The Joy of Sowing Seed – Straight Into the Garden!

As march passes and April comes, the weather becomes a little warm and the weather starts settling down. This weather is best suited for the hardening of transplants and therefore we start setting up the beds and get ready to sow the new plants that are well suited for the warm weather. We directly sow the warm season crops directly into the ground and they start developing as the time moves on.

Why should we directly sow seeds outdoors?

Outdoor direct sowing is something that is being done from hundreds of years and there is no doubt that this is the fast and most reliable way to get big results without caring for the transplants.

You can use some of the tools that can easily be found on online shopping websites. This is also a fact that most of the summer crops give better results when sown directly into the ground. When sown directly, their root system goes deeper into the ground and therefore they can survive better even in drought.

In spring season too, we directly sow most of the plats like pumpkins, corn, snap beans, summer squash and so on.

In mid-may when summer is about to go at the peak, we sow melons, watermelons, cucumbers, peanuts, beans, and cotton. Most of them are fruits that are good to have in summer, having a lot of water.

Most of the gardeners who have done tomatillo and ground cherry farming knows that nightshades are not enough to sow these plant seeds.

What happens to the root system when not sown directly to the ground?

These plants can develop deep ground rots when sown directly to the ground whereas when they are shown in a pot or nursery, these plants develop spread out root system which is of no use in case they are not watered regularly.

The deep roots go much deeper into the ground and break up during transplanting. However, they are better preparing for summer. When you chose any of the plants for transplanting what you search for? The only thing we search for and thin them out by is their environment adapting power adaptation to the sun, insects, and wind.

To direct sow squash, melons, okra, or some other crop that requires a broad spacing, just “station-sow”: sow four or three seeds to every place in which you would like a plant. You might choose to sow a bit more intensely than you want transplants since this can assist in preventing the seed from drying out. You will have to pay particular attention to keeping the ground moist while the seeds are germinating.

Now, it is the time for your seeds to germinate and emerge. Once they start showing true leaves then you need to thin them so that they could not be the reason for shades to the other plants nearby. Always choose those seeds which are sturdiest to save for the future and keep the remaining once different before they reach the ground. It only means that you should have a proper distance between both types of seeds.

It’s better to soak the seeds before sowing them up to the ground directly. The water will pump up the seeds and now the seeds have power to even survive in low water.

So, this year try to direct sow the seeds to the ground rather than going for transplants. You would really be surprised to see their time to transplant. You would also come to learn that they can easily thrive in drought than transplants.

How to soften the seed shell?

There are three different methods of softening the seed shell and germination. These are bag method, cup method and freezer method.

Let’s start with Bag method.

Bag method

This method is best suited for difficult situations where you have a problem in sprouting up the seeds.

  • Use a coffee bag or towel and soak that well with water.
  • Keep the seeds in between the folded towel and put it into zip lock bag and seal them.
  • Now, keep that bag onto the heating surface. (60-70 Fahrenheit temperature is ideal)
  • Spray the bag everyday with water.
  • You will see the seeds sprouting up in a few days. You can now place it into the pot.

Cup method

  • Get a 2.5 ounce gelatine cup. Don’t get confused by the name. You can get these at the party supply store.
  • Now, you have damp a towel and put it at the bottom of the cup.
  • Place the seeds on the top layer of the towel and keep the lid over it.
  • The last step is to leave the cup at a place where it can get 60-70 degree Fahrenheit temperature.
  • Spray with water every day and in few days’ seeds will start germinating.

Once you get the germinated seeds, you can put it in a pot or sow it to the ground.

Freezer method

As the name suggests, this method requires a freezer in your house. If you have a freezer, then use this method.

  • Keep the seeds into the freezer for at least 2 days.
  • Now, take out the seeds from the freezer and keep in inside the folded paper towel.
  • Damp the towel with water every day.
  • Put the folded towel with seeds in a plate and cover it.
  • Now, keep the plate to a warm place where the temperature range is 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Keep checking the germination, in a few days you will see the seeds germinating.
  • Use the germinated seeds and sow it to your pot or ground.

Tips for germinating seeds

  • One of the important thing to consider is the temperature as this is very important for the seeds to grow. Ideally, 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit is best suited for germination of seeds.
  • Always use two to three germination methods to grow seeds. Try some of the seeds first and the germination method which best suits your seeds use that one only for the rest of the seeds.
  • