LouAnn and I went to see Avatar yesterday (great movie, awesome in 3D) and on the way to our next errand stop I saw the business where I buy the felt for my plant wall is closing shop. Ack! I will have to swing by there today or tomorrow and pick up the felt I need for both my and LouAnn’s walls. When I do I’ll make sure to get all the particulars (content, manufacturer, et al) and list it here. At this point (prior to disassembling my test wall) I don’t know if that felt is the best stuff to use, but I’d rather stock up. I can always use it somewhere as carpet padding . . . <grin>
The projected date for assembling the new plant walls is March. I have decided to disassemble my current wall just before assembling the new . . . or at the same time so I can use those plants in the new wall. Waste not, want not.
Disassembling the test wall will allow me to see how the plants grow, whether a single layer of felt is sufficient and how the staples hold up. The new wall, because it will have small plants that will turn into big plants, will require a little more structural support than a single layer of felt will supply. On Patrick Blanc uses a layer of woven material between layers of thinner felt as structural support. I need to use what I can get inexpensively and readily. We’ll see what the substructure of the wall looks like when I pull this wall apart in prep for constructing the new. I think I want to screw (stainless screws and fender washers) fish net over the surface. It depends on what I can find.
The seeds I ordered from Hirt’s Garden have arrived. The streptocarpus seeds are so small they will require I wear magnifying glasses to get them transferred to my grow medium. <gulp> I may be able to use the moistened tip of a toothpick as the transfer tool.
With seed starting in mind I’m researching methods. I did a bit of research on gel but I don’t think that’s going to suit me. Rob’s Garden has a great seed starting page. Using his technique, for those seeds requiring warmth to germinate, I’m considering placing the seed baggies into a floating container inside my aquarium. That’s a warm moist environment which is at the right temperature for the seeds I’m starting. I’ll keep you posted.