Sprouting ideas ...

On our 2010/11 visit to Yowah, we made good use of the few remaining productive plants in Louie's garden. 

Nick rang Louie last week to confirm arrangements and chat generally.  Even so, we're unsure whether there'll be a garden this visit. 


There's no shortage of water, so I'll try to get some advanced plants from Cunnamulla on the way through but have been pondering alternatives - as even advanced seedlings may not be immediately productive (and I'm not really an expert gardener)!

We purchased the seed sprouter (top right) for a few dollars from an op-shop but haven't yet used it.  I looked for sprouting seeds in Bunnings this week.  Our local store had Mr Fothergills Kitchen Seed Sprouters available for $19.95.  Interestingly the recommended Mr Fothergills sprouting seeds were not stocked!

I bought cress and watercress from the non-sprouting range.  According to the packet we should be able to grow watercress in a saucer of water, so that might be a good experiment to try with Vaughan.  In fact all the seed sprouting will be very much experimental because it seems most seeds have an optimum temperature range for sprouting. Yowah's temperatures are a lot higher, so success may be limited.

My sprouting seeds arrived today.  I ordered them from Sprout Organic on Tuesday night, so am very happy to have received them so quickly. 

While in Bunnings I found a packet of microgreens seeds.  I then looked at the branded Mr Fothergill’s Microgreens Growing Tray.  I thought two would provide a better growing area but baulked a little at paying $20.00, so instead bought a Saxon Mini Green House for $8.98.  I'll take out the seed tray and replace it with some mesh. 

At first I didn't think the lid would be necessary but later remembered the many frogs in the shack - understandably I'd be happier if they didn't take up residence in my microgreens garden, so will use the lid as a frog-fence!