I went out to the greenhouse today and got busy starting some seeds. I
planted 3 kinds of onions, shallots, kohlrobi, 2 kinds of turnips,
cabbage, broccoli, beets and swiss chard.

I decided to go ahead and start them in the greenhouse since we are
already heating it to keep some citrus alive.
--
USA
North Carolina Foothills
USDA Zone 7a

In article ,
The Cook wrote:

I went out to the greenhouse today and got busy starting some seeds. I
planted 3 kinds of onions, shallots, kohlrobi, 2 kinds of turnips,
cabbage, broccoli, beets and swiss chard.

I decided to go ahead and start them in the greenhouse since we are
already heating it to keep some citrus alive.

I transplanted some volunteer potatoes yesterday to a new bed. It took
about an hour to prep and transplant. It's not as cold here as it is in
most of the country, but my fingers still hurt like hell afterwards. I
got 3 new germinating trays so I don't need to sterilize them with
chlorine before I use them. When I reuse them, they will get sterilized
first. Now all I need to do is sterilize some soil and I'm ready.

In the past, I've just filled the germinating cells with wet potting
soil, and then poked little holes in the potting mix to put my seeds
into. This year, I will pass some of the potting soil through a
strainer, and use this fine potting soil to sprinkle over seeds laid on
top of the wet soil in the germination cells. I hope this helps with
germination and pricking-out.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vN0--mHug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw

"Billy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
The Cook wrote:

I went out to the greenhouse today and got busy starting some seeds. I
planted 3 kinds of onions, shallots, kohlrobi, 2 kinds of turnips,
cabbage, broccoli, beets and swiss chard.

I decided to go ahead and start them in the greenhouse since we are
already heating it to keep some citrus alive.

I transplanted some volunteer potatoes yesterday to a new bed. It took
about an hour to prep and transplant. It's not as cold here as it is in
most of the country, but my fingers still hurt like hell afterwards. I
got 3 new germinating trays so I don't need to sterilize them with
chlorine before I use them. When I reuse them, they will get sterilized
first. Now all I need to do is sterilize some soil and I'm ready.

In the past, I've just filled the germinating cells with wet potting
soil, and then poked little holes in the potting mix to put my seeds
into. This year, I will pass some of the potting soil through a
strainer, and use this fine potting soil to sprinkle over seeds laid on
top of the wet soil in the germination cells. I hope this helps with
germination and pricking-out.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vN0--mHug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw

Billy, what process do you use to sterilize soil? I've got some beautiful
leaf mold, but it's full of weed seeds.

"Steve Peek" wrote:
"Billy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
The Cook wrote:

I went out to the greenhouse today and got busy starting some seeds. I
planted 3 kinds of onions, shallots, kohlrobi, 2 kinds of turnips,
cabbage, broccoli, beets and swiss chard.

I decided to go ahead and start them in the greenhouse since we are
already heating it to keep some citrus alive.

I transplanted some volunteer potatoes yesterday to a new bed. It took
about an hour to prep and transplant. It's not as cold here as it is in
most of the country, but my fingers still hurt like hell afterwards. I
got 3 new germinating trays so I don't need to sterilize them with
chlorine before I use them. When I reuse them, they will get sterilized
first. Now all I need to do is sterilize some soil and I'm ready.

In the past, I've just filled the germinating cells with wet potting
soil, and then poked little holes in the potting mix to put my seeds
into. This year, I will pass some of the potting soil through a
strainer, and use this fine potting soil to sprinkle over seeds laid on
top of the wet soil in the germination cells. I hope this helps with
germination and pricking-out.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vN0--mHug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw

Billy, what process do you use to sterilize soil? I've got some beautiful
leaf mold, but it's full of weed seeds.

I asked him that same question a few years back... His response...A
toaster oven.
It is after all a simple but effective solution. Far better that pouring
boiling water over the soil like I use to do.

--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)

In article ,
Nad R wrote:

"Steve Peek" wrote:
"Billy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
The Cook wrote:

I went out to the greenhouse today and got busy starting some seeds. I
planted 3 kinds of onions, shallots, kohlrobi, 2 kinds of turnips,
cabbage, broccoli, beets and swiss chard.

