STARTING A MARKET GARDEN: Starting Seed Trays - Seeding Lettuce & Kale in Flats On a Budget
This is the latest edition of our small farm trying to start a market garden using the SPIN method or small plot farming method. Similar to urban farming, like the urban farmer Curtis Stone or JM Fortier. Hope y'all come along with our family farm on this new journey.
Today we are starting seed trays for our mixed salad greens for our market garden.
We are doing this on a budget, bc we want to first make sure this new project will be successful, & we want to work out most of the kinks before we start to spend any money on anything like a greenhouse or a nursery area. So I am using might potting bench in our backyard & then using one of those cheap shelf style greenhouses you can pickup up at any nursery center or do it yourself stores.
We are using a sterile seed starting mix & going to try salanova lettuce mix & also red russian kale. The reason why we are seeding these in seed trays is bc we will transplant them(3-4 weeks away) in our market garden using a commercial weed mat. the mat will have holes in it for the transplant plugs to go in, & the weed mat will help to minimize weed pressure.
But we are filling the seed trays up with a damp seed starting mix,(I do plan to start making my own seed starting mix), & packing the seed trays tight as we can with the soil. Once we the seed tray cells packed with soil, we are then setting one seed in each cell, & pushing the seed into the seed starting mix ever so slightly. Then once all the cells all have lettuce seeds or kale seeds in them, we will sprinkle the top with dry seed starting mix or you could use vermiculite or perlite. Then just lightly tap. Now all that's left to do with the seed trays is to water, but be sure to use a misting setting for the newly sowed seeds or be sure to not to stay in one spot while watering the seedlings or you could disturb the seed starting mix & that could potentially hinder germination.
Then I just placed all the seed trays into our little greenhouse, & hope they all germinate. The newly planted seedlings should stay in the greenhouse for about 3-4 weeks, & then we will harden off & transplant them into the new market garden.
I hope this stating seed trays youtube video was helpful! & don't forget to like, comment, & share with your friends & family!
Also I want to thank everyone for sending all their good vibes our way....the entire family has been sick with some type of virus that was very flu like, & we really do appreciate all the kind words & messages we got from everyone!! We are all much better now, & we should be back on track with our normal Cog Hill Videos & content. I was actually feeling like poo when I shot this video! But thanks again guys!!!!
Cog Hill Farm - 2017