Seed Sowing Guide
The satisfying feeling of growing your own plants from seed can be unmatched! So how do you do it? Read on and we will share with you our very own tips we’ve accumulated over the past 18 years…
SEED RAISING MIX.
There are many different brands of seed raising mix on the market and they all pretty much do the same job: There are many other factors that contribute to poor seed germination results, so don’t be too quick to blame the growing media you are using. Seed raising mix should be a fine potting mix, with less fertilisers than you would find in a normal potting mix.
MOISTURE LEVEL.
This is probably the most critical aspect when it comes to seed germination. Too wet and the seeds are likely to rot before they sprout, and the growing media will develop all sorts of nasty fungi; Too dry and the seeds will never get moist enough to soften up and realise it’s time to sprout! The perfect moisture level for your seed raising mix is best explained by thinking of it as a well rung-out dish cloth. If, when you open your bag of seed raising mix, you find its too wet then spread it out and lay it in the sun for a couple of hours before use. If it’s too dry then simply add water. Once you have sown your seeds, you will need to keep the seed mix in the trays consistently moist right up until they germinate… DO NOT LET IT DRY OUT. You will find you will need to mist-water them up to 3 times a day.
TEMPERATURE.
Seeds need warmth to germinate, for the best results 18-25deg celcius is ideal. To achieve this at low cost here are some things you could try:
Sit your seed trays on a sunny window sill, but cover the top with a couple of layers of newspaper, this will help trap heat in and also help stop the direct sunlight drying the mix out too fast.
Hot water cupboard. If you have one of these then simply place the tray in there, be sure to keep regular checks on them and keep the moisture level up. As soon as the seeds start to sprout take them out and place them in the light.
SEED TRAYS.
You don’t need to rush out and purchase fancy seed trays to germinate seeds, and the trays only need to be a maximum of 5cm deep, Putting drainage holes in margarine or ice cream containers will do the job.
SOWING SPACING
For beginners, it’s best to sow seeds in a tight bunch then prick them out and space them out into larger trays latter on. Sowing them in a tight bunch has several advantages. 1. A group of seeds germinating tightly against each other creates heat which gives faster and better germination results. 2. You can fit a lot of seeds in a small space making places like a hot water cupboard very economical to use. 3. You will be amazed at just how far that small bag of seed raising mix will go.
DEPTH OF SEED.
When sowing seed the depth is determined by the size of the seed. Simply sow the seed down the same depth as it is thick. (i.e a seed that is 1 cm in size should be sown down 1 cm from the surface to the top of the seed.) Seed that is super fine does not need to be covered at all simply sprinkling it on top of your seed mix will suffice.
BEGIN WITH EASY LINES: If you are just starting out with growing from seeds then start with some easy stuff and keep them indoors in a controlled environment, there’s nothing more discouraging than a failed attempt first up
Seeds for Beginners: Beans, Corn, Rocket, Radish, Corriander, Cabbage, Tomatoes
Stay away from: Capsicum, Chillies, Onions, Chives, Leeks.
PRICKING OUT.
Once your seedlings have reached 2-3 cm in height they are usually ready to be pricked out and transplanted… but this does not mean they are ready for the garden just yet!. Reused plant punnets, pots, egg trays are all you need for this next stage, a mix of 50% seed raising mix and 50% potting mix is recommended, potting mix on its own is still to coarse and heavy in ferts. Once again you will need to keep the moisture level just right, a once-a-day watering should be enough at this stage.
Leave your seedlings in their transplanted homes for another 2-4 weeks before transplanting into the garden. If you are growing them on in a sheltered situation
HARDENING UP.
This is done by moving the seeding’s outside from their sheltered positions during the day on calm warm days then placing them back inside at night, do this for 2-3 days in a row before you transplant them into their final growing position in the garden. You will notice all the seedlings we sell at the Garden Centre are fully hardened off by the time you purchase them as we stock/display them out in the open with no over head protection what so ever.
Happy Growing!