How to Grow More Vegetables : And Fruits, Nuts ... - Shroomery

A GROW BIOINTENSIVE bed.
The leaves are roots in the air . . .
Roots are leaves in the ground . . .
66 SEED PROPAGATION
better protection for the soil. Carbon dioxide is captured
under the leaf canopy of closely spaced plants, where the
plants need it for optimal growth.
• Transplanting stimulates growth. When you transplant
a seedling into a double-dug, composted bed that is fluffy,
aerated, and full of nutrients, you give it a second “meal”
of nutrients, air, and moisture after its first meal in the flat.
If the seeds are sown directly in the bed, the soil will begin
to recompact after its initial digging while the seeds are
germinating and growing into seedlings. Therefore, the soil
will not be as loose for the plants to grow in once the
seedling stage is reached.
• Seedlings in a flat require much less water ( 1 ⁄ 2 gallon
per day) than seedlings in a bed (10 to 20 or more gallons
per 100 square feet per day).
Flats
If you build your own flats, the standard flat size is 3 inches
deep by 14 inches wide by 23 inches long. For smaller home
gardens, and people with less sturdy backs, half-sized flats may
be more convenient. The depth is critical since an overly shallow
flat allows the seedling roots to touch the bottom too soon.
When this occurs, the plants believe they have reached their
growth limit, and they enter a state of “premature senility.” In
this state the plants begin to flower and fruit even though they
are only transplanting size. We have experienced this with broccoli
and dwarf marigolds; the broccoli heads were the size of
the nail on a little finger. The flat’s length and width are not as
critical. They should not become too large, however, or the flat
will be hard to carry. If plants must remain in a container more
than 4 to 6 weeks, use a half-sized flat that is 6 inches deep.
When planting seeds or seedlings, remember that the most
important areas for the plant are the 2 inches above and the
2 inches below the surface of the flat or planting bed. The miniclimate
created under the plants’ leaves and the protection of
the upper roots in the flat or the bed by the soil is critical.
Without proper protection, the plants will develop tough necks
at the point where the stem emerges from the soil. A
toughened neck slows the flow of plant juices and interrupts
and weakens plant growth. These few inches are also important
because in a very real sense the roots are leaves in the soil and
the leaves are roots in the air. The roots “breathe in” (absorb)
gases in significant amounts as if they were leaves, and the
leaves absorb moisture and nutrients from the air. Also, plant
life activity varies above and below the ground according to
monthly cycles. Root growth is stimulated more during the
third quarter of each 28-day period, and leaf growth is stimulated
more during the second quarter, in accordance with the
phases of the moon. (See pages 71–74.)