At least it does in the Whitsundays! Especially if you are a seed.
Seeds want to germinate. They are just waiting patiently for the right soil temperature and moisture content. And with temperatures sneaking under 30 degrees in the Whitsundays, the soil temperature is now perfect to grow almost any vegetable suitable to the tropics. All you need to do is make sure they do NOT dry out. So, if it doesn’t rain, then you need to water.
This is a “morning” ritual. When I say morning, I mean before 9am every day.
Every hour after 9am, the soil is drying out and your freshly planted seeds are deciding whether or not it is worth the energy to burst through their hard cases and venture into life!
If they asses the environment as too dry, they are not germinating! If they germinate and then dry out, they will wilt and give back to the soil, rather than produce for you!
What I mean is…… they will die!
I choose to direct seed, rather than put seeds in trays/pots and transplant once true leaves appear (second set on leaves). This does mean extra care to keep the soil moist.
How do I achieve this?
I plant into seed raising mix and my successful germination rate is very high.
With tiny seeds, such as lettuce, carrot, tomatoes, herbs etc I spread them over the prepared garden soil and sprinkle a thin layer of seed raising mix over the top. With larger seeds like pumpkins, cucumbers, beans etc I put a layer three times the depth of the seed on top of my garden mix, then push the seed into that.
Seed raising mix lacks plant food, but your seeds have all the energy they need within their cases to break through the soil and grow their first set of leaves.
After that, they need food from their environment. Before that they need MOISTURE. And seed raising mix holds moisture which is what every seed needs to begin its journey into producing an abundance of food for you!
So, take care of these precious new beginnings. Seed raising mix is affordable and can be purchased in small bags. I highly recommend it and its available at Whitpro now.
At the beginning of every growing season, I plant snow pea seeds. If they germinate, I know I am ready to go! Well, one week ago I got started and I was very excited to see that a week in, I have some very well-developed little plants reaching for the sky!
Let’s hope this is a good sign for a strong growing season for 2024!
Have you ever come home with more seeds than you have gardens prepped for?
That’s me every season! I should know better (I know) but I get excited about all the options available to me and at $3.50 a packet of 20 plus potential plants, it is hard to hold back!
My solution this year is in tree guards! Now that’s not the norm I know but I am very excited about my new discovery.
For $35, these specific tree guards make a ready-made garden bed. Raised from the ground, 30cm high, they are perfect vegie growing depth, an instant barrier from other competition plants (including lawns) and are neat and tidy.
They can also be placed anywhere in full sun with the ability to remove without fuss, after the growing season ends.
These clever contraptions are light weight, super easy to construct and I love them! Come and see me at Whitpro if you want to give them a go.
Grab some seeds to get started while you are here. We have the tree guards, come vegie beds, on display and for sale.
DID YOU KNOW?
Your vegie seeds can take anywhere between five and 28 days (most 7-14) to germinate depending on the variety and the conditions. So, don’t give up on your watering ritual, some seeds take their time to show their appreciation.
