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Old 24-10-2011, 01:09 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible
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Default Indoor 'gardening' Q: how2spread soil in flats, well, flat? how to spread damp seed well?

I hope group doesn't mind a question about indoor gardening in flats
....

I know this might sound silly but in last year I've been growing
sprouts in flats with soil (wheatgrass, pea shoots, sunflower seed
sprouts), I've not found a solution to 2 final things that works
easily:

1. how to reduce "bumpiness" in soil I put in flats. No matter how
level and flat I believe soil to finally be, when I spread the seeds,
I really see the actual hills and valleys I really have.

2. Though I now don't dampen the soil and find everything grows
better, I do have to soak and then sprout the seeds for a couple fo
days. But haven't found easier way to spread the seeds than using a
cylindrical plastic bottle to spread the seed. Was just curious if
there was a more foolproof way.

Anyway, my last 2 lingering problems with growing sprouts in flats.
Hoping someone here knows a tip or trick to help.

Cheers.

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Old 24-10-2011, 03:43 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible
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Default Indoor 'gardening' Q: how2spread soil in flats, well, flat? how to spread damp seed well?

S.Rodgers wrote:
I hope group doesn't mind a question about indoor gardening in flats
...

I know this might sound silly but in last year I've been growing
sprouts in flats with soil (wheatgrass, pea shoots, sunflower seed
sprouts), I've not found a solution to 2 final things that works
easily:

1. how to reduce "bumpiness" in soil I put in flats. No matter how
level and flat I believe soil to finally be, when I spread the seeds,
I really see the actual hills and valleys I really have.


Take a straight dowel, ruler or whatever and run it across the tray on top
of the edges.

2. Though I now don't dampen the soil and find everything grows
better, I do have to soak and then sprout the seeds for a couple fo
days. But haven't found easier way to spread the seeds than using a
cylindrical plastic bottle to spread the seed. Was just curious if
there was a more foolproof way.


What is wrong with the method that you are using?

Anyway, my last 2 lingering problems with growing sprouts in flats.
Hoping someone here knows a tip or trick to help.

Cheers.


David

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Old 09-03-2012, 01:37 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible
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Default Indoor 'gardening' Q: how2spread soil in flats, well, flat? how to spread damp seed well?

On Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:43:03 +1100, "David Hare-Scott"
wrote:

S.Rodgers wrote:
I hope group doesn't mind a question about indoor gardening in flats
...

I know this might sound silly but in last year I've been growing
sprouts in flats with soil (wheatgrass, pea shoots, sunflower seed
sprouts), I've not found a solution to 2 final things that works
easily:

1. how to reduce "bumpiness" in soil I put in flats. No matter how
level and flat I believe soil to finally be, when I spread the seeds,
I really see the actual hills and valleys I really have.


Take a straight dowel, ruler or whatever and run it across the tray on top
of the edges.


Thanks for your response and sorry for delay in responding. Thanks
for the tip! It'll work.

2. Though I now don't dampen the soil and find everything grows
better, I do have to soak and then sprout the seeds for a couple fo
days. But haven't found easier way to spread the seeds than using a
cylindrical plastic bottle to spread the seed. Was just curious if
there was a more foolproof way.


What is wrong with the method that you are using?


I realized recently that it's the type of bottle I'm using since it's
a pill bottle. It's the right size but it's not evenly cylyndrical as
it has the knotches at the top. I'm thinking a cylindrical object
like the pestle part of a mortar and pestle will be better esp. if
it's not tapered in any way but a straight cylinder.

Anyway, my last 2 lingering problems with growing sprouts in flats.
Hoping someone here knows a tip or trick to help.

Cheers.


David


I found one thing that makes the whole spreading of the soil easier
despite it being counterintuitive. One day a couple of months ago I
just got so tired of fighting with evening out the slurry that in a
fit of disgruntlement, I spread the soil dry then added the soaked and
drained seeds/grains on top and spread out. That worked perfectly! I
thought the lack of watering would be a problem but it isn't. I leave
that first flat 24 hours before it gets its first watering and they do
perfectly! Also, since spreading the seeds is so much easier, they
spread better and much more evenly!

The only remaining issue is the slight unnevenness of the soil after
spreading remains so raking it level will work very well here, too.

Also, for other people growing soil-based sprouts to the degree I do,
watering has been a challenge but I recently found out about fogging
nozzles like I imagine the misters in grocery stores over vegetables
work, and I'm going to eventually buy one with a hose to attach to
bathroom faucet so that I can water much more easily and evenly.
Since I prefer to use closed gardening flats over the ones that have
drainage holes (difficult to drain these since we're indoors in one's
living space), it's very difficult to keep from overwatering.

Cheers. D
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