Comments on: Carrot science http://tinyfarmblog.com/carrot-science/ Daily photo-journal of organic market gardening: growing local food with two acres and some tools...! Tue, 22 May 2012 17:14:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Mike (tfb)http://tinyfarmblog.com/carrot-science/#comment-119327 Mike (tfb) Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:51:00 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2007/04/25/carrot-science/#comment-119327 Interesting about cooling the soil for summer spinach germination. Although cover would generally keep things warmer, I suppose if the cover is reflective, it could fend off a few degrees during a full-on sunny summer day, and that could make all the difference. Haven't had a problem with summer spinach germination recently, but it has happened. I'll keep this in mind to try next time that comes up. Thanks for sharing. :) Interesting about cooling the soil for summer spinach germination. Although cover would generally keep things warmer, I suppose if the cover is reflective, it could fend off a few degrees during a full-on sunny summer day, and that could make all the difference. Haven’t had a problem with summer spinach germination recently, but it has happened. I’ll keep this in mind to try next time that comes up. Thanks for sharing. :)

]]> By: Mike (tfb)http://tinyfarmblog.com/carrot-science/#comment-119326 Mike (tfb) Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:46:23 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2007/04/25/carrot-science/#comment-119326 No, once they germinate, they need sun, so you should remove the burlap. I've stopped using it in favor of landscaping fabric - cheaper, easier to manage, although unfortunately synthetic as well - and that really lets in no light. This season, I am also trying old row cover (2-3 layers) instead of burlap, that lets in a lot more sunlight, but it also won't suppress weeds, and you'd still want max sun, so you'd want to take it off, too.You could cover just about anything. Far as I know, just about all of our North American garden vegetables and herbs don't need light to germinate, and can benefit from the increased warmth and moisture under cover. But it is more work, and usually unnecessary for most other crops.Experiment! :) No, once they germinate, they need sun, so you should remove the burlap. I’ve stopped using it in favor of landscaping fabric – cheaper, easier to manage, although unfortunately synthetic as well – and that really lets in no light. This season, I am also trying old row cover (2-3 layers) instead of burlap, that lets in a lot more sunlight, but it also won’t suppress weeds, and you’d still want max sun, so you’d want to take it off, too.

You could cover just about anything. Far as I know, just about all of our North American garden vegetables and herbs don’t need light to germinate, and can benefit from the increased warmth and moisture under cover. But it is more work, and usually unnecessary for most other crops.

Experiment! :)

]]> By: Shellyhttp://tinyfarmblog.com/carrot-science/#comment-119310 Shelly Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:29:48 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2007/04/25/carrot-science/#comment-119310 Could you seed the carrots and leave the burlap on? I'm wondering if the burlap would decompose by the time the carrots were ready to harvest? Anything else you can direct-seed under burlap? Or can you leave burlap in the garden to cut down on weeds, cut holes in it to transplant into? Could you seed the carrots and leave the burlap on? I’m wondering if the burlap would decompose by the time the carrots were ready to harvest? Anything else you can direct-seed under burlap? Or can you leave burlap in the garden to cut down on weeds, cut holes in it to transplant into?

]]> By: Kate Stouthttp://tinyfarmblog.com/carrot-science/#comment-108969 Kate Stout Wed, 27 Apr 2011 13:27:05 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2007/04/25/carrot-science/#comment-108969 For carrot germination, I use a local product. I live near a factory that makes erosion control blankets. These are rolls of wood excelsior (thin curls of wood) that are sandwiched between plastic mesh. THey are used by the highway department for covering new soil and getting it seeded down.I buy the "seconds" that have a few bare spots in them for an inexpensive price. Make sure you get the ones with mesh on both sides so you can roll them up again. They last all summer. These keep the soil damp and the carrots germinate really well. They also help cool the soil when trying to get fall spinach to germinate in warm soils of last August. For carrot germination, I use a local product. I live near a factory that makes erosion control blankets. These are rolls of wood excelsior (thin curls of wood) that are sandwiched between plastic mesh. THey are used by the highway department for covering new soil and getting it seeded down.I buy the “seconds” that have a few bare spots in them for an inexpensive price. Make sure you get the ones with mesh on both sides so you can roll them up again. They last all summer. These keep the soil damp and the carrots germinate really well. They also help cool the soil when trying to get fall spinach to germinate in warm soils of last August.

