The last frost date for our area is quickly approaching. By now you should be thinking about the layout of your summer crops, and if you’re really on top of it, have your garden plans laid out and ready to go. Last week, I went through a list of exciting summer veggies that you’d be hard pressed to find in the grocery store. This week I’ll share some tips on how to get them started.
It’s surprising how many people are intimidated by the simple process of planting seeds in their garden. They fear they’ll place them too deeply or too shallow or they’ll give them too much water, or not enough. And when they read the seed package and it says “plant seeds six inches apart in two foot rows” they think they have to get out their calculators and yard sticks and start drilling precisely measured holes in their garden.
It turns out that with a few simple tricks, you can be planting your seeds in no time and get great results.
First, give up on the idea of measuring distances and poking holes in your soil. After you’ve prepared your soil, just set aside some fine soil in a bucket. Smooth out your soil and use a stick or straight board to mark out where your crops will be planted based on your garden plan. The key is to plan your garden keeping in mind the approximate number of seeds you’ll need per square foot.
There are only two kinds of seeds to know about, tiny and large. Each are planted differently.
TINY SEEDS (carrots, lettuce, leeks, etc.)
Take a pinch of seeds and sprinkle them back and forth into their spots. Do this with the rest of your crops. Then take your bucket of soil and dust it lightly (about an eighth to a quarter of an inch deep) over your entire bed. Pat everything down lightly with your board or just your hands. Then give your garden a light misting of water.
I know you’ve been told to water your garden deeply and every two or three days so the roots will grow down into the soil, and that’s right – except when you have seeds germinating. Seeds
