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Living salad: seed sowing jig

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  • Living salad: seed sowing jig

    We've experimented with "living salad" sown in reused supermarket trays in thin layer of compost. Start in greenhouse propagator and move into the house when first true leaves appear. So far so good - we will see how it goes over the winter.

    The question is this: how to sow the seeds accurately? 5 -10mm spacing seems ideal and the supermarket ones are very accurately sown (robots?) and this seems to make a difference to the success.

    Currently we coat the seed in talc so we can see it and use surgical/lab forceps so sow one at a time - clearly not a sustainable solution.

    Any ideas of a way so sowing seed accurately?

    (if we are being mad, do say so....)
    I live in a part of the UK with very mild winters. Please take this into account before thinking "if he is sowing those now...."
    ∃

  • #2
    You’re being mad

    Life is to short to sow cut and come again/ living salad that accurately
    Just sprinkle a thin layer of seed into your tray and let them get on with it.

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    • #3
      Cadalot came up with an interesting jig for sowing spring onions. Have a look down his posts here for inspiration:
      Alans Allotment: Spring Onions

      I reckon you could come up with something similar for your salads. A sheet of something with holes poked through using a soldering iron or the like. Not sure about needing forceps, though. Me, I just use my fingers, but then I'm not looking for something as accurate as you are.

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      • #4
        My first thoughts are...............Life's too short to sow as you're doing!
        What are you growing? Cut and come again salad leaves or cress/basil seeds?

        EDIT snap SP
        Last edited by veggiechicken; 05-09-2019, 09:32 AM.

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        • #5
          Im old and have slight peripheral neuropathy so cant feel my finger ends. Mad too.
          I live in a part of the UK with very mild winters. Please take this into account before thinking "if he is sowing those now...."
          ∃

          Comment


          • #6
            In the past i have mixed seeds with wallpaper paste and used a cake icing piper but mrs quanglewangle squeals at that, and it only gives regular spacing in one dimension.
            I live in a part of the UK with very mild winters. Please take this into account before thinking "if he is sowing those now...."
            ∃

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            • #7
              use larger cell trays,yogurt pots,or them throw away cups,they can be used over and again,put a few seeds into each,if to may pull some out,by what ever method you choose,this will give you the same results,plus you could have some new,temporary window cill plants,if you wish,several could be placed into a trough without holes,just for watering purposes,as long as you got a hole in your initial pot of compost,good luck with your project,
              sigpicAnother nutter ,wife,mother, nan and nanan,love my growing places,seed collection and sharing,also one of these

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              • #8
                another thought,cut or rip some bits of tissue same sixe as the top of the pot/compost,when you have time you could prepare some seed disk's ready for use,thinking of BM here,as it was his idea,not sure what he used,glue or flower paste,it can be done on a tray sitting down or at the table,at your own pace ready for when you need them,but wright on the tissue what they are,so you remember,
                sigpicAnother nutter ,wife,mother, nan and nanan,love my growing places,seed collection and sharing,also one of these

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                • #9
                  You can buy seed sowing tools? My Mum also struggles with sowing seed so uses something similar to this:

                  https://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/mo...QaAp5rEALw_wcB

                  Though if you mix seed with some sand it may help with sowing? Sow from higher above your trays to disperse a bit...but may be not quite as accurate as you want it.

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                  • #10
                    What a great thread! Thanks for all suggestions.

                    Bringing it together i think i will try marking out a tissue; gluing seeds to it and dropping the sheet onto the compost.

                    Will let you know...

                    BTW: VC just salad, we do basil with cuttings with clonex - a lot quicker than seeds.
                    Last edited by quanglewangle; 05-09-2019, 01:10 PM.
                    I live in a part of the UK with very mild winters. Please take this into account before thinking "if he is sowing those now...."
                    ∃

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Could you sow reasonably thickly and then snip out the crowded plants to thin them - and pop those in your salad to save wasting them (like, ya know...micro greens)?
                      All at once I hear your voice
                      And time just slips away
                      Bonnie Raitt

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Small pumpkin View Post
                        Life is to short to sow cut and come again/ living salad that accurately
                        Just sprinkle a thin layer of seed into your tray and let them get on with it.
                        That's what I do but in the past I've also mixed in some sand I find that works.
                        Location....East Midlands.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by quanglewangle View Post

                          BTW: VC just salad, we do basil with cuttings with clonex - a lot quicker than seeds.
                          Have you tried rooting it just in water?
                          I'm a simple chicken .
                          Last edited by veggiechicken; 05-09-2019, 02:25 PM.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post
                            Have you tried rooting it just in water?
                            I'm a simple chicken .
                            Simple? We don't do anything simple
                            I live in a part of the UK with very mild winters. Please take this into account before thinking "if he is sowing those now...."
                            ∃

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I have noticed

                              Comment

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