If you are an avid gardener or even a beginner, you must have considered planting seeds at your own home. It can be incredibly satisfying to see your plants grow right in front of your eyes, in addition to saving money and feeling the excitement of your efforts leading to fruition. We shall lay out the basics of sowing the seed so that you can build the diverse vegetable garden that you always wanted.
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Selecting the right seeds
It is important to know where you are planning to plant your seed. Depending on the climate and weather conditions, you can choose to plant the seeds indoors or outdoors. There are some plants like carrots and tomatoes which can easily be grown indoors, while some plants will benefit outdoors, like sunflowers, which require sunlight to grow. So, understand the requirement of the type of growing environment, like the type of soil and sunlight, that your selected seed needs to germinate.
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Prepare the area for planting
It is very advantageous to plant a seed in a prepared bed. You can use the row and furrow method for the same. The idea is to make rows in the soil and then use your shovel to create a furrow. Plant your seeds in that furrow, which is also called shallowed depression. Make sure that there are no weeds which might take up the nutrition and moisture of the soil.
If you are planning to plant your seeds indoor, then you can either purchase a proper seed tray or use empty pots or containers and drills holes in the bottom to allow for drainage. Make sure that the holes have an even and adequate amount of space in between them.
You should avoid using soil from outside if you are planning to plant your seed in a container or use any unopened bags of old compost. The best way to make sure that your seed germinates is to use fresh seed compost, which will hold moisture and nutrients and allow a healthy environment for your plant.
Place the seeds one by one into the depression you have created in the soil. Make sure that you have spaced them evenly and at the right depth as per the seed packet instructions as many seeds have different spacing and depth requirements. A rule of thumb is to plant at a depth two to three times the diameter of the seed. Do not cover the seeds with soil as it can suppress them. You can sprinkle some amount of compost on larger seeds.
Make sure you water your planted seeds but not over flood the soil. You can use a shark cleaner bottle order can which sprinkles water into the holes. This will prevent the soil from becoming too dry and at the same time will prevent the seeds from flattening.
Planting your seeds in trays would require them to be transplanted into the soil or into individual pots as soon as they start growing to allow them more space to grow healthily. You can either transplant them into bigger pots or into the soil where they should have adequate space in between them.
It can take from three days up two weeks till your plant germinates depending on the variety you have chosen. Ensure that it has the right amount of sunlight, temperature and humidity that it requires.
It can be incredibly rewarding to sow seeds in your own garden. Use this guide as your starting point into creating your own garden.
