Sowing diary 2025 – advent calendar

Many of us purchased the Advent calendar that we proposed last Christmas: 24 boxes containing as many seeds united by a theme, that of oriental cuisine. The idea was not to stop at the mere discovery of these seeds but to then continue the experience in spring, giving life to the sowing diary 2025with a challenge which will see us engaged in the attempt to bring the greatest number of species to maturity or harvest.

For those who have not purchased the Advent calendar and would like to participate, here I leave the list of seeds contained in the 24 boxes: you can also purchase them now from the online shop.

In this post I will do everything possible to constantly update the progress of the experiment and we will be able to discuss in the comments to give each other a hand and understand what the best solutions may be for the success of the project, based on our personal experiences.

Friday 4 April sowing

To start sowing you can use everything you have at home: seedlings, jars, egg cartons, yogurt pots (remember to make the little holes underneath!).
I’m trying two different substrates to see which works best:

Mini tip: cover the seeds with a small layer of fine soil or film to retain moisture. A water bottle cut in half? Perfect for creating a mini greenhouse!

Sowing is simple, but there are some useful tips:

• Don’t be afraid to put in a few more seeds
• Spray the water on the surface: better to be delicate
• Remember: the first two leaflets that emerge are called cotyledonand it’s the perfect time to move them to an individual jar (re-stake).

Wednesday 9 April

The chamomile, daikon and licorice seeds decided to leave first: they popped up on April 9th.
I keep an eye on them.
The others, for now, are still sleeping.

Monday 19 April

The sowing is progressing, to date okra, luffa, popcorn corn, stevia, rhubarb, chamomile, mustard, mallow, liquorice, daikon, pak choi, sesame and even peanuts have also emerged from the earth.

Tuesday 20 April

All the plants I replanted are growing well and vigorously: the rhubarb, mallow, mustard, daikon, pak choi and sesame are settling into their new environment. It’s always satisfying to see them react so well to the transplant!

Friday 25 April

Today I re-pickled the liquorice, while luffa, corn and okra were separated and placed each in individual 10×10 cm jars. A delicate but necessary step to give everyone the right space to grow strong and healthy!