Welcome back CRAZIES!!! Yeah, WonderCon's over and done with and while it his sad, that just means even more cool stuff is on the way and back to full strength no less! But before we can do any of that, we gotta take care of some stuff at home, like our gardens! What's that? You have trouble getting seeds sprouted? Well kind reader you just happen to be in luck, for I know a good method of starting seeds, especially in climates and seasons when it would be more difficult to do so? Wanna learn how? Scroll down and see! Enjoy...
STEP 1: Get a CLEAR plastic, lidded cup. As you can see, this particular cup came from McDonalds and yes, it had a Shamrock Shake in it. What can I say? They're freakin' delicious! It's important that the cup be clear because it helps create the greenhouse affect that keeps the soil moist. Any fast food joint that sells milkshakes will likely have clear cups though Taco Bell uses them too. What makes the cups at McDonalds and Jack In The Box Particularly appealing is that they are domed and already have a large hole in the top which, once again, helps create the greenhouse affect. It's also helpful for any watering that might need to happen, so if the lid doesn't have a hole in it, cut one in about the size of a quarter.
STEP 2: Drill about 4-5 holes in the bottom of the cup. Some folks drill holes in the sides too, which is perfectly fine, but keep in mind these are fast food cups and thus don't have much flex to them. It also goes without saying that Steps 1 & 2 should be done WITH parental supervision if the youngsters are the ones giving this a try.
STEP 3: Take some potting soil or seed starter and wet it to the point where it's moist, but NOT soaked. It should be formable in the hand, like clay but still crumbly. This is kind of a winging deal, but any left over soil can simply be dried out and used for other plants.
STEP 4: Place soil in the cup and gently compact it. You'll want between 2in-3in.
STEP 5: Next, place the seed in! For this particular cup, I'm sprouting a pumpkin! Be sure to cover the seed with soil/seed starter and lightly compact. You don't need a lot on top, maybe about 1/4in of soil tops.
STEP 6: Lightly water the seed and lid the cup! As you can see, the inside is already fogging up as the water evaporates, and these pics were taken in the evening time, so this method works quick!
STEP 7: Lastly, place the cup in a sunny spot and wait for nature to take its course! As you can see, the sun ups the evaporation, which causes more condensation, keeping the soil moist and thus helping the seeds sprout! You shouldn't need to water much, but the top of the soil can dry out, so lightly water as needed. The above pic has the seeds of watermelons, cantaloupes, zucchini and two different types of pumpkins sprouting!
In a few days, sometimes just over a week, you should see some results! Once they outgrow the cup, plant in the ground or a larger container!
Results will obviously vary, but I've had a lot of success getting seeds sprouted using these mini greenhouses! And best of all, this method not only helps plants, but it also finds new uses for old plastic cups, thus keeping them out of landfills! We are all about conservation here at the CRAZYVERSE! I hope this tutorial has been helpful and that y'all will feel inspired to give a mini greenhouse a try! Good luck and share any results you might have with me on Twitter at my handle @JonsCrazyTweets!
And that's all for this week, but never fear! I promise we'll end April on a very colorful note! So be sure to come back and see what I'll be pouring out! Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!
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