The Scatterbrain Handbook of Seedstarting

[Innoma]

Well, now I've gone and done it....

I generally start seed in a 60-cell greenhouse kit and sow blocks of 6 of one variety and then map out the entire tray's contents rather than labelling each individual cell. Since each block of 6 cells is a separate unit, this 'map' works great, provided you don't inadvertantly shuffle the cells around.

The plan was to set each individual block in a shallow tray of water for a few minutes and then return it to its correct position and orientation, but naturally, the first time I go about doing this, I'm struck dumb by visions of blemish-free beefstreak tomatoes, and when I gather my wits, I realized I've shuffled things around more thoroughly than a Las Vegas blackjack dealer!

This wouldn't be quite so bad if each section of 6 were all one variety and if each of the 10 sections contained a different variety, but I had to double up on some, or plant 3-and-3 of some varieties in others - I'll never be able to sort out that mess!

What makes it doubly distressing is all my detailed notes of germination rates and times are now useless, not to mention the fact that I could easily end up planting way too many of one variety and not enough of another.

As I get ripe fruit later in the season, I'm sure I'll be able to tell Aunt Ruby's German Green from Paul Robeson, but how will I tell Arkansas Traveller from Momotaro., etc, etc?

And here's the kicker - its not the first time I've done this.

I swear, sometimes I so organized I'm positively scatterbrained!

[WildLife]

Oh No
Funny you should say that. I feel ya, I really do!
I wonder if theres a full moon?
are the planets where they should be?
I better get my lucky foot, four leaf clover
and throw salt for luck.
I suufered the same fate as you and 2 can't be a cooinkydinkl
Wild "looking over my shoulder" Life

[Tomstrees]

You guys have me tweaked ~ I'm going to make quadruple copies of my "map" !!! ~ Tom

[bully]

It's amazing how 'on top' of things you think you are...when you're in the moment.
Then you come back after a break or the next day and none of it makes as much sense as it seemed too.

it's times like that I remind myself it's only a hobby....then I go start a fight with the Mrs...for not adequately micro-managing me.

[Earl]

Before I start planting seeds in a flat I mark each cell pack with flat number, like 1 or etc. Then I number all the cell packs, 1 thru 8, etc. Then I number ever cell, 1 thru 9, etc. Then in a notebook I write down what goes in every cell in every cell pack. So I don't have that problem. :-)

[MsCowpea]

Oh 'gosh' I have done the exact same thing myself. Know exactly what you mean about flipping it around so that you don't know which way is up.

Now I have a question for you? As painful as it is -could you redo them? I just find it miserable when I don't know what I have or are you OK with that and all the guessing you will have to do on the close ones?

You certainly have alot of people that will commiserate with you.

[landarc]

I work out of the same handbook every year! I almost never have any clue what is growing out there until things start ripening.

I am beginning to think I should just throw handfuls of seed out there and see what happens.

[biermaster]

I had a 24 cell in which I had 7 different plant seeded. The day started out cloudy and I had them under lights when it cleared up. Called the wife "put out the tomatoes," I recieved a call back. I dropped them. I put them back in the cells as best I could. 5 are regular leaf, 1 potato, and one Tomillo. Which 5 are which? I over planted as I wanted to make sure I had viable plant. Same problem, Which is which?

[Innoma]

I suppose I could just start over, but I'm already two-weeks behind my original schedule, so I think I'll just forge ahead and try to make the best of it this year. Last year I was a full month later than my normal plant-out time (April 15), and this year I'm aiming to have everything planted out a full month earlier (with backups in place, of course, if weather prooves uncooperative).

I'm sure I'll go through anguish trying to tell, say, Carbon and Paul Robeson apart (or trying to determine if Aunt Ruby's is really ripe or if its really Arkansas Traveller ... if nothing else, mistakes will give me an excuse to have more fried green tomatoes!). All in all, I suppose these frustrations will be a good lesson in coming up with a better way to organize myself!

In my normal line of work (publishing), many of the materials I deal with pass from my hands to another, so I try really hard to minimize the errors that creep into 'collaborative' efforts by 'idiot-proofing' what I do. By arranging and organizing my work this way, it becomes much more difficult for the person at the other end to mess things up.

So I figure as long as I make myself two parts of a collaborative effort - that is to say, the highly-detailed, organized work I do today gets passed off to the highly-incompetent buffoon of tomorrow (me again) - I won't have these kinds of problems. In effect, I've idiot-proofed myself! And as I've proven in such a spectacularly dunderheaded fashion, no one needs idiot-proofing more than myself.

[fnsdo]

Here is the way I idiot-proof my starter setup ( knowing full well that I will probably turn it around, and that the labeling will beocme illegible at least in part at some point):
I use 6x12 setup. and plant row 1 spots 1-3 and row 12 spots 4-6 the same and row 1 spots 4-6 and row 12 spots 1-3 the same, and then plant row2 spots 1-3 (vertical) and row 11 spots 4-6 (vertical) identically, etc. When I finish, the whole blessed thing is symmetrical, so even if I lose orientation, so long as I know what is in each row 1 through 6, the position of the flat does not matter.
This allows 12 varieties, 6 plants each per flat, and all I need to keep on the computer is a list in order that I planted them, which I do alphabetically.
Fred

[popepaul]

I use my computer for most of my data gathering including my seedling maps. I create a map for each tray. My seed trays have 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (etc.) notches cut into them. On my computerized map, I have the notches marked. That way not only do I know which tray is which, but I know the correct orientation for the tray. I write down the varieties and log them on my computer sheet (PowerPoint). I can then pull it up anytime to match emerging seedlings with type.

Good luck, sorting out your varieties.
Paul