- Thread starter
- #21
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
ok... it is time to fess up. I have been dreading this update, so as to keep the myth going for just a little while longer that I actually knew what I was doing here.
I screwed up... at least a couple of times if not more, and there have been some casualties. One of them was one of our brave Acapulco Gold plants, and in addition to her, her original sister has not been well.
I am sure you are saying by now, noooooo! Not in Emmie's garden! Well yeah... I can be such an idiot sometimes, it really astounds me that I have learned how to do anything complicated. So, here is my story... and I am sticking with it.
I am new to this organic soil thing. Before this I used simple things... tried and true and trusted soils, nute mixes and schedules... basically, I didn't have to think for myself. I just did what everyone else did, and it worked. For this round, thinking I was really catching onto this thing, I purchased a good OMRI approved organic soil to use as my base, and since its organic, didn't give it a second thought about using it to start my seeds in. I have always had good luck starting seeds right in soil... until now.
Then, introduce the cute little 2 oz solo cup mini's that I thought would be great seed starters. Cute does not always mean good folks, I use myself as a prime example of that. The little cups seem to have amplified the organic goodness in my organic soil, and I suspect that a lot of the problems were caused by a way too hot soil, needing to be watered way too often.
Please excuse the darkness... next shots will be brighter
It has been a horrendous 15 days around here in the veg tent. As soon as the burning became apparent, and 3 high quality seeds had problems right from the start, I knew I had shot myself in the foot. Here in the Gold section of the tent, we see my first experiment to figure out what was going on. After our clipped cotyledon Gold died, I planted a new Gold seed in a regular sized solo cup, layered properly as I have done many times in the past with supersoil on the bottom, base soil in the middle and starter soil on the top. The seed sprouted in 3 days and quickly established itself. She is now working on her first set of leaves and has almost caught up to her sister, the lone survivor of the failed planting in organic soil experiment.
Regarding the sick sister... As soon as I realized that she was struggling in the tiny cup, I transplanted her into a regular sized solo cup, still not thinking about the hotness of the soil. (it's organic, right?) So she got planted into supersoil in the bottom, and the same organic soil she was planted in. It was her who showed me the mistake was the soil. I almost thought I had lost her for about a week there, but I think she has started to grow again now.
We will see. This has been a mess. I am embarrassed to have had to show you this, but if you can't say I am a great gardener, at least you can say I am honest. grrr.
I hope your week has gone better than mine. We are on the mend here now, and all is ok. Time for another Emmie adage:
There are always penalties for mistakes, either in quality, quantity or time-Emilya
I screwed up... at least a couple of times if not more, and there have been some casualties. One of them was one of our brave Acapulco Gold plants, and in addition to her, her original sister has not been well.
I am sure you are saying by now, noooooo! Not in Emmie's garden! Well yeah... I can be such an idiot sometimes, it really astounds me that I have learned how to do anything complicated. So, here is my story... and I am sticking with it.
I am new to this organic soil thing. Before this I used simple things... tried and true and trusted soils, nute mixes and schedules... basically, I didn't have to think for myself. I just did what everyone else did, and it worked. For this round, thinking I was really catching onto this thing, I purchased a good OMRI approved organic soil to use as my base, and since its organic, didn't give it a second thought about using it to start my seeds in. I have always had good luck starting seeds right in soil... until now.
Then, introduce the cute little 2 oz solo cup mini's that I thought would be great seed starters. Cute does not always mean good folks, I use myself as a prime example of that. The little cups seem to have amplified the organic goodness in my organic soil, and I suspect that a lot of the problems were caused by a way too hot soil, needing to be watered way too often.
It has been a horrendous 15 days around here in the veg tent. As soon as the burning became apparent, and 3 high quality seeds had problems right from the start, I knew I had shot myself in the foot. Here in the Gold section of the tent, we see my first experiment to figure out what was going on. After our clipped cotyledon Gold died, I planted a new Gold seed in a regular sized solo cup, layered properly as I have done many times in the past with supersoil on the bottom, base soil in the middle and starter soil on the top. The seed sprouted in 3 days and quickly established itself. She is now working on her first set of leaves and has almost caught up to her sister, the lone survivor of the failed planting in organic soil experiment.
Regarding the sick sister... As soon as I realized that she was struggling in the tiny cup, I transplanted her into a regular sized solo cup, still not thinking about the hotness of the soil. (it's organic, right?) So she got planted into supersoil in the bottom, and the same organic soil she was planted in. It was her who showed me the mistake was the soil. I almost thought I had lost her for about a week there, but I think she has started to grow again now.
We will see. This has been a mess. I am embarrassed to have had to show you this, but if you can't say I am a great gardener, at least you can say I am honest. grrr.
I hope your week has gone better than mine. We are on the mend here now, and all is ok. Time for another Emmie adage:
There are always penalties for mistakes, either in quality, quantity or time-Emilya