How to grow healthy, strong brassicas

[NZG]

I will do a week-by-week photo shoot of the growth of healthy brassica plants, from the germination period through to harvesting.

For this trail, I will use Green Macerata cauliflower.

I will include step-by-step instructions on what I use, and how I've done things.

You will need:
1 vivid marker
1 plant tag (cut up an old ice cream lid if you don't have an old plant tag handy that you can re-use)
1 recycled vegetable tray or similar
1 small jug of water (minus the dog biscuit the bird threw in)
seeds
seed raising mix
spoon
old newspaper to go under the tray (use newspaper because it'll help to soak up the excess water and is easy to throw away or put on the garden)

Medthod:
First you put the tray on top of the news paper so later on you don't get your surface area dirty.

Using the spoon, scoop your seed raising mix (I use Yates 'BackMagic' seed raising mix with success each time) into your vegetable tray.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0596.jpg[/img]

[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0598.jpg[/img]

[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0600.jpg[/img]

Gently press the seed raising mix down into the cells in the tray.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0601.jpg[/img]

Water the cells. This will also help settle the seed raising mix before putting your seed(s) in.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0603.jpg[/img]

[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0604.jpg[/img]

Place 1, or more seeds per cell if you desire.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0602.jpg[/img]

[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0606.jpg[/img]

Scoop more seed raising mix over top of the seeds, being careful not to move the seeds into the corner of your cell. Water again if needed.

Gently press the seed raising mix down, and water again.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0607.jpg[/img]

Name your plant tag with the vivid and place into your tray so you know what seeds you've planted.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0609.jpg[/img]

Put tray in a sunny and warm place to germinate.
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0610.jpg[/img]

[The Helpful Gardener]

I feel quite inadequate in my computing skills after that display; outstanding work, N.Z.! I'm sure this will give many newbies the courage to plunge in and do their own germination. Thanks so much!

Scott

[NZG]

6 days later the first seedling starts to sprout

[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0629.jpg[/img]

[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0630.jpg[/img]

[NZG]

3 weeks on:

[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v376/vatmarken_ayrshires/Digital%20camera%20photos/Vegetables/Img_0717.jpg[/img]

The first true leaves are starting to show.
Germination is taking a while since its cold. Only 2 seeds have struck, and since they sprouted I put them outside to make them cooler, and not to grow all 'spidery'... thats the special secret. Keep them cool, and they won't grow all 'leggy/spidery/stalky'.