I decided to go ahead and start them in the greenhouse since we are
already heating it to keep some citrus alive.

I transplanted some volunteer potatoes yesterday to a new bed. It took
about an hour to prep and transplant. It's not as cold here as it is in
most of the country, but my fingers still hurt like hell afterwards. I
got 3 new germinating trays so I don't need to sterilize them with
chlorine before I use them. When I reuse them, they will get sterilized
first. Now all I need to do is sterilize some soil and I'm ready.

In the past, I've just filled the germinating cells with wet potting
soil, and then poked little holes in the potting mix to put my seeds
into. This year, I will pass some of the potting soil through a
strainer, and use this fine potting soil to sprinkle over seeds laid on
top of the wet soil in the germination cells. I hope this helps with
germination and pricking-out.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vN0--mHug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw

Billy, what process do you use to sterilize soil? I've got some beautiful
leaf mold, but it's full of weed seeds.

I asked him that same question a few years back... His response...A
toaster oven.
It is after all a simple but effective solution. Far better that pouring
boiling water over the soil like I use to do.

Yeah, a toaster oven set to 200F for 30 min. Potting soil is in a metal
bowl. A germination tray hold about a half gallon of soil (1.9 L). It
takes a temp of 181F (83C) for 20 min. to sterilize. The extra time is
for the temp to penetrate the soil.

Thanks for helping out Dan. Way to go Nad.
--
- Billy
"When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist."
-Archbishop Helder Camara
http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html

"Billy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Nad R wrote:

"Steve Peek" wrote:
"Billy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
The Cook wrote:

I went out to the greenhouse today and got busy starting some seeds.
I
planted 3 kinds of onions, shallots, kohlrobi, 2 kinds of turnips,
cabbage, broccoli, beets and swiss chard.

I decided to go ahead and start them in the greenhouse since we are
already heating it to keep some citrus alive.

I transplanted some volunteer potatoes yesterday to a new bed. It took
about an hour to prep and transplant. It's not as cold here as it is
in
most of the country, but my fingers still hurt like hell afterwards. I
got 3 new germinating trays so I don't need to sterilize them with
chlorine before I use them. When I reuse them, they will get
sterilized
first. Now all I need to do is sterilize some soil and I'm ready.

In the past, I've just filled the germinating cells with wet potting
soil, and then poked little holes in the potting mix to put my seeds
into. This year, I will pass some of the potting soil through a
strainer, and use this fine potting soil to sprinkle over seeds laid
on
top of the wet soil in the germination cells. I hope this helps with
germination and pricking-out.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vN0--mHug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw

Billy, what process do you use to sterilize soil? I've got some
beautiful
leaf mold, but it's full of weed seeds.

I asked him that same question a few years back... His response...A
toaster oven.
It is after all a simple but effective solution. Far better that pouring
boiling water over the soil like I use to do.

Yeah, a toaster oven set to 200F for 30 min. Potting soil is in a metal
bowl. A germination tray hold about a half gallon of soil (1.9 L). It
takes a temp of 181F (83C) for 20 min. to sterilize. The extra time is
for the temp to penetrate the soil.

Thanks for helping out Dan. Way to go Nad.
--
- Billy
"When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why
the poor have no food, they call you a communist."
-Archbishop Helder Camara
http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html

THANKS!

Nad R wrote:
"Steve Peek" wrote:

Billy, what process do you use to sterilize soil? I've got some beautiful
leaf mold, but it's full of weed seeds.

I asked him that same question a few years back... His response...A
toaster oven. It is after all a simple but effective solution.

I had thought in terms of letting the composting process run to
completion. Last year's composting pile turned the year it cooked is
this year's compost ready for use. Effective when you have the open
space available. I did some composting when I had a back yard. I
recently switched to an apartment with a desk so there's no more room.

I wondered if the toaster oven would work for seeds. Some seeds can
survive drying out. When I read it I thought it was for mold, fungus
and whatever. Toaster oven is clever for small amounts - Thanx!

Doug Freyburger wrote:
Nad R wrote:
"Steve Peek" wrote:

Billy, what process do you use to sterilize soil? I've got some beautiful
leaf mold, but it's full of weed seeds.

