Getting your seeds off to the best start this year

[phil the shed]

well i'm gonna try it just bought a 4.5kg tub at findern gc for £5 carbon gold bio char is that gvfm...

[zazen999]

What are your conclusions Zaz - since you have seen the plants and we haven't. Is there much difference?

Can't say I see much to be honest.

Once this next few days are over I am going to do a bigger test with numbered amounts of seeds.

[VirginVegGrower]

I am noticing that my plants with Biochar are drying out more quickly and need far more watering than those without. Strange as I thought it would be the other way around. Also my garlic growing in the tunnel with Biochar added has turned yellow on the tips. The other half hasn't. Although I shall be basing my value on its worth once I've pulled them up. So far, I would say no big shakes.

[VirginVegGrower]

And from an angle

I would say negligible differences. Might be easier to see with a bigger seed and one seedling. I will endeavour to get some pics of the broadies for you Zaz.

[marchogaeth]

What are your conclusions Zaz - since you have seen the plants and we haven't. Is there much difference?

Can't say I see much to be honest.

Once this next few days are over I am going to do a bigger test with numbered amounts of seeds.

This is very interesting, thanks so much for doing this work. It is going to be interesting to see what the end harvest is like and also what any CBA shows. I often think people think it's easy to do trials with plants (CF with animals) but it isn't once you start to get differences in size, suddenly some need more water, they might need planting out sooner/reach the point where you would swap from a nitrogen feed to a potash feed etc etc.

I am noticing that my plants with Biochar are drying out more quickly and need far more watering than those without. Strange as I thought it would be the other way around. Also my garlic growing in the tunnel with Biochar added has turned yellow on the tips. The other half hasn't. Although I shall be basing my value on its worth once I've pulled them up. So far, I would say no big shakes.

[Sheneval]

On 19th April I planted 16 broad bean plants purchased from Dobbies 4 to a row.
All 16 plants were at a similar stage
The soil in all 4 rows had MCP added.
Each plant in row 2 had 5 grams of Biochar added.
Each plant in row 3 had a similar amount of Rock dust added.

Today I took photographs of the 3 top rows - only the first 3 rows are visible but rows 1 & 4 were similar.

In my opinion the plants in rows 2 & 3 are ahead of the other two - whether they are far enough ahead to warrant the expense I am unable to judge being a newbie at veg growing but thought I would post this for information - I will be watching the progress of these beans carefully over the coming weeks.

[veggiechicken]

Could it also be that rows 1 & 4 are in the "shadow" of the protective whatever it is around them so aren't getting as much light/water as the rows in the middle?

[VirginVegGrower]

Well done for actually doing a trial. Looks good and keep us advised. More should trial and judge on their own results.

[SarzWix]

I took pictures of my cucumber plants yesterday; 2 with biochar mixed with MPC, 2 with just MPC. I'll try and get them posted tomorrow.

[VirginVegGrower]

I've just sown a second set of peas in 10:1 compost to Biochar.

[Sheneval]

Could it also be that rows 1 & 4 are in the "shadow" of the protective whatever it is around them so aren't getting as much light/water as the rows in the middle?

Quite possible VC but I am hoping not as the Biochar in particular was b..... expensive and I want it to work to justify the expense and prevent me feeling a bigger fool than I already am

[veggiechicken]

I want it to work too, for your sake! Money's money after all!! I'm too tight to spend the money on an experiment

[Sheneval]

VC - I regard the allotment as a very enjoyable hobby - as such I do not grudge spending the odd £1 or £20 but I like to get value for money, otherwise it is waste and being a Scot I hate waste

However, I am also a risk taker so occasionally I act on impulse and take a chance on something that may or may not be worthwhile such as Biochar or my Trencher, (draw hoe) - the latter has proved a major success so far as I am concerned - I think my post in response to Steve from Kent regarding his couch grass confirms this.

I would be disappointed if Biochar proved a failure as it would mean my judgement in this instance was faulty, but being pragmatic, I would just regard it as another lesson learned and burn their Works down - only kidding - honest - now where did I put the matches

[SarzWix]

These are HSL Sigmadew cucumbers, from my own saved seed. They were sown into a six-cell module tray, 3 cells with biochar mixed into the multi-purpose compost (MPC), and 3 without, so just plain MPC. The biochar was obtained from 'Oxford Biochar', NOT Carbon Gold.

I tried to get similar sized seeds for all, so that seed size wouldn't be a differentiating factor. 1 cell of each didn't germinate at all. After germination in a heated prop, they were moved under grow lights, and the tray regularly moved around under the light so none would have any kind of advantage, and were watered with a measured amount each time. These are the results after potting up for the 1st time, again, one lot with biochar, one without.

The ones on the left are without, the ones on the right with.

[bearded bloke]

Certainly seems to have given them a good start Sarz,will you be using the same system when potting up?