Growing onion and scallion transplants

Germinating onion seeds

1. Add about 1/4 inch of vermiculite to a plastic container.

2. Spray with water.

3. Scatter onion seeds on top, and then press them into the vermiculite.

4. Cover container and place on heating pad at 75 degree Fahrenheit.

5. Check seeds daily. Spay with water to keep vermiculite moist. After about 12 days, the sprouts are ready for transfer.

Transferring sprouts to pots

1. Make paper pots.

2. Fill pots with growing mix.

3. Make a hole about 1 inch deep. Gently lift 4 seedlings and hold together. Push roots into the hole with 1/2 inch of stems buried.

4. Pull the mix around the stems.

5. Sprinkle vermiculite on top. This reduces any damping off problems.

6. Place seedlings under indoor lights or outside in a cold frame. After 12 to 14 weeks, the transplants are ready.

Germinating mache and onion seeds

My garden plan has something to start every two weeks. This week I started germinating mache and onion seeds.

For the onion seeds, I added about 1/4 inch of vermiculite into recycled  plastic containers. Sprayed with water until saturated, and then dropped 125 seeds on top. After covering, I placed the containers on a heating pad. The silver insulation sheet on the heating pad helps to moderate the temperature to about 75 degF.