The Beginning Farmer Series: Episode Four

[@mineaalexndru-ciprian6068]

i tink for the intensive production on small scale is realy important to master seed propagation and geting realy nice seedling because that is the esence of this model of farming

[@notillgrowers]

Agreed. Failed trays add up quick and can become extremely expensive.

[@waynebusse6376]

I built and insulated a closet in my basement with shelves and florescent lights. I don't heat it because the lights give off enough heat to do the job. Without any fan to move air around the warm air rises and I put the heat loving crops up high and lettuce and cole crops down low. With the lights, I don't have to worry about crops stretching as they sprout. I have a two foot roll of shrink rap that I cover the flats until they sprout. You could use saran rap.After the plants are all up, I move them upstairs into my 12' by 12' sun room. I have shelves with lights in it also because we don't get enough light in Feb and March. After I run out of room I then move them out to the bedding plant hoop house. For my 4,0000 onions, I plant them in 72 counts and just set them on the floor in the family room. When they are all up I move them straight out to the hoop house since they don't need very warm temps. I have 7 hoop houses where I raise about 1, 000 tomato plants and peppers. This year I plan on building two more 30' by 100' hoop houses which will be mobile. I'll post some videos of how I make them later this summer. I've been growing tomatoes in the same soil in three of the houses for twenty years and I'm seeing a lot of salt buildup. The plants still do well but I'm sure they'd do better in new soil every couple years.

[@notillgrowers]

Whoa cool, very interested in mobile tunnels. We get rough wind here and that sorta freaks me out but I love the idea. Thanks for insight!

[@Andr1919]

How about a video on on frost protection! What can a cat tunnel handle compared to a high tunnel? What are heating options? What crops do well in cold below freezing weather ?

[@notillgrowers]

Sure, Lisa! Season extension is arguably my favorite investment as it generally the fastest return. I cab do that

[@halfacrefarmsbell5674]

Great tips!!! I won’t start anymore cherry tomatoes from seed! I’ll only do the sun golds and black cherry’s and buy the cherrys in 6 packs as soon as they are available! Keep up the great work!!

[@notillgrowers]

Oh great! Glad that's helpful

[@justinzunker]

Totally agree on the seed suppliers. I like Sunshine Mix #3 for starts. I used to use my garage to germinate seeds, but salanova will not germinate over 85°. I am also starting paperpot this year. It's definitely stressful starting a season when you're running out of space.

[@dak7302]

Your advice matches up really, really well with my experience on this one. I agree with pretty much everything you touched on. Another great video Jesse. Doing your own starts is great and definitely becomes important when you're in the upper Midwest and have a short season. But you are definitely inviting a lot of management into your life when you produce your own transplants. I guess even if you're buying them in, its still a lot of work. There are lots of advantages though and with certain crops I feel its kind of nessesary. That being said, I definitely try to transplant as little as possible. I'm working with a good amount of land though, so it maybe more important for your business if you're really needing to be intensive on a small land base. We started off doing soil blocks for many years and moved to cell trays as we grew the business. They use less medium and are much, much quicker and easier on the body. Less medium also means you have to be on top of watering and the plants won't hold as well if you can't plant them when you hoped to. We still do the early plantings in blocks, so if the spring doesn't cooperate the plants don't get as stressed waiting to be planted. Although not things we do a lot, potting up and thinning are useful with certain crops too. If it's a spotty germinating variety, but the seed's cheap, plant a couple per cell and thin them down to one per cell later. Or if it's a crop that starts better under lights then in a germ chamber, you can use a small blocker or plant into small trenches in a standard 1020 flat. This way you can start lots of plants with a small light set up and pot up the plants to cell trays when they have sturdy cotyledon. I'd like to plug using a germination chamber and heated benches in combination, it's been a great system for me. The heated benches may not make sense to invest in if your just getting going, but they're great and definitely worth considering building down the road. I start almost everything in a germ chamber. When I've seeded a flat, I put a few test seeds on the surface in a corner cell. When you see these test seeds germinate pull the flat and move them to the heated bench. I've gotten burned by leggy plants too often (Jesse is right, watch your germ chamber closely), so I let everything emerge in the sun these days. Just keep things moist and you'll get good results. I've got blankets I've made out of about ten layers of old row cover that I unroll on wire supports just over the plants. It keeps the bench heat on the plants at night. The rest of my greenhouse is unheated and I've never had a problem up here in zone 3. As the nights get warmer, i move plants to unheated benches to harden off several weeks before planting. My bench system uses heated electric cable buried in a couple inches of sand, it's very cheap to operate, thermostatically controlled and has been a very faithful way to produce starts. Though I try to avoid working anymore then nessesary in the greenhouse, this is from a practical business stand point. From the standpoint of a guy who loves plants, its really enjoyable work. Young plants are just exciting to be around and observe, it's good for the spirits. Early spring, when the greenhouse is full is usually peek optimism for me, haha.

