Tuesday 12 Apr was my Ordinary Differential Equations final exam, and also happened to be six weeks before the average date of last frost (24 May) here! So I started my seedlings.
I'm using two seed-starter kits (from Canadian Tire) by Planters Pride. The one on the left is a 72-cell plastic system; and the other is a 50-cell coir system. (Coir is a bio-degradeable fibre from coconut husks; it is replacing peat moss in gardening, as peat moss mining is not sustainable and is actually rather destructive.)
Fri 15 Apr
Today I noticed tiny sprouts! Huzzah!
Broccoli - several have sprouted, but they are all very weak-looking and pale. Probable cause: lack of sunlight. I need to build that grow lamp soon! Maybe Sunday...
Basil - the seedlings look like... tiny, wet-shiny purple-grey slugs! I might have assumed they were insect eggs if these didn't only occur in the basil cells... Though I suppose time will tell...
Calendula - one sprout is extremely leggy and growing almost horizontally, searching for that light... I'm a little concerned.
Chamomile and Tarragon both have high germination rates here! Because the seeds are so tiny, I sprinkled them instead of counting and placing them individually. That may have been a mistake... Well, perhaps when it comes time to thin, I'll separate individual seedlings instead of pruning. Perhaps I'll have lots of chamomile and tarragon--which wouldn't be a bad thing!
Cherry Tomato, Sweet Cherry Hybrid - one seed has germinated. Woo! It's only partially covered, and I can see the seed and the little white sprout just beginning to poke out... Fascinating! I wonder if I check back tomorrow morning will I notice any progress?
There we have it, my first gardening post!
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