I seeded the onions and leeks today. According to my calendar, yesterday afternoon through Saturday the moon is in Virgo and it is a good time for planting/seeding/transplanting rooting crops. I have two different kinds of onions: Copra and Red Bull. For each kind I planted 5 seeds in each 2″ soil block. I will thin them to 4 seedlings and then plant the blocks 12 inches apart in 12 inch rows in the garden. Onions and leeks grow well in bunches like this and take up the same amount of room in the garden as if you had planted them in individual block, but take less seedling block space (so instead of having 160 soil blocks with one seedling each, I only have 40 seedling blocks with 4 seedlings each, and will produce the same amount of onions.) The leeks (King Sieg) will be planted 4 seeds per 2″ soil block and planted in the garden 8″ apart in 16″ rows.
LizzyLaneFarm asked about watering the soil blocks…. they are made extremely moist and hold water very well. They also have a high peat percentage so they don’t fall apart easily. I will put the seeds in the indentation and the book recommends not even covering them. I’ll simply mist them occasionally to keep them moist. This is my first year using the block maker and soil recipe, so we’ll see how it goes. My brother-in-law has used this recipe before and said he doesn’t have to water them much because they hold so much moisture.
When watering these cubes before they have sprouted use caution on the unburied seeds. I have had problems with the seeds floating out of the holes and disappearing. Also Coleman has some seeds that he recommends covering and some that he doesn’t. I have solved this floating problem by watering with a mister instead of a watering can. If the cubes do dry out they are rather difficult to re-wet so start watering them about a week after they have been in the sun.
Joseph
Thanks Joseph! (my brother-in-law)
I didn’t know you read my blog!
Yeah, I’m using a mister to keep them moist. If I need more water than the mister can supply, I was planning on watering from the bottom. We’ll see how it goes.
This is great to know, thanks for taking the time to explaine it for me. What a good thing to put 4 seedlings in each pot, I would have tried to plant them in bunches with all those little pots crowded together.
Now I only wish some one here would eat onions so I could grow some too…
Keep us updated if you can I know you will be very busy soon.
Thanks again
Karyn
I’m so excited to get my seedlings going! Especially with all these beautiful sunny days we’ve been having out here!! I’m excited to learn from your journey, since I have NOOOO idea what I’m doing 🙂