Board Sprouting Method

One of the greatest frustrations of my gardening is throwing $100 of seed into the ground only to never see them come up. There is a variety of reasons for this: poor seed (not usually the problem since I bought new seed), Critters, and letting the seeds dry out before sprouting has occurred. The following method helps to over come the seeds drying out.

1. Make a furrow with your hoe.
2. Run water down the furrow to soak the ground thoroughly.
3. Place the seeds on to of the wet furrow.
4. Cover the seeds with a layer of good compost
5. Cover the compost with DRY grass clippings.
6. Cover the furrow with a board. The board isn't laying on the seeds. The board keeps the ground from drying out.
7. When the seeds sprout remove the board so the new plants get sunlight.
8. Shade if the sun is too intense.

Sprouting Seeds in a cup

SPROUTING SEEDS IN A PLASTIC CUP
1. Start with a 16 oz plastic cup. Label the type of seed you are going to plant on the outside of the cup with a black marker.
2. Cut holes in the bottom of the cup with scissors. If you cut along the bottom corner, it is fairly easy to do. This allows for good drainage.
3. Put a good quality potting soil in a bucket. Add water and stir to create a consistent damp to wet mixture.
4. Fill the cup to within 3/4 inch of the top of the cup with the damp potting soil.
5. Place the seeds on top and cover with a small amount of potting soil according to the size of the seed.
6. Cover the top of the cup with clear plastic wrap and seal it in place with a rubber band.
7. Put the cup in a aluminum cooking sheet to catch any draining water.
8. Place in a location with 70 to 80 degree temperatures. It doesn't have to be in the dark.
9. After a few days immediately upon the emergence of the seed, remove the plastic wrap and put in a window where it will receive sunlight.
10. Cut a plastic milk jug in strips. Label the name of the plant seedling on the plastic strip and stick into the cup.
11. Transplant in the garden when the true leaves appear or when the temperature is right.
12. Do not feed the plant anything but water until the true leaves appear. After that you can feed with a very light solution of fertilizer.

SAUERKRAUT

Making sauerkraut is easy! Why make sauerkraut? Because you can and because some people actually like it and it is a way to use up all those cabbage from your garden.

Ingredients/equipment

1. Ceramic crock or food-grade plastic bucket about 1-gallon
2. Plate or bowl that fits into the crock
3. One head of cabbage
4. 3 tablespoons of sea salt
5. Plastic gloves

Alternate additions for a different flavor can be apples (whole or sliced, herbs and spices, onions, garlic,greens, brussels sprouts, turnips, beets,etc)

1. Chop or grate cabbage finely or coarsely, with or without hearts. Mix green and red cabbage to add variety.
2. Place chopped cabbage in the crock along with a little sea salt and some of the other ingredients as you go. Press down hard with your fist on the crock ingredients as you go. The salt pulls the water out of the cabbage and creates a brine in which the cabbage can ferment and sour without rotting. Brine inhibits organisms and enzymes that soften it.
3. When all of the cabbage is in the crock, cover with the bowl or plate and put a quart jar of water on top to serve as a weight that encourages the brine to pull water out of the cabbage.
4. Periodically press down on the weight to help the exchange of water into the salt brine until the brine rises above the cabbage. This can take up to 24 hours as the process is slow. If the brine does not rise above the top (ie must cover all the cabbage in the crock) in 24 hours, add enough Sea Salt water to bring the brine level above the top. Make the salt water by adding a teaspoon of Sea Salt to a cup of water and stir until it is totally dissolved.
5. Leave the crock to ferment in an unobtrusive corner of the kitchen where it won't be forgotten. Check it every day or two. The kraut needs to remain below the surface of the brine to allow for the anerobic digestion is happening.
6. A moldy scum will form on the top. DON'T WORRY! It is a normal part of the process. Just skim it off, wash the bowl and replace the weight. On the other hand, you really don't have to worry about it if you don't skim it off or not. You can in fact just let it form into a complete scum cover and it comes off easier.
7. Taste it after a few days. Take out some of it to eat if the taste is right and put it in the refrigerator. Leave the rest in the crock to continue changing in flavor.

ENJOY !! Try a different recipe next time.

September 2009

Pictures of September
The last of August and first part of September have been a lot of work!

• Picked up another load of chips and shredded them.
• Purchased a trailer load of manure from Pioneer Materials in Gilbert for $80.
• Rototilled the garden, spread a mixture of chips and manure
• Dug in the mixture
• Tried several different methods of sprouting
• Had a gardening class for ward members and neighbors.

I have been having some success in sprouting finally. You can get a more detailed description of what I ended up doing reviewing this section on sprouting: SPROUTING

I have sprouted Butternut squash both from what I harvested from a squash Edith bought at the store that we ate and some seeds that I bought from Henry Fields;

I have started the following in plastic cup planters: cauliflower, chard, Okra, Granex Onion, butternut squash, green onions, sweet pea, cabbage, armenian cucumber, straight 8 cucumber and egg plant. I have been pretty successful in getting them to sprout. Now we will see if I can successfully transplant them into the garden.

I also planted directly into the garden: butternut squash, green onions, zuchinni squash, chard and carrots. I am anxiously awaiting to see what happens. The planting method I tried is:

• Dig a furrow and let the water run slowing down it until the entire furrow is soaking wet.
• Please seeds in the bottom of the furrow.
• Cover seeds lightly with potting soil.
• Cover potting soil with dry grass clippings from mow job two weeks ago.
• Carefully water the furrow with a hand held wand.
• Place a board on top of the furrow, leaving a gap above the seeds.
• Drag dirt up to the edges of the board to trap air and moisture below the board.
• Pray

26 Sept 2009 Final Analysis: It is too hot to plant in September!!! I don't care what the charts say, it is too hot. I have done everything I can possibly do to cover the seeds, to keep the sun off, to keep them moist and have a great start. They sprouted, but in spite of me trying to shade them, I had to take flood irrigation in the yard followed by a very intense sun today and I think it has burned off nearly everything. I have very little to show for all my work. In addition the grapes vines are covered with bugs filling the air with flying insects.

It just isn't worth the hard work!!

Take a vacation and wait until October!

Pictures