[@notillgrowers]

Great addition as always, David. Context will definitely make a big difference and I really appreciate the point about just enjoying working with plants. I feel that way, too. I love the whole process-from germination to planting. But it does come with a lot of management. I like that you mention that buying transplants takes management, too. It does, and if the conditions aren’t right when your plants arrive, you still have to have a place (with sunlight) to put them until you can plant. Thanks as always-great insight all around!

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

Interesting about the buying the seedlings idea. It makes a lot of sense to me. I have 1500 tomatoes going, and the nights are too cold for my simple poly tunnel, so I'm pulling them into my garage. I'm very nervous about what that means once I pot them up next week, lol, and the math is making those seedlings look really expensive

[@notillgrowers]

Exactly. When you factor in labor it's not cheap!

[@wayfaringfarmer2724]

Propagate inside your home in an extra room on racks...Temperature management is the most expensive cost in exterior green houses. LED lights now are so cheap that keeping and interior room at 70-75 is very efficient, because your already spending money for you to stay comfortable. My opinion.

[@notillgrowers]

Do you have grow light recommendations for people? That's out of my wheelhouse

[@justinzunker]

Yep, that's what I do. I found some LEDs on Amazon and hung them in a small 5 shelf greenhouse.

[@wayfaringfarmer2724]

Linkabke LED shop lights, anything over 6000k will be sufficient light for nursery setting to transplant.

[@clarkansas6590]

Good job

[@andrewnaughton799]

Awesome video as always. We grow all our own and the big propagation guys over here in Scotland are pretty maxed out with the commercial guys taking all the greenhouse space so near impossible to buy the quantities we require. One thing we have done this year which has saved us a ton of time is moving wholly to pelleted seed for lettuce,celery,fennel,radicchio. We always buy pelleted from now on, it has saved us a huge amount of time this year,especially with lettuce. Also with carrot and parsnip seed or any direct sown seed try and get primed seed, it gets them away so much faster and consistent in germination time. One other technique we use and learned from an old grower over here is to use bare root transplants. we sow all our leeks quite heavily in the polytunnel/hoophouse and then let them grow away until they get to a good 6 -8 inches in length we then dig them up and they have a huge root mass by being in the ground, way better than you would ever get in a cell, and then plant them straight out in the field. We grow around 40,000 leeks per year and this is the most economical and space saving way to do it. To grow that many in cells would require a lot of compost and a lot of space in the tunnel. It also works well for brassicas as they are pretty robust plants and don't mind so much getting there roots disturbed. Let them grow to the third leaf stage and plant them out on an overcast day. Very cost effective.

[@notillgrowers]

That's great insight, Andrew! Especially about bare root plants--great tip! Pelleted seeds are also extremely helpful. Totally agree. Thank you for the contribution!

[@johnmartin9090]

I so appreciate all you information and great advice and ways to improve productivity. GREAT VEDIO

[@notillgrowers]

Thanks, John!

[@Jonathan-tr9tx]

I have used fort v for two years now, and have had great results.

[@JB-yg3ew]

Great greenhouse, I like the ideas for improvement. Thanks!

[@notillgrowers]

Thanks! our next probable step is a legit prop house with good ventilation, roll up sides, auto waterers. We’re thinking about making that leap and costing it out. But this totally has done the trick for three years. well, it’s MOSTLY done the trick, but stays a little cramped for 9 months of the year!

[@JB-yg3ew]

The upgrade sounds much needed. My first thought was your little greenhouse would be perfect for our 1/4 acre property.

[@notillgrowers]

I think that's about right. Maybe 12 by 14 or 16 but as I describe it with the levels so leaving some room for micros. 12 by 12 is awkward for height too. Rectangles are easier. Also check greenhouse plastics. Custom cuts are (generally) more expensive than standard. You can fit your greenhouse to that!

[@kearstinnekenerson6676]

I have a local plant nursery that sells their own seeds and I use them every year in my garden I’m very much a make my own soil person but I am open to trying a potting mix. I might just do a few comparisons in the first few years

[@Marshall_Weber]

Awesome Video!!

