Midwifery

BH, for reasons which will become clear later in the year, wanted to grow some miniature sunflowers, so purchased a suitable kit from the big Sainsbury's up the road at Kiln Lane. That is to say a small but tall bucket, two packets of compost, one packet of seeds and the instructions. I have never seen these last but I imagine that they have been conserved somewhere.

In the snap above, the two larger seedlings, at north and east, managed by themselves. The others all required assistance, usually to ease the seed case off the first leaves. Sometimes also to part the first leaves, the tips of which can get stuck together. A butcher's skewer did quite well, as would a large needle. While the matchstick marks a seedling which came up upside down and which needed to be turned over. Not yet clear whether this has been successful. While that to the right of the matchstick is being very slow. Not yet clear whether action will be needed.

I was taken back to the days when I used to rear pumpkins, which needed similar attention. Which makes it quite understandable that plants with these tough seed cases produce lots of seeds: only a small fraction of them are going to make it in the absence of humans.

PS: for some reason we have a small supply of butchers' skewers. Sharp pointed, twisted steel bars, about an eighth of an inch across and five inches long. Not things that seem to come with the Sunday joint these days.