When you have got your seeds, the next step is to sow them. But question in your mind arises- how, when and where to sow the seeds? This will depend on following things:
- the type of seeds,
- quantity of seeds,
- how many plants you want to end up with, and
- growing conditions/weather
Rules for Successful Seed Sowing:
- Use fresh compost
- Use clean pots and clean seed trays
- Label the seeds with its name for identification
- Avoid seeds from drying
- Don't keep seeds wet
- Keep seeds away from pests and stray animals
- Proper watering and avoid over watering
Methods of sowing seeds:
- Sowing in seed trays: Seeds can be sown in seed trays. Fill the tray with soil media such as cocopeat and compost and sow the seeds half inches inside.
- Sowing in pots: Seeds can be sown directly in pots of different sizes as per requirement.
- The Trough/Drill method: In in this method, a drill is formed in the soil which is a straight row of plants. Once a plant bed is prepared, a straight, shallow trench is created. This is the most common way of growing vegetables in the garden. Gently push a thin layer of soil over the seeds to close up the trench after digging the trough and sowing the seeds.
- Broadcasting: This method is more commonly used with cool-season vegetables such as roots or greens. Seeds are simply scattered evenly over a prepared garden bed. These are scattered 2 to 3 times as many as plants desired. When the seeds germinate, the seedlings are separated by proper spacing.
- The Hill method: In this method piling of the soil into a mound ensures that it will heat up quickly, which can be beneficial for seeds that need very warm soil for germination.
