The 'Incubator'

My first attempt to plant beans where thwarted by the snails or some other creature that nibbled off their heads just as they popped out of the ground.  Most did not even see the light of day so it was time to improvise and give it another go.

A few days before planting, I put the beans in a saucer between two damp layers of kitchen towelling.  I kept them in a warm spot in the window sill and left them to sprout while keeping them moist.

For the Incubator I used an old Japanese style lamp in a derelict state. 

 I stripped off the coverings and fittings and covered the frame in a strong clear plastic.  Cable ties and duct tape did the trick here.

I then I filled two ice-cream tubs with a thin layer of rough gravel and added a layer of mosquito gauze to level the floor a bit... just because I had it.

If you work for a big Corporate and you ask the cleaner for 15 toilet rolls, you have them by lunchtime. 

I plugged them with newspaper balls and the kids filled them with soil. (Well, actually one of them was vaguely interested, filled about 4 and then ran off to do something else).

The sprouted beans where gently planted in the toilet rolls and covered with a thin layer of soil. 

I planted two types of beans and some other seeds as well, so I marked the rolls. Watered them and popped them in da incubator.

They got watered daily and on day three, much to my surprise, the first one ‘hatched’. 

I had to plant it out on day four as it had its head against the roof (Mmm, maybe I should get a bígger incubator...). 

What surprised me most of all was this root that was hanging out of the bottom, just like a tail! 

On day five, three more had to be planted out and the rest where busy breaking soil in their toilet rolls.

The Marigolds (Afrikaners) also did very well. 

So far so good, lets see if they make it out there in the ‘big’ world of the Veggie patch.