A Seedling has many uses...........Nutty idea!!

[veggiechicken]

We sow a seed with an end product in mind - usually a full sized veg of some sort.
Or, for a quick crop, may be as Microgreens, eaten as tiny seedlings.

Maybe the leafy veg would be treated as Cut and come again/cut and grow again (CACA and CAGA) with individual leaves being harvested or the tops cut off and left to regrow. (More at https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...aga_98466.html)

Or left to grow onto maturity.

Bear with me...............

My plan is to sow once with all 3 objectives in mind, achieving this by selective thinning of a thickly sown tray of seeds.
In my head, I'm thinking of a domino, a 6, where 6 seedlings will been left to grow on until large enough to plant out.

The microgreens will be picked first, leaving room for the others to grow on. These, apart from the 6 on the Domino, will be picked as CACA.

I'm not sure anyone will understand what I'm trying to say but I'm going to sow a couple of trays of seeds and see if I can eat them at many stages, rather than succession growing - and to end up with a few viable seedlings worth growing to full size.

PS This all came about because I was thinning out some seedlings and eating the immature ones ..............

[Snoop Puss]

I only know domino as one of the pieces in the game, so I'm stumped! But carry on as you were, VC. I'm sure there's method to this madness.

[Bren In Pots]

PS This all came about because I was thinning out some seedlings and eating the immature ones ..............

Last time I did that I wasn't paying attention and didn't pinch of the root, compost doesn't taste very nice.

[Small pumpkin]

Like your plan VC.
I’m a little concerned that your cut & come again stage may stunt your final fully grown stage. I’m guessing it’ll take as much energy/nutrients for the cut & come again as it’s repeating the process as it will for the fully grown one. Not sure a tray of compost will have enough nutrients to cope with all that. No doubt you’ve already work a way round it.
What you experimenting with first?

[veggiechicken]

I only know domino as one of the pieces in the game, so I'm stumped! But carry on as you were, VC. I'm sure there's method to this madness.

Just to give an idea of the spacing of the "Chosen Ones". I'm useless at playing Dominoes.

Last time I did that I wasn't paying attention and didn't pinch of the root, compost doesn't taste very nice.

According to a book I've been reading, radish seedling roots should be rinsed and eaten as that's where the flavour lies. Maybe the same to turnip and carrot seedlings?
The book also says that you should NOT grow parsnips this way as the leaves are poisonous.

[veggiechicken]

Like your plan VC.
I’m a little concerned that your cut & come again stage may stunt your final fully grown stage. I’m guessing it’ll take as much energy/nutrients for the cut & come again as it’s repeating the process as it will for the fully grown one. Not sure a tray of compost will have enough nutrients to cope with all that. No doubt you’ve already work a way round it.
What you experimenting with first?

I've been wondering that too, SP
Maybe sow in a deeper container to start with which the CACA could stay in - just taking a few baby leaves from each plant rather than CAGA where its cut down to grow again.

Perhaps prick out the Chosen Ones at this point to grow on in their final position (probably GH through winter).

Not sure what to start with. Maybe lettuce, mustard, cabbage, kale and radish to try the spindly roots. Varieties will depend on what's lurking in the "Past their Grow By Date" collection.
What would you recommend?

[Small pumpkin]

Ooh the chooses I’m leaning toward lettuce & radish.

Deeper trays.......yeah that should do it.

I knew you’d have it all under control, don’t no what I was worried about

[veggiechicken]

OK, Lettuce and Radish it is.................first find your seeds and lets give it a go!

Anyone else want to play?

[Small pumpkin]

I’m here purely as an advisory for this trip VC .

[veggiechicken]

I suppose you do have a good excuse......................

[1Bee]

I kind of do this anyway when I sow a row of lettuce - pick the thinnings and eat them; cut a few and eat them, let the rest grow to full size.

I don't have much success growing in trays, though.

[Snoop Puss]

I'm just an interested onlooker. Broccoli is often grown as micro greens, apparently. Might work too.

[rary]

If you sow a tray of seed I picture the domino effect as the selecting 1 plant at 6 points of the tray and removing the immediate small plants around each one, micro greens, then using the intermediate plants as cut and come again till the 6 selected ones develop a bit and then removing the CACA plant leaving selected ones to develope
While putting that down I think it actually looks a sensible plan
So that will put the "hems" on that plan

[veggiechicken]

Well done Rary
I always knew we were on the same wavelength.......Radio Luxembourg probably.

[Bren In Pots]

I kind of do this anyway when I sow a row of lettuce - pick the thinnings and eat them; cut a few and eat them, let the rest grow to full size. .

I do that as well SP and through the winter I sow unwanted seeds like celery as micro greens.