We are trialling different methods of both germinating our seeds and how/when we transfer the seedlings to the grow beds.
The current method used of broadcasting (throwing) the seeds directly into the grow beds is by far the easiest and most convenient way to start out. However, this method does have the downside of being difficult to control (where the plants sprout) and possibly wasteful of seeds.
To test if there is a faster and more manageable way to start plants out in the system, we are trialling germinating seeds in plastic bags first and then using a variety of slightly different methods with the seedlings. These include; planting the seedling directly in the grow bed, placing the seedling in a pot filled with the growing medium in the grow bed and starting the seedling in vermiculite.
Initially we expect little difference between the methods. We are primarily interested in the transfer stage if/when plants are moved to new locations in the grow beds. The aim is to reduce the time the plant has to recover from transplanting and shorten the time between harvest.
More to come...
