Notice

ATTENTION!!! Please do not steal my content! ALL of the content on this page is property of Tootsie Time is not to be copied and used elsewhere unless with the expressed permission of Tootsie! There have been a lot of my photos found on various websites and none have permission. Removing the watermark is not permitted under any circumstances. My work is MINE to share, and should never be seen with someone else's name attached to it. That is stealing!

:)

Showing posts with label plant diseases. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plant diseases. Show all posts

Monday, February 4, 2013

Recipe For Blooms


Geranium Blooms!!!

005

Oh ya…kids…it’s time…yep..time to GET YOUR PLANT ON!!!
LETS GET SOME DIRT IN OUR HAIR!   WOO HOO!  
Yes…I am a little excited…but hey…it’s planting time…what do you expect?   IT’S PLANTING TIME!  :) 
Okay…ahem…I am going to pull myself together here…and stop celebrating for a few minutes…so I can help you guys get YOUR plant on!   It’s a simple recipe really…

053

You will need a few little supplies…I use the items above quite regularly.   Included in this photo are:
~Plastic garden markers (made out of an inexpensive mini blind that I cut up)
~Chamomile Tea bag
~Stainless Steel Widger (helps to move soil and seeds)
~Seed spoons
~tweezers
~scissors
~permanent marker

078

~Geranium Seeds!!!

050

~soil and pots!!!  
Lets get busy!
!!!!!!!!   WAIT   !!!!!!!!
Now, before we continue here, I think it is important to discuss my choice of planting medium.  I have had a lot of questions regarding what I use to plant in, and I think it is about time, I answer this question once and for all…don’t you?  
sun_gro_family

I like to use Sunshine professional growing mixes!   There are many different mixes…and there is always one that is just perfect for your planting needs!   I have used Pro Mix 3 and Pro Mix 4 for YEARS now and I have never been disappointed in this product.



 To visit the website for more information and to see what else this company has to offer, click on the highlighted words or the photos above…and you will be taken straight to their site!
Okay…I feel much better now…so lets get back to business….

001

Geraniums are vulnerable to damping off …and I like to take some precautions to try to prevent this disease from becoming a problem in my greenhouse.   At one time I used a chemical product, but have learned a more environmentally friendly way to manage this issue.  I use chamomile tea!     I haven’t had any trouble with Damping off since…so it must be effective!
I use a plastic greenhouse tray, add a plastic liner (as some of them are getting old and have a few little leaks)   I fill the tray with water and put a tea bag in there to steep…

002

(I also steep a full garbage can of chamomile tea in the greenhouse for watering purposes for a few weeks) 

079

Next we need to make a little dimple in the soil to put out seed into…I use the tip of my marker to do this…it’s the perfect size.

080

Remember…not too deep…just be gentle!  Now that we have our little dimple made…it’s time for SEEDS!

081

Using the seed spoon or tweezers, place one tiny seed into the dimple you just made in the pot!

082

There it is!

083

Lightly cover that tiny seed with some of the growing medium and you are almost ready to grow!

085

If you are like me, you like to know what color everything is going to be.   I label each pot with the color of the geranium that is planted in it.  I use the cut up mini blinds and my permanent marker to tag each pot with the bloom color!

087

All tagged and sown…ready for some water!

088

Once I have sown and labeled each pot, I like to let them absorb some of the tea steeped water from the bottom.  The chamomile tea will help to prevent damping off disease, and soaking in from the bottom will prevent our little seeds from being moved from their new little homes.   Once the soil is evenly moistened…I move them back into their growing trays and wait. 
…and wait.
…and wait.
…and wait.   I can’t even explain why I love to grow from seed so much…anyone who knows me knows I am NOT a patient Tootsie…and it seems there is a LOT of waiting involved in this hobby doesn’t there?  well…it’s worth it.
You will need to repeat the entire process again and again and again until all your Geranium seeds are sown…

103


I planted 200 Geraniums of various colors today…How many do you plant?  Do you have a favorite color?

Well that’s it for me today…

Until Next Time…Happy Gardening!

*)*)*) Trials of life can either make us or break us - it's our attitude that makes the difference.

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com
 
sunshine