However carefully one may sow seed outdoors, there is always some thinning out to be done. Do it when the seedlings are small, so there is a minimum of root disturbance to neighboring plants. The best plants should remain in position, while weak and indifferent specimens should be removed.
Water the rows lightly some hours before thinning. Refirm the soil after (more…)
A properly prepared seed bed is essential if maximum germination and growth are to be obtained. Seeds and seedlings need four things: moisture, warmth, air and, after germination, light.
The majority of seeds are small and need a line crumbly bed which should be prepared well in advance of sowing time. If seeds are sown in lumpy soil, they may lie in a pocket of air and when the tiny roots emerge, these will soon dry out.
Never make the (more…)
I have started many of my perennials from seed starting as well as the usual annuals and some vegetables. You can obtain a greater variety of flowers as well as vegetables from taking this approach.
The commercial growers in your area usually handle the most popular plants and seeds, because they know that these will move quickly for them in the short season of selling.
You will experience stronger seed growth and healthier plant starts, because you know the (more…)
Growing self-seeding plants is the second best technique to saving seeds for planting later. Yes, exactly as the term implies, self-seeding plants sow their own seeds resulting in more to enjoy each year.
Would it not be best to bypass the extra labor to harvest, clean, dry, and store seeds? When attempting to naturalize a big field with wildflowers, then self-seeding is the best option.
However, growing self-seeding plants can also (more…)
Saving money is not the only reason to save seeds from this year’s gardens, although it can be a huge incentive. I am always amazed standing in the store, seed packets in hand, and estimating the cost of the seeds I so carefully chose.
When $70 worth of seeds fits in my small hands, I feel like I must be holding gold. In a sense, I am holding gold!
Anyone who has grown anything from seed understands the figurative value of seed in our past, present, and future relative to gold.
Each little seed holds the secret of life—life of food, shelter, and (more…)
