On the 17th of April, I started another vermiculite container of hot pepper seeds. Hope is waning for the first batch to germinate. The basil seeds that were planted on the 16th germinated on the 20th and I can already see a couple of the hot pepper seeds sprouting a tendril. Because of this, I am planning to sow seeds right on top of the vermiculite in the future. The success of this method requires that the containers are wrapped in plastic so that a humid environment is maintained (see the photo from the April 16 post). The greatest benefit is that one can see at a glance whether the seeds are germinating and not have to wonder what is happening under the soil.
On the 17th, I mixed up some organic fertilizer. The formula is based loosely on that provided by Steve Solomon in his book "Gardening When It Counts". I obtained soy and alfalfa meal from a local grain mill, finely granulated dolomitic limestone and bonemeal. These were mixed roughly in a ratio of 16 parts meal:2 parts limestone:1 part bonemeal. About one and a half pints were sprinkled on each garden square. This and subsequent applications should provide the nutrients that the plants need to grow well.
Large hyacinths are fading. We have a robin outside our bedroom sitting on four eggs.
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