I asked him that same question a few years back... His response...A
toaster oven. It is after all a simple but effective solution.

I had thought in terms of letting the composting process run to
completion. Last year's composting pile turned the year it cooked is
this year's compost ready for use. Effective when you have the open
space available. I did some composting when I had a back yard. I
recently switched to an apartment with a desk so there's no more room.

I wondered if the toaster oven would work for seeds. Some seeds can
survive drying out. When I read it I thought it was for mold, fungus
and whatever. Toaster oven is clever for small amounts - Thanx!

Hmm... If you have a balcony, I would do it outside. It can stink up your
home.
It's not like home made bread.

--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)

In article ,
Doug Freyburger wrote:

Nad R wrote:
"Steve Peek" wrote:

Billy, what process do you use to sterilize soil? I've got some beautiful
leaf mold, but it's full of weed seeds.

I asked him that same question a few years back... His response...A
toaster oven. It is after all a simple but effective solution.

I had thought in terms of letting the composting process run to
completion. Last year's composting pile turned the year it cooked is
this year's compost ready for use. Effective when you have the open
space available. I did some composting when I had a back yard. I
recently switched to an apartment with a desk so there's no more room.

I wondered if the toaster oven would work for seeds. Some seeds can
survive drying out. When I read it I thought it was for mold, fungus
and whatever. Toaster oven is clever for small amounts - Thanx!

Doug, what do you want to do with the seeds? If you plan on these seeds
being fertile after getting the shake and bake treatment, I'd forget the
oven. Failing that, use a thick wall container and see what happens at
100F (Do they go that low? hmmm.)

Try to mimic what the seeds would experience in their native habitat.
Don't heat 24hr/day.

Somewhere on the net there are instructions for making a solar food
drier. I made something similar last year for drying herbs. It is
basically a box with one transparent side, and the side opposite the
transparent side should be black, and there should be a small hole on
top, and a large hole on the bottom. When the transparent side faces the
sun, the air heats, the water evaporates, the warm moist air goes up and
out the hole on top, and dry cool air is sucked into the bottom of the
box.
http://www.i4at.org/surv/soldehyd.htm
or more generally
http://www.dehydratorbook.com/homemade-dehydrator.html
--
- Billy
"When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist."
-Archbishop Helder Camara
http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html

Billy wrote:
Doug Freyburger wrote:
Nad R wrote:

toaster oven

I wondered if the toaster oven would work for seeds.

Also thanks to Nad R for the hilarious image of baking my dirt in the
kitchen oven. Much more entertaining than my previous thought of using
the propane grill on the deck as an oven.

Doug, what do you want to do with the seeds?

Kill the weed ones to reuse last year's topsoil.

In article ,
Doug Freyburger wrote:

Billy wrote:
Doug Freyburger wrote:
Nad R wrote:

toaster oven

I wondered if the toaster oven would work for seeds.

Also thanks to Nad R for the hilarious image of baking my dirt in the
kitchen oven. Much more entertaining than my previous thought of using
the propane grill on the deck as an oven.

Doug, what do you want to do with the seeds?

Kill the weed ones to reuse last year's topsoil.

How much topsoil are we talkin' here?
--
- Billy
"When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist."
-Archbishop Helder Camara
http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html

Doug Freyburger wrote:
Billy wrote:
Doug Freyburger wrote:
Nad R wrote:

toaster oven

I wondered if the toaster oven would work for seeds.

Also thanks to Nad R for the hilarious image of baking my dirt in the
kitchen oven. Much more entertaining than my previous thought of using
the propane grill on the deck as an oven.

Absolutely... baking cloche for outdoor grills and pizza stones. Outdoor
grills can provide constant high heat over 500 degrees and higher and often
does a better job than the on/off heat of indoor gas ovens. Outdoor grills
with the clay cloche work fine for baking breads and pizzas.

However the other side of the planet... Never cook dirt in your clay pots
it will wreck your pot with baked on dirt inside it and may never get rid
of the smell. Use those steel bowls for dirt. On the other hand how about
those inexpensive outdoor fire pits?

There is the time honored method of pouring boiling water onto your soil,
not as effective but better than nothing.

