagating success is to have clean tools to hand, in good working order, so that any technique of propagation can proceed smoothly, and all concentration can be centered on the plant material.
After use it is good working practice to restore all equipment to its correct place so that it is readily available on the next occasion.
Tools and equipment you will likely need.
Knives, razorblades, secateurs, sharpening stone, oil for lubrication, Cleaning rags, solvent, emery paper, Dibbers, pressers(for firming compost), Sieve (1/8th inch mesh), Labels, notebook for records, soft lead pencil, polythene bags and tape, polyprop twine, split canes, hand sprayer, watering can,
Fungicides and pesticides are advised by the RHS…but
Alternatively…! If you want to use EM, simply refer to their applications manual.
Rooting powders are great, but exist cheaply only as long as we have a petro-chemical industry churning them out; I wouldnt have a clue how to get raw materials and make auxins…would you? Folklore says use a pint of water which has had a dozen chopped up willow twigs from softwood prunings soaking in it for a fortnight…(let us know your stories!)
Lastly, panes of glass for covering seed trays, panes of glass for cutting, pots, trays, composts and fertiliser are all that is required apart from plants!
Equipment you will need and ponder over
Pots and Trays
Now comes in a staggering array of plastics and dimensions.
Plastic containers are increasingly available second-hand at recycling centres, whilst ‘freecycle’ groups accross the south west will periodically have some available. Various thicknesses and rigidity’s are available.
Recently, 14in x 8.5in x 2.25in has become the common size seed tray. These are what wespecifically refer to when we say seed tray/flats. In the last decade, technologys have advanced enabling the creation of new designs for growers.
Relatively new on the market are ‘Rootrainers’. These natty designs are hot in commercial and hobby gardening circles bacause of the benefits they bring. These include being flat packed and snap-together, with an ability to both pull one side off in order to examine the roots. Plants are also easily lifted from the cell. The cells are moulded with grooves to allow good root formation and come in a variety of sizes: 8,10,12 and 20cm depth cells cater for a range of different plants.
They are available to purchase via our online market as of Spring 2007. All at Ipsophyto and Pop Up! gardens are growing more excited about the prospect of using them this year. We know many who currently use them to grow with success. Pictures of roots will be posted to allow the curious to see the proof of the pudding.
Conventional trays are approx 14 inches x 8.5 inches and up to 2.5 inches deep. In the days of black and white t.v they were made from softwoods but these types of seed trays are cost prohibitive to most people nowadays.
At the other end of the economic scale…
Recycled containers used by ipsophyto include 1litre tetra packs as well as the kids favourite- yogurt pots. The former will last a growing season whilst the latter brings thoughts of unequality and losses if attempting anything more than hobby gardening! If you are lucky you will come across clear plastic sandwhich triangle cartons to fit on top of your tetra-pack thus creating mini greenhouses!
There are many different techniques and materials that could be used for sowing seeds such as soil moulds and coir blocks and they will be briefly described later.
The most important characteristic sought after is a flat surace with adequate drainage.
The most important characteristic is ………..
…adequate drainage.
Pots come in all shape and sizes with an old rule of thumb that ‘a pot is as deep as it is broad’. Recent innovations have been toward obscure sizes, such as numerous angles on the ‘long tom’ or deep pots as well pans with shallow yet wide bases. These compliment the increasing ranges of thickness of plastics. It is also possible to get square rigid plastic or flimsy square pots. Plastic film ’sleeve’ cyclinder pots can be bought, also with numerous heights and depths.
Square Vs Round
Both have their pro’s and cons although for pure economic terms the square comes out on top because they make use of all available space and better comparitive use of compost. Round pots will contain less volume per surface area compared to the square pots. A conventional 3.5 inch round pot will only contain as much compost as a 2.75 inch square pot. Look for pots with nearly vertical sides conpared to sloping sides as these provide greater stability and can hold a greater volume of compost.
Rigid Vs Flimsy
Pots with ridges or rims around the top of the pot are popular because they can be lifted whilst retaining structural integrity and they are easier to stack. Rigidity is amust for any propagator.
Clay
Terracotta, They look pretty, but are not that practical because they dry out rapidly. They do look good against a blue sky though! And they are pretty expensive, especially in urban areas. If you use them, keep a close eye on the compost contracting leaving gaps around the edges of the pot, which is a no-no for two resons. Firstly; roots which extend to the edge of the pot will dry out, causing stress and burnt leaf tips, and secondly, because light will reach the roots, also causing them to burn, die, and stress the plant. You have been warned.
Soil blocks
An old school method made by compressing the compost into blocks with a six sided mould. The mould is pressed into damp compost and released. To make sure the compost is suitably damp, grab a handful, squeeze it, gently but firmly…the compost should tend to crumble. If it falls apart then the material is too dry, whereas if it does not start to crumble, it is too moist. Because the blocks can sit snuggly, side by side, the rate of drying out slows.
The hexagonal moulds may be prohibitively expensive for gardeners who don’t produce larger numbers of seedlings but they are as eco-friendly as you can get. The growing roots will ‘pull’ the compost together enabling them to be handled with relative ease and peace of mind.
