Sowing Seeds using a Speedy Seeder - Part 2

SOWING SEEDS USING A SPEEDY SEEDER - Part 2

My last blog post was getting a little on the long side so here is part 2.  In part 1 we discussed the Speedy Seeder machine and now we're going to talk about how we actually sow the seeds.

First I need to get out the germinating mix.  This is super fine soil used for seed starting.  It is porous with good drainage.  I go through about 5 or 6 bags of this mix per season.

Then I get out my 406 cell plug trays.  I use about 2 1/2 cases of these per season.  The germinating mix is rather expensive, so to not waste any I put an old empty bag under my tray to catch any overflow soil.

There is the 406 plug tray filled with germinating mix.  I pack it just a bit with my hands and then smooth it out.  The overflow of germinating mix is on the old bag and I can just pick it up, pour it back into the bag, and use it next time.

Moisten the soil and we're just about ready to go.

The 406 tray on the left has been filled with cement.  My father made this many years ago in order to push down the germinating mix in our plug trays.  So on all of the trays I just filled I'll place the cement tray on top and press it down to make indentations in each cell.  This is necessary so when the seeds go in their cells they have a "hole" to go in.

This is essentially the setup I use all season long for sowing seeds.  I staple my plant tags to the plug tray so I know which seeds are growing where.  The plug tray is placed immediately behind the Speedy Seeder.

Okay we're finally ready to get down to business!  There are 100 Primula seeds in that little bag.  No I didn't count them.  I'll take their word for it.

After turning on the Speedy Seeder, I pour the whole bag out onto the seeding tray, making sure to keep the seeds on the left 1/3 of the tray.  I do this because I'll be sowing 3 different varieties of seed in one plug tray and I don't want them all mixed together.  That would be a nightmare!  I'd have Primula growing in the same cells as Aquilegia.  Not good.

 

There we are.  Each of the 100 Primula seeds is stuck in it's own pinhole.  This doesn't just happen automatically.  I have to pick up the Speedy Seeder and tilt it left and right to get the seeds in their place.  Depending on the type of seed it can be fairly easy or really a pain in the butt.  Then you get double or triple seeds in one hole and you have to use your finger or a pin needle to correct it.  These Primula seeds weren't too bad.  Just wait until we get to Marigolds or Zinnia seeds.

Now this is the magic part!  I flip the Speedy Seeder right over so it is above the 406 cell plug tray.  The fan is still running so the seeds are still stuck in their pinhole even though the machine is upside down.  I adjust the plug tray all the way to the right until it hits the leg of the Speedy Seeder.  Now I turn the vacuum off. 

The vacuum is now off so the seeds should have all dropped into their own cells.  If there are any seeds that are defying gravity (they got stuck in their pinhole) I can use the mechanism on the left that will rattle the seed tray and hopefully drop any remaining seeds. 

Do you see the seeds in there?  Probably not but trust me they are there.  Time to move on to the Aquilegia seeds.

That's Aquilegia Winky mix stuck in their pinholes.  Looks neat and clean just the way I like it.  I've been accused of being too much of a perfectionist when it comes to sowing seeds and I can't say I disagree.  It has to look neat!

Let's fast forward.  I think you get the idea about how the Speedy Seeder works.  Like I said in part 1, once these particular seeds germinate they need to be cared for in a specific way in order for them to bloom in time for retail.  The label above is from the Primula Danova Grower's Select Mix.  First it tells me that I should cover these seeds very lightly with fine vermiculite.  +Harris Seeds is very good about giving growers the information they need to successfully grow their plants.  After these Primula germinate, I need to cool down the temperature pretty dramatically for a 3 week period, then reduce the temperature even further down to 45 degrees!  I assume this will emulate their growing conditions in nature.  How I'm going to do this with only one greenhouse open right now I'm not really sure.  I'll figure it out when I get there!  But after they bud, I can again raise the temperature two weeks before I want them to bloom.  Which will hopefully be in time for Easter which falls on April 20 this year.

The Aquilegia seeds are a bit more straightforward.  Again they should be covered very lightly with fine vermiculite for moisture control.  The germination temperature should be 50 degrees for 2 weeks, then 72 degrees for 3 weeks.  My greenhouse thermostat is set at 62 degrees, so maybe this isn't as straightforward as I had thought.  Unfortunately I can't turn down my thermostat because I have other plants and seedlings growing now.  I'll just have to see how it goes.  Then finally they need 12 weeks of vernalization (prolonged exposure to winter temperatures) in order to bloom.  So that's a total of 17 weeks to get them to bloom.  Do I have enough time?  I'll be lucky to have them bloom by mid-May. 

Well let's finish this up.  If you're still reading thank you.  Here's the fine vermiculite that I'll pour very lightly over the plug tray.

That's it we're done for today.  Sorry for being so long winded!

Just one more thing to show you.  Above are the Corepsis seedlings that I sowed a few posts back.  They have a pair of leaves poking out of the soil.  Pretty soon I'll take them off the heat table and let them grow on their own.