I pre-soaked some lettuce seeds and sowed them last night in a recycled sprouts container. To my surprise there was on little lettuce sprout standing tall this morning. The flourescent lights really help to accelerate the growing time. I turn the lights off at night and leave them on during the day for 12 to 16 hours.
I have to start thinking about transplanting the plants to new containers so I can continue the rotation of sowing new seeds. Also, there is a critical time for transplanting. The younger the plant the less stunned it will be from the move. If the root system is well established it can take the plant up to two weeks to accomadate the new home soil. From my readings, the best time is when the plant has grown a second set of leaves, or it's first true set of leaves. So, once this happens, I will transplant to coco pots or jiffy pots. I have found a recipe for a soil mix from the Square Foot Gardening book. 1 part course vermiculite 1 part screened peat moss 1 part screened compost 1 part good garden soil
Add two cups of organic fertilizer 1 part bloodmeal 2 parts bonemeal 3 parts green sand 4 parts composted leaf mold
urbanrootsgarden.com, “Urban Roots,” a ‘how-to’ inspirational documentary on urban vegetable gardening.
Three dynamic gardeners are profiled who share their personal stories on living a more self-sustainable lifestyle. They provide tours of their garden while discussing practical information on how to grow specific crops. The gardeners cover the basics from preparing soil to harvest, provide new ideas on veggies to grow, and discuss raising chickens in the city. The documentary was filmed entirely in Nelson, profiles Nelson gardeners and features the music of Adham Shaikh. The running time of the film is 40 minutes.