Paper pots
Many people like sowing their seeds in paper cyclinder pots, which have their place in the armoury of economical and eco-friendly gardeners for sure, yet they are mostly too risky and flimsy for me with seeds taking more than a fortnight to germinate. A big advantage with these as like all the degradeable pots is that the plant can be moved to its final home without disturbing the root ball.
Ipsophyto wants to hear about your stories with paper pots…
Peat
Can be found as compressed pellets, a la ‘jiffy 7′ that older eco-gardeners may have liked a few years ago as it offered biodgradeable solutions to sowing and transplanting. Peat pots are still available and cost the earth-literally. Not for ipsophyto
Coir pots
These are widely available. The material is a waste product from the coconut industry so on the face of it, a pretty eco-friendly product, until we learn of the conditions of the workers who process this dusty and dangerous product. Dangerous, because of its irritability to the lungs. Its a minefield, ethical consumption. The material itself is used by many hydroponic growers and it cn hold up to 7 times its volume in water. Its popularity is obvious.
Other, more frugal ways of beating the sowing/ transplanting conumdrum:
Use some guttering cut into desired lengths. Fill with compost, tamping down firmly. Do not compact! Sow seeds, either broadcast or by dibber in drills. Make sure the seeds are in sufficient contact with the soil by lightly pressing them in. If possible, cover surface lightly with vermiculite which retains more moisture when watered. The seedlings which grow can all be moved and transplanted as one unit… creating very little, if any, transplant stress.
Yet more ways..
- Buy plug plants from Pop Up! Garden services or ipsophyto.
- Buy seeds from Pop Up! Garden services or ipsophyto and follow the growing tips desribed on ipsophyto
- Buy Rootrainers from ipsophyto or Pop Up! garden services.
Lengths of plastic guttering are often used by market gardeners and allotment holders to sow rows of crops which can then be slid into place when required, thus alleviating the problem of rootzone disturbance. This resource can often be found in skips on the street.
Coming up in our comprehensive series of horticultural musings especially designed to equip anyone to grow their own food and medicine: Tools, Composts, Sowing in containers, Watering, Pests & diseases, Growing without a garden, and lots more including an informative and extensive glossary!
Brought to you by Pop Up! Garden Services- An Unltd millenium awards trust sponsored project.
In a trial project, I am going to grow a range of 100+ species using LED (Light Emitting Diode)
This natty light source has been researched by NASA not to mention increasing numbers of enthusiasts and academics in the last 5 years. They are of such low power requirements that it is surely feasable to create a mobile propagation facility powered by solar energy!?
….The nature of light….
The energy produced by the sun reaches the earth as electromagnetic radiation.
Light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation are considered to have both a wave nature and a particle nature.
Particles or packets of light (its particle nature) are known as photons – the smallest divisible units of light. The brightness of light depends on the number of photons absorbed per unit time.
Each photon carries a fixed amount of energy which determines the amount that the photon vibrates.
The distance moved by a photon during one of it vibrations is referred to as its wavelength and is measured in nanometres.
Electromagnetic radiation spans a broad range of wavelengths.
At the one end of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation there are gamma rays which have a wavelengths of 10-5 nm and at the other end, radio waves which have a wavelength of 1012nm. A very small part of this spectrum can be seen by the human eye i.e. between the wavelengths 380 and 750 nm. This part of the electromagnetic spectrum is called visible light. Almost all life depends ultimately on this part of the spectrum for its energy.
A close-up look at plant cells in leaves will reveal tiny structures called chloroplasts, which ‘percieve’ and react to blue and red light, containing chlorophyll pigment molecules which predominantly absorb energy at 435-438nm(blue) and 670-680nm(red).
Within the spectrum, the longer the wavelength of the radiation, the slower the vibration of the photons and the less energy each photon contains. Thus photons of ultraviolet light, at the blue end of the visible spectrum, have shorter wavelengths and contain more energy than red light and infrared radiation. Sunlight is reported to contain 4% ultraviolet radiation, 52% infrared radiation and 44% visible light.
Standard supplementary lighting for plants has, in recent years, been provided by a couple of main sources. Flourescent tubes, either white or blue, partly because of their minimal heat output and low wattage are widespread in UK greenhouses. They allow placing close to the plant /seed tray and the white light, as expected, offers a good source of white light, whereas the blue one kicks out a blue / white spectrum.
Probably better known and grown with are high pressure sodium(HPS) lamps. They are known throughout the world by growers for emmitting a good source of Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in the form of red light, but most of the energy from these devices is lost as heat, and for a budding mobile operation with a 400 watt HPS, heat and confined space plus high wattage equals pretty unfeasible.
Of all the grow lights currently on the market, blue and red LED’s in clusters are reportedly shown to have the more suitable spectral match in terms of chlorophyll absorbency. I cant refuse to play with them really can I? There is no other option but to explore these little diodes. After all, NASA were doing so at the turn of the millennia.
Who knows whats around the corner..!
more later…
