KITCHEN GARDENS Norina Jane Whitpro

GROWING FROM SEEDS IS NOT DIFFICULT

It is certainly cheaper than buying seedlings and you don’t lose plants because of root disturbance when direct sowing into the ground. Why not give it a go?  At worst you’ve lost $3 for a packet of seeds, at best you have more vegetable seedlings then you can grow opposed to the six seedlings in that punnet.

Let’s talk growing from seed and what is needed for germination.

For a seed to germinate, it has three requirements:

Soil temperature

All seeds have specific soil temperature ranges to germinate.  Outside of these temps, they will remain dormant.  So how do you know what seeds to plant when?

If searching on the net, our zone is “Tropical”, you can read the seed packet or you can read this column. The Whitsundays winter is the time to plant most seeds.

Plant now:

Corn, Chillies, Capsicums, Parsley, Basil, Radish, Lettuce, Cabbage, Watermelon, Squash, Beetroot, Carrots, Eggplant, Cucumber, Coriander and beans to name a few

Correct sowing depth

If you plant your seeds too deep, the first shoot will not have enough stored energy to push its way through to the surface. A general rule of thumb is to plant the seed at twice the depth of the seeds’ width. For very small seeds like lettuce and many herb seeds, they are literally sprinkled on the surface and then sprinkle the finest layer of soil on top (with a sieve is perfect). Larger seeds like peas and corn must be pushed into the soil but remember, not too deep! You would be better off planting too shallow, than too deep.

Water

It is essential for germination that the soil remains moist. This means watering every morning without fail. The soil must not dry out in this crucial period of a seed’s transition.

I sow all my vegetable seeds directly into the ground and, as I am not at home during the day (due to work commitments), I water my seeds in the morning and then cover the soil until the green shoots pop out of the ground.  Your vegetable seeds do not need the sun to germinate, they need the correct soil temperature and moisture, so covering them from direct sunlight is not an issue.  Shade cloth or hessian work well. When watering seeds, it’s a gentle water, don’t hit your soil with a tsunami and wonder why your seeds washed away or rotted in very wet soil.

Can seeds fail?  Sure they can. But once you have seed germination success, you’ll never turn back!  You’ll have the pick of the strongest seedlings, and you’ll have plenty to share with others if you struggle to simply pluck out the excess (which you will need to do once they have grown their second set of leaves).  

If your vegetable seeds have not come to the surface within 3 weeks, chances are they are not going to. I suggest giving another variety a go.

Note:  Don’t forget to label your seeds.  You think you’ll remember what you have planted and three weeks later you’ll regret you didn’t label.

TAYLOR: don’t need to use all the images

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