Seeds start by soaking in a hydrogen peroxide solution. I fill the small coin baggies with seeds full with the solution and squeeze any air out of the baggies. I then put the baggies in a small container and fill it to the top with the same solution so that the baggies are floating in it. I have found this to keep them from losing the solution while sprouting. I leave them in the fridge soaking until most of the cross has sprouted. I then plant te whole cross. They seem to sprout better in the fridge than out of it.
After seeds have soaked and sprouted in the hydrogen peroxide solution while in the fridge, they are planted in storage tubs that have holes drilled in the bottom. They are also covered with plastic wrap.
(This takes place at the end of January early February.)
The seedlings growing under the plastic wrap. The white labels and the dividers are made by cutting up window blinds. I write the crosses on them with a Sharpie Marker.
Sneaking a peak ;)
Still growing!
The plastic wrap stays on them until they start to push it off.
Growing indoors on a stand with grow lights on 24 hours.
Seedlings go out in an unheated greenhouse to keep growing and harden off until they can be planted outside.
The seedlings get pinned with metal markers prior to pulling the block of them out of the tub, rinsing off the roots while pulling them apart to be planted.
Seedlings being lined out to grow for the summer. I prefer to just use pinebark mulch instead of plastic. I find this works fairly well once they are weeded a couple of times.
The left is a row of seedlings weeded and mulched. The right shows just how fast the weeds can grow in the seedlings prior to being weeded. They are hiding in there somewhere, really.
First year seedlings all lined out growing nicely.
Second year seedlings in the spring ready to show off their first blooms in the summer.
