The Old Folks Home

[ronott1]

I have done the wheat fodder. Tried it last week, didn't grow this well..not in the same room as last yr. Maybe that's why. Trying again, but trying in the same place, it's the only place I have for it right now..to have the temps even close to where they should be for it.
Hope it works out this well....

I may have to try barley.

Do you have a grow light?

 

[ozexpat]

another name for a vegetarian, bad shot--

wecome bob!!

 

[Cynthia12]

Do you have a grow light?

NO! What? Going to google.

Ok, I'm reading that some people use it, some don't. I had it going pretty good last yr. Didn't use a light. I knew not to have it in direct sunlight, so it isn't.
I had some soaking, placed it in the pan today..just doing one pan at a time for my small flock,..and I am already seeing more starting than last weeks. I am keeping it more wet this time too.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I had a doctor tell I'm in trouble when I get old.
I am super sensitive to a lot of medications. If there's a side effect I'll get it. So I don't take a lot of medication ever. Advil, Aleve, only when I am so stiff I can't move or migrain or dental. Narcotics are not my friend even when in severe pain. Even after surgery they make me very nauseous and so light headed I just have to say no. For colds and allergies iI either take half the adult strength or childrens medications. On the plus side, I'll never be an addict.

Aren't we all old here already?

I don't take any, ever. I can't remember the last time I had an aspirin but it's been many years. When I worked a lot of weird shifts and never slept right I was sick all the time.
Now I go to bed with the chickens and up with the chickens. The last time I had the flu was New Years 2007/08. I think I caught it on a flight to KC. I was also run down from long hours I was sick as a dog. I haven't had as much as a cold since then.

i know right. I need a zero turn mower

That would be a speedo pirouette.

I have done the wheat fodder. Tried it last week, didn't grow this well..not in the same room as last yr. Maybe that's why. Trying again, but trying in the same place, it's the only place I have for it right now..to have the temps even close to where they should be for it.
Hope it works out this well....

I may have to try barley.

Barley is my favorite but I get good luck with sunflower seeds, wheat, winter peas and buckwheat - in that order.
I had a lot of failures for various reasons but I've finally figured it out.
Originally I was soaking the seed too long. A 24 hour soak will actually delay the sprouting by a couple days. It gets too bloated. I now only soak an hour or two in warm water and then rinse about 3 times in the next 24 hours. Thereafter you can get by on 2 thorough rinses each day. If you don't rinse liberally or often enough, it will mold.
I have several of those plastic 2 1/2 quart paint buckets, about $1.50 ea. I soak them in the bucket and then drain into a colander, put them back in the bucket and cover with a damp paper towel. After the second day I spread them in a shallow perforated seed flat. I put that inside a deep solid seed flat so that it catches the water when I rinse. Does that make sense?
Temperature is really important too. About 70F is ideal. Lower and it will still sprout but slower. Once it sprouts it can handle lower temperature.
The sprouting doesn't need light but once the first leaves start, a good light is helpful. A grow light isn't necessary. Someone did an experiment with all types of lights and kitchen & bath type fluorescent tubes were just as effective as expensive gro lights.
Otherwise you can just put them by a sunny window. If it isn't too cold, I'll put them on the front porch which faces south. There's a lot of trees so the sun isn't constant but they will benefit from full sun because they are full sun type plants.

If your room is cold, it will benefit from more frequent lukewarm water rinses.


I have a place in the cellar I use if I'm doing a lot of trays and for starting vegetables. It's three 8' racks in a column. Each rack has two double 4' fluorescent fixtures with the cheap kitchen&bath tubes.
Two 4' fixtures are cheaper than one 8'.
The cellar is cold so under the bottom rack I have an old 8' baseboard heater and a 4x8 foam insulation board on each side to keep the heat in.

another name for a vegetarian, bad shot--

Does anyone remember that kitchen gadget from the 80's called a salad shooter?

That's also what you call a vegetarian with diarrhea.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: I had mine in a room that had plenty of indirect light and it did well but the bottom molded or it turned yellow from not enough water. So I planted it in a section to grow and feed outside.

It is growing great outside.

 

[chickwhispers]

i know right. I need a zero turn mower

yep. Grasshopper sexiest ZRT on the market.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Speaking of chickens and hatch-a-longs. I just had 2 hens go broody yesterday, in the same nest on 6 or 7 eggs. That would have them hatching around the 13th or 14th of December. We'll see what happens today. I may put a stop to it.



On another note - Wales Center, New York - 85" of snow IN THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER!!!

 

[chickwhispers]

@ChickenCanoe I don't get sick very often either. I work with adults that are Developmentally Disabled in their own homes and as miuch I'm exposed to all the germs they bring back from their work programs I consider myself healthy and happy and lucky. Even when I was working as a teller at the bank I didn't get the bug of the week from the customers. I agree less (drugs) is more healthy.
Only part of me is old. I just dont know what part yet. But when I find it I'll let you know. Maybe.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Cool drone video of the snow. This one's for Oz.

http://wtvr.com/2014/11/21/watch-amazing-drone-video-shows-buffalo-buried-under-deadly-snowfall/

 

[chickadoodles]

CC that is toooooo much snow for me! ((shivering))