[@AHolston8]

FYI VT Compost Co’s Fort Vee Soil contains sphagnum peat moss so that may not be for everyone since it’s not sustainably harvested. It’s a valuable part of a peat bog ecosystem with a very slow regrowth rate, so if you’re looking for peat-free look to Fox Farm.

[@dantheman9135]

Awesome

[@Rymorin4]

high value information thanks

[@robs9574]

I was pulling the trigger on my late seed order in the morning. All Heirloom, I too dreamed of saving seed lol. Back to the drawing board. So you're rocking F1 hybrids with organic practices? I guess for some reason I thought folks would rather see Heirloom op at the market. Though like you state; " they may not perform as well". I'm so thankful I stayed up and caught this vid, I may lose a couple days on a seed order but I'd rather have quality seed. Lastly can I stack regular trays on my heat table or is that exclusive to Winstrips? Thank you again, Excellent Content!

[@robs9574]

Just checked out High Mowing and it's awesome, ty

[@notillgrowers]

Hey Rob! There are definitely a few f1 hybrids I like (hakurai turnips, sungold cherry tomato, et cetera.). Don't skip all heirlooms but for the crops that you are relying upon for income or production start with something reliable. You can always work back from that. For tomatoes, definitely gotta grow some heirlooms but everything else make it a mix, perhaps weighted towards hybrid. Just to start. Table is not exclusive to winstrips. Proper soil temp and humidity matter in all seeds and all flats.

[@vesnabulatovic1176]

presoak seads with litlle distilled water with honey or cinamon in or drop or two of stimulants like root buster or simple sugar

[@insidethegardenwall22]

What types of seeds do you used in presoaking?

[@vesnabulatovic1176]

@@insidethegardenwall22 flowers and vegitables

[@gc47]

I use rare seeds, baker creek

[@paxtianodirtfrog8947]

What all would you have bought from other people(transplants)? Would this be a big dollar difference from you doing it yourself? I'm good at starting tomatoes and suck at lettuce and some other things.

[@notillgrowers]

It’s a bigger upfront cost, but roughly the same per plant by the time of transplant (around 11c), especially before you have an efficient prop house. Plus the quality is nearly perfect. It takes capital though. For sure.

[@notillgrowers]

Oh and I would have bought all of my early starts from people. Especially tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Getting those started in feb is tough. Lettuce is easy-loves house temps! Just set them up in the house and take them out the greenhouse when they germ. Protect from intense heat or direct sun until larger.

[@kearstinnekenerson6676]

Also I already have grow lights for my seedlings I was going to do a temp and humidity control room with the lights I also want a grow house for my own personal grows I want to also make it kinda my tortoise and turtles house I think the turtle pond will keep things nice and humid for seedlings and my tortoise would love her own personal bed full of grasses and herbs

[@ravenwoodfarms1957]

What zone are you in? I'm already an avid countryside home gardener in my parents home and hoping to have a farm/boarding facility of my own and saving for my own property. Only problem is I'm a zone 3. 😭 any of you have experience on extending your growing season in this zone?

[@chrisshepherd8708]

What is your opinion on the paper pot versus trays?

[@Myxlplyk]

When you set up for market, do you advertise "tomatoes" or "Brandywine tomatoes" or "Pruden's Purple Brandywine tomatoes"? I'm guessing different things call for different details, like "salad mix" vs "Salanova lettuce" (maybe?) or something well known and sought after like "Cotton Candy grapes." Can you give us some ideas of what you would advertise at each level?

[@notillgrowers]

We will always push something if we think it’s special. Right now that’s celery. We are really pushing celery because people haven’t had it. If you have a special tomato or lettuce then I say yes. We will often rename something to make it sell better “butter Bibb” for instance (note that we are never callings something it’s not just jazzing up the name a bit). I think heirlooms is a powerful enough word on its own, though, for tomatoes.

[@ForeignLifestylestory]

I live in the tropics..germinating is a night mare for me.

[@notillgrowers]

I imagine!

[@chrisshepherd8708]

So you would recommend a F1 instead of heirlooms?

[@deeprootacres8843]

Do you start or by celery starts? Or is that not enough profitability for the hassle?

[@notillgrowers]

Great question. I'm probably going to start buying them. Not worth the trouble to propagate in early spring without a better house

[@deeprootacres8843]

Rough Draft Farmstead for sure I’m on the same route as you with a propagation area. Gonna invest in something that will last a long time, save a lot of time and really improve quality. Transplants have a big part in market farms!