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Pre-sowing with vermiculite: how do you do that?
Want to grow your own summer vegetables? Then pre-sowing is the way to go. That means germinating the seeds indoors and transplanting them outside when they're strong enough.
You'll need some special pots, vermiculite, and MM-Mix. Your plants will grow much faster and stronger than with the usual pots and potting soil.
You'll need some special pots, vermiculite, and MM-Mix. Your plants will grow much faster and stronger than with the usual pots and potting soil.
What is pre-sowing you ask?
Most seeds can be sown straight into your garden box. They germinate, seedlings come up, and your plants grow big and strong.
When you pre-sow, you sow indoors.
Your seedlings grow in a greenhouse or on the windowsill. You give them just the right amount of light, nutrients, and warmth. When they're ready, you'll transfer them to your garden.
This page takes you through pre-sowing using MM-Airpots and a mixture of fine vermiculite and MM-Mix.
This works way better than just using soil or vermiculite in an ordinary pot. Also, it’s fast and easy to do.
Tomatoes and other summer vegetables take months to produce fruit. And even then, only if the weather is warm enough.
Before that, they also need warmth to germinate and grow. Here in the Netherlands, the weather only gets warm enough around mid-May. But if you sow seeds directly into your garden boxes then, you've started too late. Four months later the days get shorter and cooler. You'll need a lot of luck to harvest ripe tomatoes in time.
So: that's why you pre-sow your tomatoes indoors from late March to mid-April. If you move the plants into your garden boxes at the end of May, you'll pick your first tomatoes by the end of July and continue through mid-October.
Zucchinis, pumpkins, and cucumbers grow faster, but they also need a lot of warmth early on. That's why you pre-sow them indoors too, but you can start later: from late April to late May. Their seeds are much larger, so the process is a little different from tomatoes.
Pre-sow tomatoes from March 25 to April 15.
You pre-sow zucchini, pumpkin, and cucumber later. The ideal time is late April to mid-May.
If you're pre-sowing for the first time, best to start as late as possible: tomatoes around mid-April, the rest in the first half of May.
This way you don't have to take care of your plants indoors for as long. That's not always the easiest part for beginners.
You pre-sow zucchini, pumpkin, and cucumber later. The ideal time is late April to mid-May.
If you're pre-sowing for the first time, best to start as late as possible: tomatoes around mid-April, the rest in the first half of May.
This way you don't have to take care of your plants indoors for as long. That's not always the easiest part for beginners.
What do you need to pre-sow?
You only need a few things:
- fine pre-sowing vermiculite
- MM-Mix
- MM-Airpots
- seeds: for example, cherry tomato, yellowmato, or bush tomato.
- a mixing bowl
- water
- smaller bowls or saucers
Here's how you do it:
Step 1: In the mixing bowl, combine 1 part MM-Vermiculite and 1 part MM-Mix.
Step 2: Pour in just as enough water so the mixture sticks together.
Step 3: Fill the MM-Airpots with your new mixture. Press it down gently with the rounded side of a spoon.
Step 4: Poke a hole in the middle of the air pot up to 1 cm deep.
Step 5: Cut open the seed bag and place 1 seed in the hole. Then gently cover it with some of the vermiculite-mixture.
(Our tomato seeds aren't cheap, so only sow 1 seed per pot. For other seeds, you can use 2 or 3).
(Our tomato seeds aren't cheap, so only sow 1 seed per pot. For other seeds, you can use 2 or 3).
Step 6: Put your MM-Airpot in a bowl or dish and leave it in a warm place.
If you're sowing different types of tomatoes, label them right away.
If you're sowing different types of tomatoes, label them right away.
I like to sow 2x as many plants as I'll need later. So if I want 2 tall tomato plants, I'll germinate 4.
If one doesn't sprout, or if something goes wrong during the process, then at least I have a backup.
Many gardeners germinate a whole bunch at once. I'm not into that. You have to keep them all safe and happy indoors until they're strong enough to be moved outside and you also have to find space for them on the windowsill. My windowsills aren't that big.
After all that, you'll end up with too many plants. You either have to give them away or throw them away. And no one wants to put good plants in the trash.
If one doesn't sprout, or if something goes wrong during the process, then at least I have a backup.
Many gardeners germinate a whole bunch at once. I'm not into that. You have to keep them all safe and happy indoors until they're strong enough to be moved outside and you also have to find space for them on the windowsill. My windowsills aren't that big.
After all that, you'll end up with too many plants. You either have to give them away or throw them away. And no one wants to put good plants in the trash.
So, what's next?
After about a week the first seedlings will emerge. It's automatic, they just show up one day. You don't have to do anything except check if the mixture is still moist. You should check regularly because seeds won't germinate without moisture.
As soon as you see seedlings coming up, put the air pots somewhere that gets the most light, but won't get too warm.
Give the pots a quarter turn every day. This stops the seedlings from growing crooked. And again, keep the vermiculite mixture moist.
As soon as you see seedlings coming up, put the air pots somewhere that gets the most light, but won't get too warm.
Give the pots a quarter turn every day. This stops the seedlings from growing crooked. And again, keep the vermiculite mixture moist.
Windowsill care
Caring for your plants on the windowsill actually is kind of tricky. They want lots of light, but can't get too warm: that's important. So full sun, but not warmer than 20°C, preferably a little cooler.
Keep giving them a quarter turn every day and keep the mixture moist.
Keep giving them a quarter turn every day and keep the mixture moist.
Repotting, hardening off and moving out
At the end of April, transfer your plants to a larger pot full of MM-Mix. No vermiculite this time. A bigger pot gives your plant more room for its roots, so they'll continue to grow.
Once the end of May rolls around, let the plants get used to the outside. Start with an hour and then let them out a little longer every day. This is called hardening off.
After a few days, you'll move the most beautiful plant into its new home.
Once the end of May rolls around, let the plants get used to the outside. Start with an hour and then let them out a little longer every day. This is called hardening off.
After a few days, you'll move the most beautiful plant into its new home.
The app helps you step by step
Alright. So, that was a lot. But you don't have to remember it all.
Each step is written out and illustrated in the app. It also gives you the right instructions at the right time.
Each step is written out and illustrated in the app. It also gives you the right instructions at the right time.
From starting your seeds to removing the plant at the end of the season. And everything in between.
With the app, you pretty much can't go wrong.
It's amazing, isn't it? You can grow so many tomatoes from just 1 tiny seed.
With the app, you pretty much can't go wrong.
It's amazing, isn't it? You can grow so many tomatoes from just 1 tiny seed.
Ready to pre-sow?
Have fun!
PS: Why do seedlings grow better in MM-Airpots than in regular pots?
Okay, so in regular pots, roots keep growing along the sides of the pot. They're so busy growing in endless circles, they don't absorb as many nutrients.
With the MM-Airpot it's different. These net pots have openings on the sides:
With the MM-Airpot it's different. These net pots have openings on the sides:
If a root comes too close to the side of an MM-Airpot, it stops growing. That's called air pruning.
Instead of the roots getting longer and growing in circles, the plant will then produce new roots over and over again. The result is a strong root system with lots of young and healthy roots that absorb air, nutrients, and moisture.
Instead of the roots getting longer and growing in circles, the plant will then produce new roots over and over again. The result is a strong root system with lots of young and healthy roots that absorb air, nutrients, and moisture.
Your plants will grow faster and become stronger.
On top of that, you don't need to repot them as often. You'll also have less trouble transferring to your vegetable garden box or MM-Mini outside.
On top of that, you don't need to repot them as often. You'll also have less trouble transferring to your vegetable garden box or MM-Mini outside.
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