Seed Pods. They're Here....

"Out of the sky came a solution. Seeds drifting thru space for years, took root in a farmer's field. From the seeds came Pods which had the power to reproduce themselves in the exact likeness of any form of life." -Invasion of the Body Snatcher (1956) (Dr. Kauffman)

 They're hereeeeeee. Finally Seed Pods. Hundreds of them. Well, these are Biodegadeable Pellets.Close enough. They expand faster than regular peat pellets. Better for the environment as well.  

 Waiting, like Spencer. It snows, it sleets, it rains, it freezes.  I can't wait any longer. My  Pod pellets are ready and waiting. Staring at me. They're alive. I just know it. But no one will believe me of course. Well, alive in the sense that once you stuff seeds into them then they will grow.Therefore, alive, by all understanding of the word.  

 Must  remain respectful of the  Pods. Must Haul out the leftover garden pots as well. Stuff dirt into old pots. Hide them all in the bathroom. Watch to see if seeds will grow.Watch to see if they live or die.Must watch the Pods.

 It's something that happens every year at this time. I've never been able to resist. Resistance is futile.And it is futile to resist the  yearly trek to get Pods and Seeds and Dirt.So many pods......

 Gardening stores call them "Fiber Grow Pellets". Guaranteed to grow anything. Anything........."They come from another world!" -Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). Anything at all. From this world or outer space....

 They come flat. The discs have to be soaked in water to let them swell. The innards fluff out, squashing against the fat sides of very thin cloth. Looks like a fat sausage roll, ready to burst.

 Like pods. From one of my favourite movies......1958 or 1978.  

 "They're like huge seed pods!" -"Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

 Let them soak for a day at least. If you use them too dry , seeds just shrivel and die. Sometimes you can leave the trays of pods outside in the rain to get a good soaking. Just bring them inside. They can't stay outside in this rocky weather. But they can do with some rain to get them started.

 "They're here already! Your next!" -Invasion  of the Body Snatchers (1956)

What happens next is you keep those Pods watered, either with a Spray Bottle Mister, or a light sprinkling of water. 

 The Pods like to be in a warm room ( hence a bathroom with big windows), and not direct sunlight . Maybe a little bit, but not scorching sun. Figure out how much sun the room gets, then adjust the blinds. Otherwise,  The Pods will dry out far too much.

 You can plant one or two seeds in each sausage-like Pod. Get rid of the weaker plant after they start to grow. Try to leave the strongest plant in the pellet. Keep it moist. Pods like to have  a misting at least once a day.

 Every ten days, fertilize with a water soluble fertilizer. Dissolve  a good basic fertilizer into a watering can and go to town with it. The Pods will grow and plump up quite nicely.Quite nicely. You watch them. And THEY watch you.

  When the time comes, in May,  you will plant them outside in  dark loamy earth.  And you'll watch them grow. And they will still watch YOU.

"Tomorrow, you'll be one of us....." -Invasion of the Body Snatchers ( 1956) 
                                         (Rufus Hummer)
 Tomorrow will come, and the little Pods will grow  green things. And they will multiply. And you will be glad.And so will THEY.

 "Suddenly, while you're asleep.they'll absorb your minds, your memories, and you're reborn into an untroubled world....."
                        -Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) (Dr. Kauffman)

 Photographs 2017: M. McConachie Woods

Seeds and Dirt

 Two of my most favourite things: Dirt and Seeds. Combined together they make a wonderful hamonious mix. This year I decided to soak all of my seeds. I don't do a  lot of seeds, but I do enough to use in pots, in the garden, etc. This year I woaked nasturtums, sweet peas and red sunflowers.....the gardening manuals say that if you soak the seeds they will germinate faster. Well, let's find out......

 So here are the nasturtum seeds siting atop their little dirt houses, ready to be covered with more dirt. I use any little pots I have from years past. They work great.

 Seed a few trays of climbing nasturtums. They do great in hanging baskets as well, or trailing on the ground into trees.

Seeded knee hi sweet peas and climbing sweet peas. The knee hi's are great in the ground and the climbers are WONDERFUL hanging from hanging baskets.  So now II will keep them in the greenhouse and see what happens......tick tock... tick tock....