Here's my report on fluid seeding.

16 years ago

I apologize to everyone for this being so unscientific Â I know better and could have kept more accurate records. And, the photo isnÂt very good despite being able to choose between 6 shots. IÂm so unfamiliar with using a digital camera, well . . . itÂs obvious.

The row of tiny (almost indiscernible) seedlings in the upper left corner of the picture is from seed simply shaken from the seed packet. The row in the middle showing "clumps" of larger seedlings is from unsprouted seed dropped into the soil with cornstarch gel. The 2 (yes, only 2) plants nearest the camera are from the sprouted seed in cornstarch gel.

The sprouted seed was placed in the plastic bags of gel 24 hours before planting. The ungerminated seed was already in the gel 3 days before planting. I went back and reread the article from CSU and it clearly states, "If the weather is not right for planting, store the gel bags in the refrigerator for a few days until conditions improve." Well, 24 hours didnÂt work well for the sprouted seed because, I guess, the sprouts died in the cold gel or were so weakened only 2 seeds emerged in the garden.

There was probably little reason to place the lettuce seed in the gel and then store it for 3 days. I could have shaken the seed into the bag of gel and immediately planted the seed. I think it may have worked as well. And, hey, that would be the easiest approach.

Whatever the case, we can easily see (or click on the photo and continue straining our eyes, we can see ;o) that the seed in the gel got a good head start on the seed conventionally sown. Those plants at the top of the photo will be fine but they are still tiny, tiny things after over 3 weeks.

Next year, IÂll try carrots Â Shelley, how are yours?

DigitSÂ

Here is a link that might be useful: Original fluid seeding thread

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Comments (6)

jaliranchr
16 years ago
Steve, I had unsprouted seeds in with sprouted seeds that I spread and a few carrots are poking their noses up now. I half suspect the results are what you have discovered that the sprouting is not going so well, but the gel as a medium to spread the itty bitty seeds does seem to help. Mine wasn't a controlled experiment because of the wacky weather and not getting things in the ground earlier than I did.

I still think this method might have some value but not exactly as they describe on the CSU web page.

You did just fine with your picture! It is interesting that the seeds in gel did better than the straight planted seed. That's encouraging.
david52 Zone 6
16 years ago
Steve, how did you germinate the seeds in the first place? At what point did you pop them into the glop? I have never, ever, been able to grow carrots here, the seeds and soil just dry out too fast.

I'm about to start a flat of beet seeds, our weather went from snow storm this past weekend to forecast 85Âº highs all the next week.
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digit
Original Author
16 years ago
We've just had one of those 80 plus days, now it's supposed to be 10 degrees cooler. A little windy but real pretty.

If my interpretation is correct, sprouted seeds had better go into the gel and immediately into the ground. And, they may not like that treatment, either. So I don't plan on pre-sprouting again.

I was greatly encouraged by how quickly the unsprouted/gelled seed emerged. I doubt if there's any reason not to just shake them into your baggie of gel and squeeze them into the drill immediately (squish 'em around in there to mix :o).

The sprouted seed was allowed to germinate between paper towels and "flicked" off the towels into the gel with the end of a knife. There's a possibility that I damaged the sprout doing this but I saw no other way. Whatever the case, getting only 2 plants indicates that something seriously went wrong. Either the sprouts didn't like the gel at all, I damaged them beyond life flicking them into the gel, or they died during the 24 hours they spent in the fridge.

Altho' lettuce was used here, I think carrots are eminently worth a try for any of us (self included) who has difficulty getting naked carrot seed to emerge.

DigitS'
luckybottom
16 years ago
Steve,
Didn't know we were going to have to get this forum rated: "NAKED CARROTS". What next...

The picture is wonderful and well worth your efforts. I believe you have proven, at least to me, that this idea is wlll worth a try. Especially that I have not gotten the carrots in the ground yet.

Thanks for linking the original thread. It sure saves tons of time looking things up!

Bonnie
david52 Zone 6
16 years ago
Maybe I'll try mine with lime jello, just like the making one of those good old jello salads, green with grated orange carrots.

Arrrrrrg. I just planted my new flower bed with a couple flats of deep bronze snap dragons, gobs of orange sedum, with blue Salvia in the back ground, and that took most of the day, and then when I need to water it all in, the irrigation water shuts off.
digit
Original Author
16 years ago
The cornstarch gel is easy peasy altho' entirely unappetizing.

I haven't got the irrigation on in the smaller gardens. Using the house water there is killing me and might soon be killing the plants. Only one rainbird sprinkler can operate at a time and that means not only that everything sloooooows down but I'm out there watering the corners by hand . . . of course, the 1 sprinkler can't run while I'm doing that . . .

Thankfully, I got the irrigation in the large garden turned on this week. Out there, I can run 2 sprinklers from the house water and about 1000 feet of hose . . . however . . . 17,000 feet ain't goin' to get watered with 2 itty bitty garden sprinklers. I just gotta have the field equipment and the 4 inch guns. Ultima ratio regum.

D'S'
The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new.
~ Samuel Beckett