Sprouts!

Good day friends,

This summer I realized how much my life would be better if I had a productive, hand-to-the-soil project during the school year, something simple and laden with nostalgia to cut the daily grind. About a week later I read an excellent article about urban gardeners. The author contended - and I agree - that

Growing our own food again would reconnect us to this country's languishing frontier spirit.

Thus the dorm garden was born. I wanted to combine this project with my rekindled passion for using other people's garbage; instead of buying planters I would use egg cartons, soup cans and small drums from the dining halls, as well as the every day plastic cups and Styrofoam take out containers that tend to accumulate.

Last Friday (Sept 19th), the project got started in earnest. In preparation, I had bought 5 sacks of potting soil and various seeds at the beginning in the year, as well as half a shower curtain and 5 grow lamps from home (remains of a sixth grade science fair project). Last Friday afternoon then I spent a couple hours planting my crop in an egg carton-paper box-grow lamp contraption I created:


box set up - bubble wrap for insulation


egg cartons - I actually think this industrial sized style works better


The seeds in the box are grape tomato, lettuce, basil, banana pepper, cabbage, cucumber, carrot and morning glory. Under a grow lamp on my bookshelf, I planted a variety of flowers (dwarf wildflower mix and asters, as well as some extra lettuce and basil seeds) in a flat styrofoam container and more basil and carrots in a soy milk container. Finally, in a plastic cup, I planted lettuce and carrots. I covered all of these in a layer of paper towel, and watered them using a plastic bottle with holes punched in the top. There were two reasons for the paper towel: first to keep the soil moist, and second to keep the impact of the water from making the soil a hard and airless mass. I squirted water onto the towel, saturating it, twice a day. The grow lamp in the box was on continuously while the other grow lamp was on sporadically, no more than 10 hours in three days.

I checked Sunday for signs of growth, and finding none I re-covered the planters with the paper towel. Last night, checking again, I found substantial sprouts from the morning glories, cucumbers, basil and lettuce in the box contraption. The styrofoam, plastic cup and even the milk carton also had sprouts. All slightly pale, after a night in direct grow lamp glow, they seem to be doing better. See above for pictures!