Fear of Clowns

• Repotted sinicuichi and lagochilus seedlings
• Started kratom seeds on top of soil (I've twice failed to establish them on rockwool)
• Transferred 7 varieties of chili pepper sprouts, pesto basil, oregano and rosemary into a flood and drain system (lower right corner of photo)
• Started 6 salvia species on rockwool cubes - they get gelatinous like basil seeds. I'm intending to come up with an interesting hybrid.
• Fed the three flats of chili seedlings I'm growing 100% organic for sale on eBay.
• Transferred a few more chili sprouts and black tomato sprouts into rockwool
• Foliar feed everything with stinky Fish-Mix solution.

Labels: chili peppers, germination, hydroponics, peppers, photos

// posted by Erik @ 3/14/2008 01:55:00 AM
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No doubt about it, chili pepper seeds germinate quicker and at a higher rate with 6.0 pHed 100 ppm giberillin solution than with plain water when using the paper towel method. I used this method exclusively with 51 Dorset Naga seeds 10 days ago (2/26), as of today 46 have sprouted.

Side by side comparisons with many chili varieties showed similar results: greater than 90% germination a week or more earlier compared to about 75% germination with plain water. The most drastic example was with a variety I purchased on eBay as "Jamacian yellow Scotch bonnet": 8/10 in the group in giberillin solution had germinated by the 11th day, while 3/10 of those in plain water have germinated as of today, the 21st day.

The deluxe paper towel method:

• With water purified by reverse osmosis or distillation, make a 100 - 150 ppm giberillin solution. If you don't have a ppm meter, follow the mixing instructions on the label.
• Place seeds and the solution in a small and tightly covered transparent or translucent plastic container. Chili pepper seeds like light while germinating. I use the 1/2 cup kitchen storage containers with blue tops you can by in grocery stores. Some people use sealable plastic bags in which case you'll have to use a different container for soaking. Place the container in a warm area, ideally 85-95 degrees F. I use a seedling heating mat. The warmest place in most homes is on top of a water heater or refrigerator.
• After 24 hours, fold a single (or half) paper towel (called "kitchen paper" outside of the US) small enough so it provides a flat surface when placed in your container. Saturate the paper towel with the same solution you've been soaking the seeds in.
• Place the seeds on top of the wet paper towel and seal the container, returning it to the warm area.

Labels: chili peppers, gardening, germination, peppers

// posted by Erik @ 3/07/2008 07:06:00 PM
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I just opened up my container of apple seeds stratifying in the refrigerator since this past fall ...

I intend to use some of these for bonsai.

Labels: apples, gardening, germination

// posted by Erik @ 2/17/2008 05:06:00 PM
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Started soaking 5 Japanese laceleaf maple and 5 Japanese red maple seeds today - in the refrigerator. Started soaking 64 coastal redwood seeds, at room temperature.

Labels: gardening, germination

// posted by Erik @ 2/17/2008 04:52:00 PM
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Today, I began soaking some chili pepper seeds in 6.0 pHed 100 ppm gibberillan R/O water. Generally from hottest to mildest,

• bin jolokia
• bhut jolokia
• naga jolokia
• Red Savina
• chocolate habanero
• Jamaican yellow Scotch bonnet
• orange habanero from Summer Habiscus
• Burpee orange habanero
• red habanero
• tepin
• Cayenne long slim
• Punjab

They will soak for a day after which I'll place them on paper towels in plastic containers. Hot chili peppers can take a lot longer than bell peppers to germinate. Out of the 12 tepin seeds I placed in paper towels 25 days ago, only two have sprouted.

Labels: chili peppers, gardening, germination, hydroponics, peppers

// posted by Erik @ 2/15/2008 11:30:00 PM
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• Greek oregano - 2 sprouts out of approx. 20. One each from the buried and surface sown.
• French rosemary - 1 sprout out of 10 or so. Surface sown.
• lemon basil - 10/10 - surface sown and buried
• Italian pesto basil - 10/10 - surface sown and buried
• Italian sage 3/10 so far
• Teppin chilis - 0/4. I've since read that most chili germination problems come from peat being in the medium. And these are in peat pots.

For my "just soak them in giberillin solution and wait," I've moved four seeds of each species into rockwool cubes, two cubes/two seeds. Nothing sprouting other than ones I had to mark "??" as I didn't label them and I don't recognize them. They could be roma tomato all puffed up, but I believe more than the two would have sprouted by now.

The string beans got mushy.

Labels: chili peppers, gardening, germination, hydroponics, peppers

// posted by Erik @ 2/14/2008 07:49:00 PM
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