dense planting

[wally mcgee]

I recently started some collards, kale, spinach, Boc_choi , tatsoi, and mustard for my hoop house for setting out this fall. After watching nctomato mans video on dense planting I decided to give this planting method a try with these fall greens.

I was amazed at how well, and easy it went. Knowing they would be in the pots a very short period of time I potted them up in little dixie cups in which I drilled a hole in the bottom. They all took off and looked great the next day.

I used to make soil blocks and sow a seed in each one.....a lot of work. I also seemed to get better germination with the dense planting.

I am excited to start my tomatoes next year using my new found knowledge.

[newatthiskat]

Isn't this place great? When I went to the dense planting it saved all kinds of money! Now I am recycling some containers from work that are about the same thickness as the commercial seed starters and am going to cover them with plastic wrap to get them started then pull it off when they start to germinate. I am going to have one for each variety (starting seeds for several people). I am really excited for this next gardening year!

[tlintx]

Do you find the greens aren't anchored well in the soil? And do you bury them a bit when you transplant them?

I had that problem when I transplanted over the summer, but I thought it might be because it was so hot. Or maybe I wasn't sowing deep enough.

[wally mcgee]

Originally Posted by tlintx

Do you find the greens aren't anchored well in the soil? And do you bury them a bit when you transplant them?

I had that problem when I transplanted over the summer, but I thought it might be because it was so hot. Or maybe I wasn't sowing deep enough.

I did bury them up to the leaves when I potted them up. I first tried Black Seeded Simpson lettuce and potted them up in small plastic dixie cups; because they were going in the ground in short order. They did very well. All the other items I have potted up the same way and they are doing very well. They actually did better after being separated and potted up.

I planted the lettuce on the shady side of my hoop house. It has been very hot here so I have had to water them nightly to get them through this heat. I am counting on things cooling off shortly before I set out the fall/winter greens: Boc_choi , Tatsoi, Collards, Swiss Chard, and spinach in the hoop house.

I will try and post a picture later tonight of the potted up seedlings.

[wally mcgee]

Here are some Boc_choi and Tatsoi that were densely planted and potted up in plastic Dixie cups.

Again, I use the small cups for space, and I plan to set them in the hoop house very shortly.......hopefully it will cool off next week.

[tlintx]

Thanks for the pictures, yeah, mine didn't look anything like that. In some cases you could see roots! I think it was just too hot. Although they "took" well enough once I planted them out, seeds direct sown at the same time caught up quickly.

What type of spinach are you growing? I've half a mind to go strictly to mixes, since we do a lot of cut-and-come-again style salads. Love the small cups -- I use the clear 16 oz for peppers and tomatoes and they do a lot better than in dark plastic or newspaper.

[tekaha]

can someone post the link to the video please?

[habitat_gardener]

Originally Posted by tekaha

can someone post the link to the video please?

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=437

[wally mcgee]

Originally Posted by tlintx

Thanks for the pictures, yeah, mine didn't look anything like that. In some cases you could see roots! I think it was just too hot. Although they "took" well enough once I planted them out, seeds direct sown at the same time caught up quickly.

What type of spinach are you growing? I've half a mind to go strictly to mixes, since we do a lot of cut-and-come-again style salads. Love the small cups -- I use the clear 16 oz for peppers and tomatoes and they do a lot better than in dark plastic or newspaper.

I believe its called Space, a savoyed spinach.

[wally mcgee]

Originally Posted by wally mcgee

I believe its called Space, a savoyed spinach.

Have you watched the u tube video in the link someone posted above? If not, you should, it helped me tremendously.