]]> By: Kate Stouthttp://tinyfarmblog.com/carrot-science/#comment-108968 Kate Stout Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:59:00 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2007/04/25/carrot-science/#comment-108968 Hi there Bilal Shah, I would love to hear more about your garlic farm project. My thought about the humic acid is that the microbial action of real compost is as much value as the humic acid. The acid is a by-product of the action of the microbes that build the soil structure. It is this living structure that you want as much as the acid its self.  This structure will help hold soil moisture etc. Any sort of  compostable materials can be balanced to make a good, live compost. The humus its self is stable and will not leach out of the soil while the humic acid could just leach away. Best of luck with your plan. Kate Hi there Bilal Shah,
I would love to hear more about your garlic farm project. My thought about the humic acid is that the microbial action of real compost is as much value as the humic acid. The acid is a by-product of the action of the microbes that build the soil structure. It is this living structure that you want as much as the acid its self.  This structure will help hold soil moisture etc. Any sort of  compostable materials can be balanced to make a good, live compost. The humus its self is stable and will not leach out of the soil while the humic acid could just leach away. Best of luck with your plan.
Kate

]]> By: Bilal Shahhttp://tinyfarmblog.com/carrot-science/#comment-108805 Bilal Shah Sat, 09 Apr 2011 19:15:58 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2007/04/25/carrot-science/#comment-108805 Hi guys. I'm from Lahore, Pakistan, planning to start a garlic farm. My question is regarding soil improvement. Can anyone please guide me regarding Humous/ Humic Acid. It appears that The Compost/ Farm Manure/ Chicken Waste all are put in the soil for the purpose of creating Humous. If i can put Humic Acid (Powder) in the soil, is it a replacement to all of the above? Hi guys. I’m from Lahore, Pakistan, planning to start a garlic farm. My question is regarding soil improvement.
Can anyone please guide me regarding Humous/ Humic Acid. It appears that The Compost/ Farm Manure/ Chicken Waste all are put in the soil for the purpose of creating Humous.
If i can put Humic Acid (Powder) in the soil, is it a replacement to all of the above?

]]> By: Crooked River Coffee – Yaya Carrots « Bay Branch Farmhttp://tinyfarmblog.com/carrot-science/#comment-94817 Crooked River Coffee – Yaya Carrots « Bay Branch Farm Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:13:28 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2007/04/25/carrot-science/#comment-94817 [...] Farm Blog, we are now trying one of his tried and true methods of carrot germination – the burlap method. We got burlap sacks from our friend at Crooked River Coffee, a local roaster in the area. We are [...] [...] Farm Blog, we are now trying one of his tried and true methods of carrot germination – the burlap method. We got burlap sacks from our friend at Crooked River Coffee, a local roaster in the area. We are [...]

]]> By: Mike (tfb)http://tinyfarmblog.com/carrot-science/#comment-50263 Mike (tfb) Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:43:58 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2007/04/25/carrot-science/#comment-50263 <strong>Marg: </strong>My experience has been with trying to germinate seed and preserve the burlap, so I've been doing the opposite of what you want! Untreated burlap does break down really nicely, but I'm not sure of the timeframe. A year sounds good for a layer or two.  I took a quick look online, this <a href="http://simplekatie.blogspot.com/2007/05/burlap-compost.html" rel="nofollow">burlap compost blog post</a> is kinda relevant.  Hope that helps! Marg: My experience has been with trying to germinate seed and preserve the burlap, so I’ve been doing the opposite of what you want! Untreated burlap does break down really nicely, but I’m not sure of the timeframe. A year sounds good for a layer or two.  I took a quick look online, this burlap compost blog post is kinda relevant.  Hope that helps!

]]> By: Marghttp://tinyfarmblog.com/carrot-science/#comment-50099 Marg Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:11:36 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2007/04/25/carrot-science/#comment-50099 HI:  I have burlap and I would like to use it as mulch to completely renew some lawn that has gone very weedy.  I wonder how long the burlap would take to completely decompose.   For example, if I covered my front lawn which is in complete sun)  with burlap this spring, would the burlap decompose by say, next spring.  I am in Toronto so we get snow cover most winters.  HI:  I have burlap and I would like to use it as mulch to completely renew some lawn that has gone very weedy.  I wonder how long the burlap would take to completely decompose.   For example, if I covered my front lawn which is in complete sun)  with burlap this spring, would the burlap decompose by say, next spring.  I am in Toronto so we get snow cover most winters. 

]]> By: Mike (tfb)http://tinyfarmblog.com/carrot-science/#comment-25803 Mike (tfb) Fri, 16 May 2008 00:03:24 +0000 http://tinyfarmblog.com/2007/04/25/carrot-science/#comment-25803 <strong>Vera:</strong> That's a great article on winter sowing. It's kind of like mini-coldframes. I'm definitely  going to try this winter (well, I definitely INTEND to...). I don't know how well it would scale for bigger quantities, but it's so interesting, one thing may lead to another. Every winter, I intend to direct seed a couple of things like spinach and maybe peas, really late, so they'll germinate in spring, but with such unpredictable winters, chances are it'll warm up and they'll germinate before the final freeze-up. Wait too long and the ground is too hard... Anyway, cool. Thanks! Vera: That’s a great article on winter sowing. It’s kind of like mini-coldframes. I’m definitely  going to try this winter (well, I definitely INTEND to…). I don’t know how well it would scale for bigger quantities, but it’s so interesting, one thing may lead to another. Every winter, I intend to direct seed a couple of things like spinach and maybe peas, really late, so they’ll germinate in spring, but with such unpredictable winters, chances are it’ll warm up and they’ll germinate before the final freeze-up. Wait too long and the ground is too hard… Anyway, cool. Thanks!

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