Project Spring 2014

[Hamad Ahmed Kisana]

WONDERFUL...COCKSCOMB IS LOOKING SOOO BEAUTIFUL..

[rafique]

Love your beautiful celosia. Looking great.

[M Farooq]

The flowers look stunning, especially the way they have been photographed.

[Farhan Ahmed]

Thanks All
French Marigold Flame and Bee (seed courtesy Rafique Sb), Flower size is in between the African and otherwise available french Marigolds.

[rafique]

You just sow the seeds and they transform into beautiful blooms.

[Farhan Ahmed]

I am seeing otherwise this fall ........as i see your ventures . I am having poor luck with seedlings, the Arthur Bower compost appeared awful. Its too hot i guess, lot of large chunks, even straw and something like cloth. Seedlings did emerge in most cases but struggles afterwards, hurriedly i have to shift them to ground. With so small size, its one painful job

[Mustansir Billah]

French Marigold! Very beautiful blooms.

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

Bonanza! Really a treat in the garden.

[rafique]

Arthur Bower compost appeared awful. Its too hot i guess, lot of large chunks, even straw and something like cloth. Seedlings did emerge in most cases but struggles afterwards.

You are right about the Arther Bower compost, because the vendor selling this is saying that npk with all trace elements are there in the compost. I dont know the reality? if npk with trace elements are there then it is not good for sowing and young seedling alone?
Is composition written on the packing or not?

[Farhan Ahmed]

Sowing Lesson this season
Sand and pure compost does help seed to germinate quickly but later on the seedlings suffer.
Its better to start seeds in as bright light or full sun as far as possible to stop them getting lankier.
Arthur Bower compost is a total failure for seed starting, on other hand a german brand available with Green Impex was good.
Using compost/peat mixtures i avoided damping off cent percent. Not even a single instance of damping off, however some seedlings did get damaged from top, i am still unsure of the reason. Possibly.....Too hot composition, over or less watering. I would personally grade the last one as the main culprit. Misting sometimes failed.
I am glad i did not wait for November to start seeds. Night Temperatures here and i think in Islo/Rwp region are 7-8 C in night.
Seedling require more soil than compost to grow healthy.
Compost requires more drenching to be moist.
Pest to watch out. Small caterpillars entering into pots and destroying seedlings. In situ watch out for slug/snail damage at night.
Thompson and Morgan germination was almost cent percent and whatever loss occurred was growing failure.
Park seed germination was poorest.
Plant of Distinction/Sutton seed germination was just okay.
I am unable to germinate larkspur and delphinium what so ever, despite chilling them. Whereas last year's larkspur have germinated at their places in numbers of hundreds
Best ever germination was of own seeds such as Phlox, Helichrysum, Sweat Peas, Dahlberg despite just throwing them on the ground.