Behind on your planting for spring and summer? If you are, there’s still hope. I always get behind on my planting, yet still seem to pull off a good harvest each year just fine.
Here’s the method I use that gets seeds growing in 3-4 days and produces plants “hardened” for outdoor planting in just 2 weeks.
What you’ll need:
- 1 Bag of Seed starter mix (available from Wal-Mart, Lowes, etc)
- An auto-watering APS tray from Gardeners Supply ($7 on sale)
- A large ziplock bag
Step 1: prepare your seed starter mix
Here’s a trick that will save a lot of time and cleanup. You see, seed starter mix is high in peat and vermiculite, so it doesn’t absorb water very well. You need the starter mix to be moist, so mixing in the water can be a headache.
Not any more.
Simply fill your large ziplock half the way with seed starter and add some water – just eyeball the amount of water you add. You don’t want it to be too wet (muddy) — just moist.
Once you have the soil and water in the ziplock, squeeze it. Massage it. You’ll see, the water will be absorbed into the mix in a minute or less. Whereas if you were stirring it in with a spade, it would take much longer.
Step 2: Prepare the APS tray for planting
You’ll have to excuse me, I didn’t bleach out the APS tray from years prior for two simple reasons. One, it’s not necessary. Two, I’m getting ready to put DIRT IN IT! 
Anyway, start by turning the “shelf” so the risers (legs) are facing downward. Drop it gently into the black tray.
Hint: The APS trays are good but they are made of styrofoam, and can break apart very easily. So take your time and be gentle.
Next, wet the cloth thoroughly and then drape it over the shelf. This cloth with absorb almost all of the water in the tray below. Make sure it hangs over the side and into the bottom black tray, so the “wicking” can occur. 
Finally, place the planting part of the APS on top of the cloth.
Step 3: Scoop seed starter into the trays and prepare for planting
This may seem common sense, but there are a few tips, so don’t give up reading yet. Using an old spoon, scoop the seed starter mix into the individual containers. Again, you will want to be gentle, the tray can be damaged if you hit the spoon against the side.
Important: Fill the container in 2-3 scoops and tap down each portion of starter mix.
In order for the starter mix to maintain moisture, it must make good contact with the cloth below. So “tamp down” the soil into each container.
Tip: I fill each tray all the way to the top so it “squares off” with the container. This is helpful later when it’s time for planting. The reason is, if you don’t have enough soil in the containers, the soil will break apart as you remove your seedlings for planting. (Another good reason for tamping down the soil well)
Step 4: Planting your seeds
First, I take a pencil and poke 2 holes — approx. 1 in deep — in each container of dirt.
Drop a seed or two into each hole.
Then push the soil to cover the seeds.
Step 5: Water and Cover
Now that you have everything assembled, it’s now time to add some water to the bottom of the tray.
Before filling the tray with water, it’s a good idea to place it in it’s final location. You risk spilling water everywhere if you have to carry it from one table to another.
I put mine on my stand-up desk so I don’t forget to check the water every couple days.
Pour water into the rectangular opening in the side of the tray.
You might want to get an inexpensive hydrometer that will show you how much water is in the bottom of the tray. You don’t want to overfill and spill. And of course you don’t want the unit to dry out completely either.
Tips:
Create a terrarium effect
Before covering your APS unit, spray a little warm water on the cover. By wetting the cover, it jump-starts moisture collection and keeps humitity in the grow chamber.
Prevent rot
As soon as you see green from your new plants, remove the cover. Otherwise, humidity will gather on the delicate plants and rot them before they get a good start.
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growin the cronic, are ya?!
On productivity, would be better if these images were not 1MB plus (each one!)
growin the cronic, are ya?!
I knew it was just a matter of time before someone would link this method with illicit drug production. What little I know about such matters is this method probably wouldn’t offer any benefit (if you can call it that) as compared to the growing systems made specifically to grow dope.
Nope, this will produce some great tomato, lettuce, cucumbers and zucchini though…you might even call them chronically delicious – but not knowing your standards. who knows?
You’re probably much better off saving up for one of those $1000 + systems and be sure and set aside a few grand for a good lawyer too.
Amrit and others… yes, I’m sorry about the image size. I tried 3 times to upload and link them at smaller sizes and use thumbnails. The new uploads wouldn’t replace the old and the thumbnail feature failed.
After I spent over an hour messing with it, I decided I had better things to do with my time. So I let it go.
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