Thursday, April 28, 2011

Rooftop gardening: they rope me in

No one does or sells chili centil  (the little red hot chili) seedlings around here. So for the rooftop vegetable gardening (here: Roof Top vegetable gardening)   I posted about a few days ago, with the ambitious 800 chili plants, they rope me into germination laboratory. They supply chili seeds, peat soils and hands to put everything ready, potting soil in trays and seeds in place.  I, on the other hand, put up the laboratory. .... I have to employ all the skills that I have to put woods together, nail them for a crude germination rack. I manage to put up an awkward looking netting to ward off hot sunlight. Within days, seeds popped up, one after another. Both of us (bangchik and kakdah) took turn to spray them.....




Germinating 1000 Chili Centil

picture: 24th April 2011

chili seedlings
chili seedlings











chili seedlings


picture 25th April 2011










 A view of the my germination laboratory .

Old woods lying around the construction site nearby, were left more or less to decompose, or to be collected at the end of the project for bonfire. Of course I ask permission from the project manager, out of courtesy. I spent a good weekend to complete it. Two open shelf wooden cabinet, 3 feet high and 4 and a half feet long. One of the cabinet comes with 3 shelves, the other one with only two. Netting at the back, top and sides. They are very sturdy!

chili centil, the eagerness to grow
chili centil: taking up seed coats high.









Chili centil: this particular tray manage to get  100% germination.



picture 26th April 2011

upper rack
upper rack









Lower rack: most chili seeds had germinated
Germination Laboratory

Yeap, they rope me into germination laboratory, but what an experience. That surely will not be the last. There will be more and more. Big scale germination will meander onto other plants, I am sure....

bangchik and kakdah
Projek tanaman atas bumbung

19 comments:

  1. Please help me find the cocopeat factory arround here(Kelantan)..

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  2. Very interesting...you've gotten a good start! I'm always impressed with the way you recycle things, such as the wood for the benches!

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  3. ~ Comeca Jones
    thanks, the encouragement helps...

    ~ azli9
    There is one cocopeat factory in Bachok. It would be good to get it from the factory if you wish to buy in large quantity. Otherwise you can order from an agro outlet in Wakaf Che Yeh. You can email me at mylittlevegetablegarden@gmail.com for details..

    Theanne and Baron
    Thanks, but a word of caution, recycling wood for benches is never easy. But it get me thinking how best to do it, with the constraint of size variation, straightness etc...

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  4. Bangchik, I am very, very impressed with your wood working. A few months ago, I purchased 1000 mini pots to germinate seeds. I needed those shelves but didn't know how to make them. So I bought wooden shoe racks instead. I started with peat moss. They were good very pricey. Eventually I used coconut fibre.

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  5. One word came to mind..."Wow!" =)

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  6. Great job Bangchik & Kakdah! Love the sight of the seedlings popping out of the trays :-D Good luck.

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  7. Now Bangchik, you're going big! Later on when it goes full swing i am sure you will replace them with metal, as woods have long lives.

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  8. tooey2010
    a thousand chili seedlings is peanuts, a friend in Kuantan did more than 10,000!

    Stephanie
    Little seedlings has all the elements about eagerness to live and about meeting expectation. They sooth our minds..

    Andrea
    I dont when BIG will come. But i am learning all the tricks.

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  9. Wow so many little seedling! You are really wonderful gardener!
    Thanks for the Roselle seeds!

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  10. Malar
    For may little garden, 10 seedlings is enough. Bigger scale gardening or farming needs thousands. Hopefully roselle will give you wonderful plants, blooms, drinks and jam.

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  11. very interesting..
    first time visiting your blog..I appreciate you for your wonderful presentation..!
    Am your new follower now..
    do stop by mine sometime..
    Tasty Appetite

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  12. Jay
    Thanks for the visit. I will visit your blog.

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  13. Good Luck! My cousin use to have kebun chili. All she have to do is call the middleman to pick up all her havest.But she says she cry everytime she harvest. Too hot!

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  14. Malay-Kadazan girl
    To do chili on a large scale, we need others to come in on contract basis, or employ your own workers. We are limited to so much each can do...

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  15. Every i read your entry, I'm inspired to do gardening :D

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  16. Utk menjimatkan ruang dan kos (media) saya cadangkan guna tray 200 lubang. Percubaan di Kuantan, anak semaian menepati spesifikasi.

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  17. i amsterdam
    Thanks good, the whole idea is to keep our enthusiasm going..., getting hands dirty to green the earth.

    Izmarhamid
    Terima kasih. lain kali boleh cuba. Projek di Jeli entah bila nak jalan.., tapi kalau jalan, main puluh2 ribu pokok.

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  18. Hello, I love reading through your blog, I wanted to leave a little comment to support you and wish you a good continuation. Wish you best of luck for all your best efforts. strut channel, slotted angle racks Delhi.

    ReplyDelete