Greetings all and WELCOME to week 1 of The Battle of the Basils, brought to you by mydigifarm!
Nick and Gerard have been busy setting up for the competition, both beginning their processes slightly differently. This is the first week of their 8-week growth cycle and both temperatures and competitiveness are heating up.
Nick built his own raised bed out of wood recycled from an old fence on his property and borrowed soil from his own field where he grows a host of other crops.
Gerard went the more suburban approach, buying his bed and soil from a local garden supply store. Since this is Gerard’s first time growing plants in a raised bed, everything he uses could be purchased at similar garden supply or big box hardware supply stores like Home Depot or Lowe’s.
Both Nick and Gerard used similar store-bought organic seeds for the same plants, albeit different brands. It will be interesting to see how their choice in the two brands, Seeds for Change and Ferry-Morse will hold up in the long term.
As you can see, his home grown soil is rich, slightly dry but full of decaying plant matter. With a little hydration this soil has potential for strong growth, especially since the nitrates in the broken down plant matter used in previous growth cycles can contribute to a blast of nutrients
This soil might look dry and unhealthy, but Nick’s experience has taught him that it can always be rehydrated. The scattered rocks, decaying plant bits and other nutritious items in this soil will break down and provide a healthy bed for his sprouting seeds.
Nick has chosen to use the direct-sew approach as opposed to seed starting inside. Both methods are viable in Nick’s high humidity environment but the cool evenings could be fatal to the budding plant as it makes its first steps out of the seed.
Gerard chose to go the commercial route and purchased his raised bed soil to begin his process. These store bought soils have their advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, they are packed with moist rich soil that is scientifically designed to work in raised beds. But on the other hand, some growers experience mold issues as a result of overly hydrated soil, especially when the plants are small, before their root system is extensive enough to use the water the soil is holding.
Gerard’s also going to have to watch out for suburban critters like the little squirrel pictured above. Critters like these and invasive mites could hinder the growing process early on and keep Gerard’s progress halted while he figures out how to keep them away from his tasty budding sprouts.
We’ll just have to see how the hot and humid 80-90 degree weather with scattered afternoon storms will affect the soil. Gerard will also be using the direct-sew approach to starting the seed. This is a good choice in the humid South Florida environment where it even stays warm at night.
All in all, week one is off to a great start. A good foundation for plant growth is just a little know-how and a lot of love. It will definitely be interesting to see what kind of results they get from their respective setups and contrasting climates.
Come back next week to find out how the first sprouts are doing!