Seed Starting

I have begun starting a new round of seeds in the Aerogarden.  The one thing I can recommend about the AG is that it has an extremely high seed germination rate.  These seeds were sown 4 days ago and have already come up with happy seed leaves.

Seed starting for me has always been a balancing act between opposing forces:  between moisture and damping off, applying a gentle heat but not to the point of drying things out, strong light for growth and to reduce stretching, but not too much to start algae.

It is like setting a series of plates to spinning and hoping to keep them up in the air for the next six weeks.

The Aerogarden keeps the plates spinning for me.  It can monitor all the variables and advise me if something needs attention.  Otherwise, it just does the work of growing and lets me enjoy the results.

Germination success is the greatest reward for me, but the system also has a fun interface that keeps track of all the little details.  Things like when I planted, how long they've been growing, all the details that puzzle me later on. The screen shows me the light cycle I have chosen, the days since seeding, monitors the water levels and the time until adding nutrients.  This means that I can be as hands-on as I want to be, but if something comes up I can neglect it for a week and the garden will take care of things.

Of course I'm not entirely satisfied unless I have put Excel to work in some way.  This is a planting diagram I pulled together that corresponds to the seedlings above.  So I can tell that the Bok Choi and Roquette have sprouted, while the spinach and chard are still thinking about it.