--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)

On Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:37:39 -0800, Billy
wrote:

In article ,
Nad R wrote:

"Steve Peek" wrote:
"Billy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
The Cook wrote:

I went out to the greenhouse today and got busy starting some seeds. I
planted 3 kinds of onions, shallots, kohlrobi, 2 kinds of turnips,
cabbage, broccoli, beets and swiss chard.

I decided to go ahead and start them in the greenhouse since we are
already heating it to keep some citrus alive.

I transplanted some volunteer potatoes yesterday to a new bed. It took
about an hour to prep and transplant. It's not as cold here as it is in
most of the country, but my fingers still hurt like hell afterwards. I
got 3 new germinating trays so I don't need to sterilize them with
chlorine before I use them. When I reuse them, they will get sterilized
first. Now all I need to do is sterilize some soil and I'm ready.

In the past, I've just filled the germinating cells with wet potting
soil, and then poked little holes in the potting mix to put my seeds
into. This year, I will pass some of the potting soil through a
strainer, and use this fine potting soil to sprinkle over seeds laid on
top of the wet soil in the germination cells. I hope this helps with
germination and pricking-out.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vN0--mHug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw

Billy, what process do you use to sterilize soil? I've got some beautiful
leaf mold, but it's full of weed seeds.

I asked him that same question a few years back... His response...A
toaster oven.
It is after all a simple but effective solution. Far better that pouring
boiling water over the soil like I use to do.

Yeah, a toaster oven set to 200F for 30 min. Potting soil is in a metal
bowl. A germination tray hold about a half gallon of soil (1.9 L). It
takes a temp of 181F (83C) for 20 min. to sterilize. The extra time is
for the temp to penetrate the soil.

Thanks for helping out Dan. Way to go Nad.

What kink of potting soil do you use?
--
USA
North Carolina Foothills
USDA Zone 7a

In article ,
The Cook wrote:

On Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:37:39 -0800, Billy
wrote:

In article ,
Nad R wrote:

"Steve Peek" wrote:
"Billy" wrote in message
..
.
In article ,
The Cook wrote:

I went out to the greenhouse today and got busy starting some seeds. I
planted 3 kinds of onions, shallots, kohlrobi, 2 kinds of turnips,
cabbage, broccoli, beets and swiss chard.

I decided to go ahead and start them in the greenhouse since we are
already heating it to keep some citrus alive.

I transplanted some volunteer potatoes yesterday to a new bed. It took
about an hour to prep and transplant. It's not as cold here as it is in
most of the country, but my fingers still hurt like hell afterwards. I
got 3 new germinating trays so I don't need to sterilize them with
chlorine before I use them. When I reuse them, they will get sterilized
first. Now all I need to do is sterilize some soil and I'm ready.

In the past, I've just filled the germinating cells with wet potting
soil, and then poked little holes in the potting mix to put my seeds
into. This year, I will pass some of the potting soil through a
strainer, and use this fine potting soil to sprinkle over seeds laid on
top of the wet soil in the germination cells. I hope this helps with
germination and pricking-out.
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vN0--mHug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw

Billy, what process do you use to sterilize soil? I've got some
beautiful
leaf mold, but it's full of weed seeds.

I asked him that same question a few years back... His response...A
toaster oven.
It is after all a simple but effective solution. Far better that pouring
boiling water over the soil like I use to do.

Yeah, a toaster oven set to 200F for 30 min. Potting soil is in a metal
bowl. A germination tray hold about a half gallon of soil (1.9 L). It
takes a temp of 181F (83C) for 20 min. to sterilize. The extra time is
for the temp to penetrate the soil.

Thanks for helping out Dan. Way to go Nad.

What kink of potting soil do you use?

Gardner & Bloome
and thanks for the article on the FSMA bill.
--
- Billy
"When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist."
-Archbishop Helder Camara
http://peace.mennolink.org/articles/...acegroups.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth...130964689.html

Billy wrote:
Doug Freyburger wrote:

Kill the weed ones to reuse last year's topsoil.

How much topsoil are we talkin' here?

Now that I live in an apartment with a deck, two buckets worth about the
size I can just barely loop my arms around. Several times less than I
used when I had a place with a back yard. Reusing the dirt becomes
something fun to do to have keep some planting skills from
dissappearing.