2. Starting plants in water

Plants started in water. Aquatic plants such as Arrowhead and Water chestnuts can just float a round in a bowl of water until they begin to produce leaves. Sweet Potato, Pineapple and if you must Avocado are started by suspending them in water in a jar.

3. Sowing seeds

A general rule of thumb is: Sow the seeds to 2 ¹/₂ their depth in a sterile potting soil mix. Potting soil is available in grocery stores and garden centers. To insure humidity, lightly cover your container, pot or flat with clear plastic. As the seedlings grow, gradually harden them off to the dry air of the home, by slowly removing the plastic over a couple of days.

4. Peat pellets

These are flat 2" round discs filled with compressed peat and surrounded by netting. They combine the function of a pot and potting soil. When they are dry they look like cookies, but if you wet them, they expand into 2" flower pots. Use a quarter of a cup of water for each pellet, and wait 5 minutes for it to expand. These are especially useful with plants who have tender tap roots such as Papayas and Dates.
To sow seeds in the pellets, remove a small amount of peat from the top of the pellet, insert the seed and cover with the peat you removed. Put the sown pellets in a container that is just big enough to hold them. Add water when they seem dry. Cover the container with a plastic bag to insure humidity. Keep the container is bright light, but not direct sun Sowing seeds. Seeds should be sown to a depth 2¹/₂ times their width. We use Peat Pellets as the easiest method for germination and future transplantation.

5. Harding off

As the seedlings grow, you will have to remove the plastic bag, but you must do it gradually The air inside the bag is much more humid than the desert-like conditions in the home. Punch holes in the bag and leave it on for about a week.

Special Techniques

Sphagnum Bag

Fill a zip-lock bag (or other plastic bag) ²/₃ full of slightly moistened sphagnum or peat moss. When squeezed it should not drip. Add the seeds making sure they are all covered with the moss. Seal the bag and place in a warm spot. If you can, give it some gentle bottom heat, top of an old refrigerator, florescent light unit or a professional heating cable. Check the bag every 3-4 days to make sure the seeds or tuber are not rotting. If it is too moist, open the bag for a few hours to dry it out a bit.

Texas Potting

You will need:

1. Steak or roast carving fork (2 prongs)
2. A bag of perlite
3. Appropriate sized plastic pots
4. A source for flame

1. With the steak fork make a double row of holes around the bottom of the pot.
2. Make another row of holes just below the lip of the pot.
3. Put the perlite in the bottom of the pot to just cover the double holes around the bottom.
4. Pot up your plant with regular potting soil. Water well.
5. Put the potted plants in a water tight container and fill the container to any height to just above the bottom row of holes. (This is a great way to leave plants when you travel.)

The secret of this system is the upper row of holes. These holes supply air to the roots. Clay pots are porous and can be used without making air holes. If you use clay, put at least 2" of perlite in the bottom. This is also a great system with Rosemary. You can actually grow Rosemary in an overheated house without fear of drying out.
We use it with all our plants including a 7' Loquat, a 9' Banana. These large plants require copious amounts of water and it is much easier to fill their tray with a hose, rather than lugging 2 gallon cans of water around to each pot.