Flower Seeds
Posted: Friday, June 12, 2009
by Timothy Samuel
To plant small seeds, use your finger or the corner of a trowel to prepare a trench to the depth you desire. Take a few seeds and scatter them down the trench, it doesn't have to be perfect. In most cases, seeds are sown closer than their final spacing because having too many seedlings is always better than having too few. You can always thin out the rows later. After sowing the seeds, spread a light layer of mulch or soil on top to protect them. This will also help the seeds germinate. Make sure that you thoroughly water right after planting.
Planting Transplants Transplants are a good choice if you have a hard time getting seeds to sprout or if you live in an area with a short growing season. Before you start planting, you'll want to determine the correct spacing recommendations for your plants and dig holes accordingly. Dig a hole that is as deep as the plant container and about one and a half times as wide. Remove all rocks and un-decayed organic matter so the roots have plenty of room to grow. If you like, you can add a bit of organic fertilizer or compost to the hole, but mix it with some of the soil before you put the plant in. Next, remove the transplant from its container and examine the root ball. If several of the roots are circling around at the bottom, gently loosen them. Try to disturb the root ball as little as possible. Use both hands when placing the plant into the hole and make sure the plants' base is even with the soil surface, neither protruding nor sunken into the ground. Gently fill and tamp with your hands. Transplants need water shortly after they have been planted. When you have finished, make sure to give your garden a gentle but thorough watering.
If temperatures drop, you can protect your young plants by using row cover, plastic milk jugs, or other season extenders to keep them warm at night.
Watering Transplants and newly sown seeds need to be kept constantly moist for the first few weeks. Water your new garden lightly every time the surface is dry or thoroughly twice a day in hot weather (see Watering the Garden). Seedlings should emerge from the ground in a week or two. If the weather is cool, it may take a bit longer. Transplants take a while to recover once they've been planted. You'll know they're doing fine when you see them start to grow again (usually in one to two weeks).
Once your garden is established, water in the early morning hours (avoiding overhead watering if possible) to give the plants time to dry out during the day. This will prevent many fungal disease problems and encourage deep roots, which will make your plants more hardy and less likely to suffer when deprived of water.
Tip: If a plant starts to wilt, don't assume that it is drooping because it needs water. Check the soil first. Plants can wilt for a variety of reasons.
You may do more harm than good if you water first and ask questions later.
The earth neither grows old or wears out if it is dunged. - Columella, circa
45 A.D.
Organic fertilizers differ from chemicals, in that, they feed your plants while building the soil's structure. Soils with lots of organic material, remain loose and airy, are better able to hold moisture and nutrients, foster growth of soil organisms, including earthworms, and promote healthier root development (see Soil Fertility & Crop Nutrition). Building a healthy soil is the key to successful organic gardening.
Another advantage of organic fertilizers, is that they are made from plant and animal sources, or from rock powders. These materials need to be broken down by soil microbes in order for their nutrients to be released, and that takes time. Because organic fertilizer works slowly, it provides long-term nutrition and steady, rather than excessive growth.
On the other hand, chemical fertilizers work fast, which is a good thing, if that's what you're looking for. They can make a bad garden or lawn look good much quicker than most organics can. However, it's my opinion that the nutrients are released too quickly, creating a great deal of top growth before the roots are able to catch up. This kind of growth often leads to weaker plants. Also, because they are so rich, synthetic chemicals can easily be over applied and "burn" roots or create toxic concentration of salts.
Learn more about the adverse environmental effects of synthetic chemicals here.
Chemical fertilizers will not improve the structure of the soil. In fact, because they are composed of high concentrations of mineral salts, they are capable of killing off many of the soil organisms that are responsible for decomposition, and soil formation. If only chemicals are added, the soil gradually loses its organic matter and microbiotic activity. As this material is used up, the soil structure breaks down, becoming lifeless, compact and less able to hold water and nutrients. The result is pretty clear - you'll have to use more and more fertilizer. For more information on gardeing go to www.Teegoes.org
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