It is sometimes whispered in the quiet, dusty halls of academia that it is not difficult to create life in the laboratory as long as a few, basic requirements are addressed.
Specifically, that your lab assistant be beautiful, willing and having reached the age of her majority.
If the professor is old or a woman, there is a fourth requirement; that she be be liberal enough to participate in a three-some.
Carrots
Carrots have been a difficult crop for me. Almost analogous to creating life in the laboratory.
Knowing the requirements, I asked the beautiful, willing and (a few months over 18 years-old) Mrs ERJ to help me plant the carrots.
Carrot seeds
Carrot seeds are puny things and don't have a lot of git-up and go. Guys with fat fingers have difficulty planting the seeds at anything approaching the appropriate density.
Mrs ERJ and I converged on the following technique that (so far) looks like a winner.
Dilute the seed with a filler. I used 4 ounces by volume (about 120ml) of cornmeal. I also used 5mg of carrot seeds although 2mg would have been enough.
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| My custom 1.5CC measuring tool. |
A small volume of diluted seed mix was removed from the container and sprinkled into a disposable, aluminum lasagna pan.
If you look at the side of the pan you can see scallops. These scallops are 1.5" apart and because of the color contrast between the seeds and the cornmeal it was relatively easy to evenly distribute the seeds and to stop after each scallop had at least two seeds.
Mrs ERJ proposed that we use a Parmesan Cheese shaker next year.
Once each scallop is loaded, the pan is lowered to the ground and the edge is rotated to dump the seed+corn meal in the furrow.
BAM! 12 inches of row planted. Lather, rinse, repeat.
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THen the seeds were covered with a thin layer of sand.
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| Sand does not form a crust if it gets wet and then dries out. It is also sterile. |
And then paper over the top to keep the soil damp.
And the paper was weighted down at intervals to keep the wind from blowing it away.
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| One row with paper over it. |
You should buy "pelleted seed". Each seed is embedded in a clay pellet slightly smaller than the size of a BB. So much easier to plant with consistent spacing..
ReplyDeleteJohnny's Seeds is a good source. Try them out, all the work is done for you.
Nicely done 'adaptation' of technology... :-)
ReplyDeletewow. I am in awe of your ingenuity and technique. carrots have always been difficult for me to grow because I'm reluctant to thin them. and I usually just sow them with radishes, like I do red beets. I'm going to try your way. also I mixed the sand with the soil. I'm going to try the layering next time.
ReplyDeleteYou are going to have to find your own beautiful, willing woman. Mrs ERJ already informed me that I could not contract her out.
DeleteThat is sheer genius, ERJ. I have struggled with the same issue. And the sand is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteThe suggestion above - coating with water and then soil - would probably work as well, but your method seems more visually useful to someone such as myself that is very much a visual person.
Quite a blessing to have a spouse whose company you enjoy .
ReplyDeleteAmen, sir. Amen!
DeletePerhaps I am a little slow, but....
ReplyDelete"Once each scallop is loaded, the pan is lowered to the ground and the edge is rotated to dump the seed+corn meal in the furrow."
Wouldn't that make all the scallops dump out at once? Unless you are moving the mix individually with your fingers and not dumping the tray?
Thank You