#germination

[charnel-grounds]

Odilon Redon (1840–1916), “Germination”

from ‘Dans le rêve’ series

lithograph, 1879

[unbfacts]

In 1879, Michigan State botanist William J. Beal buried glass bottles filled with sand and weed seeds to test how long seeds could stay alive underground. In 2021, researchers went out at 4 a.m. to secretly dig up one bottle, so nobody would find the hidden spot or disturb the other bottles. When they planted the seeds, some still sprouted after about 142 years underground.

[basnih-gifs]

Viridomyces Radiata.

[trifoliummellifera2ndbloom]

YOU WILL NEVER GUESS WHAT I SAW ON YHE NET THIS MORNING!

So! I was as I typically am, gossiping with my friends

We have this amazing Italian restaurant run by an Affini and her pet (best nutrient water ever!) BUT ANYWAY

Someone told me and then SHOWED ME a picture of my two favorite oblivious lesbians and Holy Horse.

KITTEN HAS HER EYES BACK AND EVERBLOOM IT IS SO CUTE!!!!!

I swear if that oblivious knot head does not domesticate her I WILL!

[hategarden]

Work in progress on a new design. These have not been blocked, since I frog them until they are perfect. (5th attempt shown)

I would like to make the skulls even smaller, and if possible, skinnier spaces between each one. Currenty researching how

[jensownzoo]

Yesterday was a bit too breezy to deal with opening the cold frames to transfer seedlings and stuff so I started today because I sowed the rest of the eggplant and pepper seeds I had in the germinating bags and wanted to move them onto the heating mat.

(Waiting patiently on a shelf in the warm bathroom).

Dug around in the fava bean pots that hadn't produced seedlings and two of the pots had rotted seeds and two of the pots had seeds sending out roots. So I removed the two duds and put the rest out in the cold frame to harden off. Going to try transplanting them out early next week under a row cover.

I also dug into the cells of spinach and didn't find any seeds so I assume they rotted. Added fresh seed and put them out in the cold frame to germinate just in case it was too hot for them indoors. The fall-sown Double Choice Hybrid spinach is due for another harvest as you can see. I've got lettuce so it will probably end up in a salad.

Took the three bok choy that germinated in the same cell and separated and repotted them. I dug in the cells with the cabbage and found intact seed, so I moved the pack to the cold frame and will wait a bit longer for germination (I already reseeded last week).

Beet snail moved to cold frame to harden off. Also hope to get these transplanted with the favas. Parsnip snail total failure—can't find evidence of the seeds. Reseeded and covered with fresh soil. I have never gotten parsnips to germinate, but I'll keep trying. Maybe it was too warm...

I did also move the snails with my singular leek and singular shallot to the cold frame as well. I don't have enough new seed to resow them so we'll just have to see if anything else shows up or not without further interference.

Lettuce seedlings are starting to pop up. I'll wait until the favas and beets are in the ground then move this pack to the cold frame. I think the lavender seed is starting to sprout but what's coming up looks so much like the random tiny plants that's sprouting from the non-sterile potting soil I'm using that I'm going to have to wait and see.

And now all the eggplant and peppers fit. (btw I keep the temperature probe for the rheostat clipped to a cup of water instead of in one of the cells because I move things around a lot and don't want the probe jostling delicate roots)

I have no more sifted potting soil leftover for tomatoes and flowers and herbs though. Going to raid a few pots holding defunct houseplants to see if I can't get a few packs filled for the tomatoes at least since I'd like to set up the germination bags for them in the next day or so. My tomato goal for this year are cherry/grape tomatoes for chicken snacks, currant tomatoes for the freezer, and one or two varieties good for "sun"-dried tomatoes. It would be a year to can pizza sauce but I came into a quantity of tomato paste (conventional) and it's pretty easy to whip up "fresh" pizza sauce in minutes using those so I'll use the space (and effort) for something else.

[madamlaydebug]

Sometimes, when you’re in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried, but actually you’ve been planted.

[kihaku-gato]

Getting to finally crack at plant handling again even if only for a little bit, but I've hit a bit of a mystery;

The nannyberry and wahoo seedlings halted thier growth under lights months ago; they were germinating/growing late spring but then just halted- this photo is on the nannyberries in October. I've never had this happen before. The pawpaw seedlings have grown moreso in comparison than either in the same space.

My only theory is that the growlight space has been too cool/cold (its in the basement by my bedroom, can't entirely be helped) and is the cause.

Should I get the heating pads out to try to warm things up and push growth or would it be too late considering it's october and these are temperate climate plants.