![]() ![]() Come February 2022, I’ll probably get the itch to try it again. I like the idea of being self-sustaining and knowing how to do these things so it’s worth the experiment. They did the work for me already! And they are already growing into big, healthy plants in the garden! An indoor, edible garden? Maybe.Īlthough, I have bought happy, healthy starts from the farmer’s market, our local co-op store, and Seedleaf, some for as cheap as $1. I’ve now planted things in the garden and have lettuce going in the garden that I started a month ago outside under some glass (my modified/reclaimed/cheap cold frame will be a later post) begging the question, why would I start seeds so early inside? Especially lettuce? Well, it could be grown fully inside and not replanted outside for a very small salad. It’s sunny and getting warmer and things are blooming all over the place. I was rarin’ to go back then in mid-February. Lesson #6: Really the ultimate question is “would I do it again?”. I’ll personally make a lot less next time. You might imagine what manure and dirt and fertilizer will do in a covered plastic container. Lesson #4: The left over soil will get super gross if you don’t use it up. Or do one on the mat and one off the mat and see if there’s a difference. It gets pretty warm and I think it is only to be used for germination. This was the first time I used this heat mat. Lesson #3: Heat mats make it more humid but dry up the water even faster. The holes I made will fit one of the little blocks if I had started with the 20 block maker. Lesson #2: Those holes in the blocks can be adjusted or made non-existent with little attachments that come with the blocker. So, I thought they were watering themselves with this condensation. Every time I opened the lid to peer in it would leak down the sides and make a watery mess. I closed those off and it got super humid in there. One of the parts that came with the trays was a “greenhouse” lid kind of thing with holes on top that allow air to escape. I did this important step one time and then thought it would take care of itself. You only have to do that about once a week but you have to keep an eye on it. Fill it up underneath and they’ll sip at it as they need it. The really great thing about the trays I procured (see above) is that they will nearly water themselves, BUT, you have to put the water in there first, yourself. What?! Yeah, you have to keep them watered. Lesson #1: These blocks don’t water themselves. NOW, let’s get to the lessons I learned with this project. The stuff I’d need to make my garden grow next spring. ![]() So, thinking ahead, last September I went digging around that big box retailer (Lowe’s in this case) to see if I could find what I needed right off the shelf. Since I actually bought the ingredients in the fall it would be wise to think ahead in case these items aren’t available off the shelf in the middle of winter. I needed to have a quick and easy plan to get the necessary ingredients and in a pinch and, like it or not, the big box hardware store fit the bill. Additionally, the ingredients they suggest picking up out of the yard, namely garden soil and compost, were frozen solid when I was ready to get started. I don’t need a whole lot of soil blocks to get me going (definitely not 2 bushels worth) and I don’t want to buy ingredients in bulk. My yard isn’t large but I do try to garden fairly intensively. I could go on but will save that rant for later. Single use plastics are a scourge and need to stop. If I’m going to use plastic then I want to be able to re-use it. I’ve tried reusing old seed trays and I’ve typically gotten another season, or maybe two out of a tray but then they start falling apart. They are infinitely better than the typical ones you get free with a tray of seedlings. ![]() Last year I finally broke down and bought some heavy duty seeding trays from Bootstrap Farmer. ![]()
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