How To Plant Your Garden Seeds
Dave Truman
Almost any plant that produces seeds can be grown from seed,
even though the requirements for some of them, a few of them,
are extraordinary. Germination time of two years is required
for certain tree seeds; long cold spells necessary for a
dormancy that has to precede germination for some seeds can
cause failure if omitted. A few seeds, such as maple seeds for
instance, must never be allowed to get dry or they won't be
viable; and a few must have light to germinate. In general,
however, good soil, enough warmth, some moisture, and a careful
patting of the soil around the seeds will mean that they will
come up and start new plants for you. As soon as they are up,
they have to be protected from the fungus disease, "damping
off," especially if grown indoors or in a greenhouse. And
though it is moisture which causes this fungus to thrive, plus
lack of air circulation, the young plant must never be allowed
to dry out.
There is an interdependence of closely placed young plants,
perhaps through a sharing of water and perhaps through mutual
benefits from root exudates, so avoid isolating them.
Nevertheless they must not be crowded for long. If the soil is
very loose and partially dry, it is possible to pull up the
weaker plants in a row or in a flat or peat pot. But the best
advice is not to do it. It is better to take a small pair of
sharp scissors and snip off the weak and crowding plant at soil
level. The remaining little plants will stay strong and grow
stronger, especially if they continue their interdependence.
Most seed packets tell you what distances you should thin your
plants. At first the distance always seems too great. When
faced with two or three-inch plants, it seems almost wasteful
to thin them to eight inches apart. But do what the packet
says. They will need that space when they mature; and the
resources of soil nutrients available to the young plants in an
uncrowded space mean that they will grow all that much better.
Indoor Seed Planting
There are two absolute necessities for growing good little
plants indoors to set out in your garden later - or perhaps
route through a cold frame first and then set our in the
garden. The first is to get good seeds from a good reliable
seedsman (or use the very best of your own home-grown seeds).
The second is to have a set-up which will provide the right
warmth, moisture, air and light for little plants.
Most of the seeds you will grow for garden flowers or other
ornamentals will be more or less fresh seeds, but the point is
for them to be viable, or capable of germinating. Some you
gather yourself you can keep for several years. The seeds of
asters will keep a year or up to 13 years, depending on the
variety. Bee balm seeds will remain viable for four to seven
years; nasturtiums for five to eight years. If you save the
seeds of azaleas, birches, deutzia, hydrangeas, mock orange,
potentillas and rhododendrons, for example, you do not need to
put them through a cold period, but other plants do need a cold
dormancy: maple seeds should get three months of cold, either
outdoors or in the refrigerator; barberry seeds need two or
three months, bittersweet seeds need three months, as do
flowering dogwood, ash, beech, sweetgum, tupelo and most of the
members of the Prunas group, including cherries. Pine seeds need
two months; spruce one to three months and apples one to three
months as well.
About The Author: Dave Truman offers advice about choosing seed
companies and other vegetable gardening topics on the Vegetable
Gardeners website. For more helpful information and to receive
our free special reports about starting your garden, visit
http://www.vegetablegardeners.com
See Also:
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