Quite a combination, don't you think?
For some reason, I'm having really bad luck with sprouting beans this year. I planted three beans in little pots the same day I started my first tomatoes, and they still haven't sprouted. The package said you could stimulate sprouting by soaking the beans overnight before planting, so I tried that a couple of days later. Still nothing. Beans are supposed to sprout anywhere, and they always have for me before, so I began to wonder if I had a bad batch. I mean, anyone can grow beans, right?
A few days later, I decided to try the paper towel method of getting beans to germinate, something I had never done before. I placed four beans in a saturated paper towel, and put that in a plastic container that I could cover. It's been probably 3-4 days and I'm finally seeing one bean that looks like it's going to break out of it's casing. Woo. Hoo.
This morning as I went to put my recently brewed teabag into my compost container, I paused and thought a minute ... hadn't I read somewhere about starting seeds directly into a teabag? A quick online search led me to many sources that said people do it all the time. Ok, I'll give that a try too and see if I have better luck with my beans. Maybe they need a jolt of caffeine.
I cut a slit in the teabag and tucked one bean inside, then put it in the same container as the others in the paper towel, watered it a bit, and put the lid back on. Will keep you posted on how that works out.
Last week I planted some lettuce seeds in a pot, and I'm finally seeing sprouts this morning. I planted in three areas, I think two seeds each.
The three little buggers that poked their heads out this morning give me a 50% germination rate so far, and I'm good with that, and there's still a chance others will show up soon. I'm not sure I'll be able to keep lettuce going through the hot summer here in coastal NC, but I'm going to try. As long as I keep it in pots, it'll be easier to move to a cooler location throughout the day. Fresh lettuce on a tuna sandwich is a real treat, and I need to get my cucumbers planted so I can have salad too.
But that's a project for another day.
~ Marie Anne
For some reason, I'm having really bad luck with sprouting beans this year. I planted three beans in little pots the same day I started my first tomatoes, and they still haven't sprouted. The package said you could stimulate sprouting by soaking the beans overnight before planting, so I tried that a couple of days later. Still nothing. Beans are supposed to sprout anywhere, and they always have for me before, so I began to wonder if I had a bad batch. I mean, anyone can grow beans, right?
A few days later, I decided to try the paper towel method of getting beans to germinate, something I had never done before. I placed four beans in a saturated paper towel, and put that in a plastic container that I could cover. It's been probably 3-4 days and I'm finally seeing one bean that looks like it's going to break out of it's casing. Woo. Hoo.
This morning as I went to put my recently brewed teabag into my compost container, I paused and thought a minute ... hadn't I read somewhere about starting seeds directly into a teabag? A quick online search led me to many sources that said people do it all the time. Ok, I'll give that a try too and see if I have better luck with my beans. Maybe they need a jolt of caffeine.
I cut a slit in the teabag and tucked one bean inside, then put it in the same container as the others in the paper towel, watered it a bit, and put the lid back on. Will keep you posted on how that works out.
Last week I planted some lettuce seeds in a pot, and I'm finally seeing sprouts this morning. I planted in three areas, I think two seeds each.
The three little buggers that poked their heads out this morning give me a 50% germination rate so far, and I'm good with that, and there's still a chance others will show up soon. I'm not sure I'll be able to keep lettuce going through the hot summer here in coastal NC, but I'm going to try. As long as I keep it in pots, it'll be easier to move to a cooler location throughout the day. Fresh lettuce on a tuna sandwich is a real treat, and I need to get my cucumbers planted so I can have salad too.
But that's a project for another day.
~ Marie Anne
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