RE: Gardening Report And The Painful Truth
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Growing outdoor using (soil) the conventional method is very challenging as we do not have full control of the environment. We constantly have to look out for insects, snails, birds, flies, and other airborne plant diseases. With greenhouses, at least we have better control of the environment, although it does not guarantee 100% protection.
Before we start planting, we always test our seeds for germination rate. There are 2 ways to test the viability of your seeds:
- The quick and easiest method is to soak your seeds in a glass of water for some time and choose the ones that sink. This method is not always accurate.
- The other method is to place your seeds on a folded paper towel and spray the surface of the paper towel until they are damp (not too wet or dripping). Place the damp paper towel inside a ziplock plastic bag and store it in a dark and warm place. Depending on the type of your seeds, you should see them start to crack and germinate. The germination times of different seeds vary. You need to make sure the paper towel is always damp. Once your seeds start growing the root system, you can transfer them to a pot or anywhere.
I understand there are many misconceptions about hydroponic nutrients that are considered unnatural. But we must realize that the chemical content in these nutrients is exactly the same as that in the soil. Plants may not be able to absorb these nutrients if they are of different types. People who think hydroponic nutrients are unnatural would also be against taking supplemental vitamins. I'm curious to know what these people would take to supplement if their bodies lack calcium. Would they take calcium-rich vitamins or find other sources of calcium in nature, ie: eggshells?
I have nothing against traditional agriculture, but as you pointed out: "Life teaches you a lesson every time something unexpected and unprecedented happens, you just have to pay attention and learn from it." In hydroponics with greenhouses, you can better control the environment and manipulate the nutrient intake of your plants for optimal yield and better quality. With the growing population and lesser space to grow food, we have to think of a better way of agriculture.😊
I understand that and agree with you as it's all true. However, compared to previous years, say 10 or 15 years, the situation is much worse and all due to extreme heat during summer, which is not coincidental as it comes back regularly every year now it seems.
The testing methods are a good idea, you just have to see which one works for you as some seeds are so tiny you cant even pick one as they are of the size of finely ground salt.
The new methods are definitely the future, no one can deny that. The problem is to make such an investment you need first of all time, space and money. We have space and money, but time is something that is limited, as this is my dad's so called playground :) He's doing this as a hobby, which is therapeutic for him as well as he's retired, but I'm not going to continue, if he will not be able to anymore.
Si indeed, if you want to focus on growing fruits and veggies and you're starting out now, it worth thinking of investing in greenhouses and hydroponics.
Thanks for the nice and valuable comment.
You're right! The testing method is not 100% foolproof as it will have problems when the seeds' size is minuscule. My late mother also enjoyed gardening very much. I had introduced her to hydroponics also but she found it too complicated. The traditional way was more enjoyable for her.
The weather is also another major factor in determining your harvest quality and quantity. We have a fresh vegetable business and we partner with many traditional farmers. We noticed that during the rainy season, the supply of fresh vegetables is somewhat reduced due to many crop failures from roots rot and/or lack of sunlight. When we discussed with farmers about hydroponics and greenhouses, their main obstacle was initial capital.
Here's another tip I want to share. I'm not sure if it's available in your country, but this is what we use for our outdoor garden. Fruit fly trap – it does not completely eradicate fruit flies, but it helps reduce their numbers. If you can't find Petrogenol, here's an article to how you can do it yourself.
Thanks for sharing. I enjoy our discussion very much. Good luck with the next season's harvest, and happy gardening.😊
We have four seasons here in Europe, but that is only theoretically as global warming has changed that and spring is now very rare or very short.
So when we're talking about gardening seasons that means from March to October but obviously not for every fruit or vegetable.
Thanks for the recommendation. Fortunately we only have raspberries, currants and grapes, so it's not a big problem for us.
Good luck with your plans as I know they are big and thanks for the constructive and helpful conversation 😀