Re: Q's about growing sunny microgreens & fertalizer& species

[Guest guest]

Lee - once a seed sprouts, it starts out putting down various kinds and sizes of

roots.  These roots take energy first from the seed THEN from the ground and

use sunlight to grow - that's the cool part about chlorophyll -- it takes the

stuff in the soil and the energy in the sunlight, and turns it into

'plant-stuff' that we eat. Here's some ideas that might help you -- or not. 

While very few plants can withstand continual cutting (and some DEMAND it) you'd

be VERY surprised at what HUGE quantities can be produced if you give your

seedling food and energy -- AND a chance to get a 'foothold'. (roots+foliage). 

A the end I mention that I have a couple of rows of 'lettuce like' plants that I

sometimes am FORCED to cut because I just am tired of eating them, and they NEED

to be cut. 

I'd respectfully disagree with the generalized implied statement that plants

have a VERY limited life-time.  Just look at a well-kept pasture most plants

put down VERY deep roots and while you can't easily accommodate that unless you

have access to real outdoor soil, keeping the root bed un-soggy with a good

supply of oxygen and MULTIPLE forms of nutrients (remembering that nitrogen

needs to be present in both the  -ate and -ite forms -- if you give enough

bottom growth and good sunlight you'll find that you might be able to correct

the 'spindly' 4-4-5th growth.  And as the plant acclimates to it's environment,

it will begin to adapt it's growing patterns. 

Not all plants can do this, as some have 'growth' hormones in the tips of the

leaves or branches and this takes a LOT of energy to produce, so production

might slow down -- and then you make the trade-off - bye part of your growing

area, plant new crop in another, and keep the other for your growing crops. 

Soil DOES need to rest -- just as we all do.  A LOT of micro-biotic activity

goes on in the absence of active growth and a 'cover-crop' that will be tilled

into the field that you 'bye' will put out an amazing amount of nutrients for

your next crops given time.

This is why you can't live on a Vitamin pill a day and a quarter of a can of

soy, bean-corn, or tuna a day.  There is a LOT more to 'life' and 'growing'

than a single source of nutrition. 

If you are into aquaculture, you are aware of how complex the process can

become, and how long it takes to really 'stabilize' the system to where it takes

very little in-put from you. 

When my mom was around we had several large fish tanks - and the larger they

are, the less often you need to clean them -- we got our 800 and our 1200 gallon

tank down to once a year, though that was simply because my mom really felt it

should be cleaned - and it took us about 3 years to get the 'balance' -- the

deal breaker was growing sweet-potatoes in the tank - the roots formed a very

nice hiding place for a lot of the fish, gave some fish an expanded diet, and

most importantly took out a lot of the 'contaminants' (not just solid waste, but

ammonia produced from the break down or urea, etc, etc) and turned the

'contaminants' into roots, and leaves, we used multiple plants we found would

grow over time - and many helped cover up the super-bright windows in the summer

keeping out direct sunlight - and in the winter we simply pared back the leaves

and allowed them to grow.  So we had a nearly self-perpetuating self-cleaning

could have been

food-producing fish tank. 

You can do the same thing -- just remember to add stones like pumice or peralite

to hold and trap both air and water - and check out the use of hydrogen peroxide

in VERY weak solutions to deliver oxygen directly to the roots - but remember -

smaller more frequent applications, like with fertilizers, is more beneficial in

many cases than delivering it according to directions -- which is mean to cut

down on the time you spend caring for your plants - just as it will burn the

mucous membranes if used full strength, it will do the same to fragile new roots

- so read up on what you are doing and adjust your treatment accordinly -- you

don't WANT sterile soil - you want the soil to become self-sustaining -- and a

lot of the 'bad' bacteria that will attack your roots are 'anaerobic' - they

thrive in a non-oxygen atmosphere - but you DO have oxygen in your soil -- so

you don't have to worry, natural competition will give you the right balance

over time -- thus

your need to 'bye' a field.

And heck, a fish pump pumping O2 into a 'catch-sump' if that's your MO for a

quasi-hydroponic garden, will turn that into SUPER tea fertilizer for your

plants - just keep it dilute or you may burn the leaves or roots! -- 

So just give a thought to HOW your are growing your plants if yo are doing, say

a 'lettice' harvest -- I've seen a lettice garden produce for well over six

months before it became time to 'bye' part of the container, and get ready to

replant it - and just as the area is smaller, the time is shorter as well -- the

depth of the soil, and how strong your roots are to filter the soil will play a

part in 'how long' -- each person has their own way to garden - and their own

'set up' of how they grow.  I have three rows of 'micro-greens' - I never think

that word, I think of 'lettice and related plants' -- that grows from late

September through early July when I thin them out and let them bolt to seed. 

And they sit about 2 inches or so high - and just keep giving and giving -- then

it's too hot and EVERYTHING from cool wheather BOLTS - be it in the shade or

under shade cloth - So I have some salad every day or so, often am forced to

harvest and feed to

chickens, and my rows of super crowded greens simply keep on giving - all I do

is keep the plants happy and with enough green that they produce enough energy

to make new leaves and use the food their roots get.

Not everyone has the luxury of real ground -- but I figure if I can get a bunch

of garden plants to grow up a sunny window every summer for 6-8 years or however

long mom and I had the fish tanks -- then keeping a small micro-field of

micro-greens growing should not be too diffiuclt -- if the plants are happy, and

are of the kind that can adapt to close-cropping -  THIS is where a close

relationship with your friendly nurseryman would come in handy -- they might

know of a variety that can withstand close cropping -- heck, I use 6 kinds of

" alfalfa " in some of my pasture mixes - I'm sure your nursery man can tell you

which species is most suited for your growing conditions - there are a LOT of

alfalfa's which wont' grow worth crap in some of my soils or condtions.

Dream Well. Travel Well.  May you Walk Your Path in Beauty.

" Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. " Carl Sagan.

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>To: sproutpeople

>Sent: Sunday, March 4, 2012 12:58 PM

>Subject: Re: Q's about growing sunny microgreens

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>I've used coir for more than 10 years and I have never seen anybody ever advise

to wash salt out of it. I thought that was funny when Melody said it; five

minutes before they had no idea of what she was talking about and then they

propose to tell her how to best use it after she finds it herself. I've never

washed it but if you want to nobody can stop you. I advise not adding any

fertilizer to your sunflower shoots, you are only going to cut them once and the

seed has enough energy to last the the number of days to get that one cutting.

Pea shoots on the other hand last for several cuttings and if you use a little

liquid kelp you may be able to get a fourth or fifth cutting. Be advised that

each successive cutting is a bit weaker (as in, more spindly) than the last as

the seed keeps losing strength progressively.

>Lee

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>> I saw the thing about salt on YouTube. I will check out past messages about

this...do I think its easier to use cour or soil? I have organic soil too, but

its miracle grow & I think it has fertilizer added...

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