On 14/05/2015 15:10, John Rye wrote:
Hello Stuart

In article ,
stuart noble wrote:
On 10/05/2015 10:12, Derek wrote:
On Sat, 09 May 2015 21:22:46 +0100, stuart noble
wrote:


That is interesting. I suppose we are conditioned to think plants need
fresh air. I imagine the glass steams up so you can't see what's
happening inside?

Have grown fuchsia cuttings this way since seeing a grower on TV using
coffee jars in the 1970's . The advantages are that the cutting, is
protected from drafts, once it has taken up the water its needs, the
water is recycled out of the leafs down the glass and back up into
the roots.
The glass does not steam up, as too much water would make the cuttings
rot off, the secret is to water well, seal up the jar, and then the
important bit, go back two days later, remove all excess water, wipe
out, any sitting water, then reseal and it will not need any further
care, till the cutting is big enough to move on, and in the winter
that can be months .


Thanks for the detailed explanation. I've been growing sweet peas in
transparent sandwich bags, hung on hooks, which I suppose amounts to the
same thing, except that I've always punctured the sides for ventilation.
This time I've pinched out regularly so the current crop are very
sturdy. However, I always lose a few to mildew, so I will follow your
advice next winter.
Anyone without a vast collection of jars wishing to try the Wardian Case
principle (thanks Chris) might consider my cheating method. I use
Sainsburys large tie handle food bags.

Please can you expand your explanation a bit. I am right in assuming that you
are sowing the sweet pea seeds in a small amount of compost in the bottom of
the bag ? If so about how much ?

John


I've refined my system a bit over the years and I now use 20 oz foam
cups (polystyrene) 6" tall (#). I punch drainage holes in the cup and
fill it to the brim (*) with compost, put it in the food bag, and hang
it by its handles on a hook with a peg at the top to keep the rain out.
I have a long shelf on a south facing wall so the front edge of that is
an ideal spot.
About now the foliage is at the top of the bag despite pinching back 3-4
times since Feb, so what I do next is sink a new cup in the final
position and water in the soil around it. Then I rotate and remove the
cup, so that the hole is a perfect fit for the seedling. Rightly or
wrongly I suspect sweet peas hate root disturbance, and this way I can
just drop the whole thing into the hole.
Compared to the garden centre seedlings, I have to say mine are bigger
and sturdier, so I feel it's worth the hassle. I'm sure the snails will
agree!

(#) I imagine this keeps the compost slightly warmer
(*) this is so that when tapping the seedling out the top of the compost
is flat on your hand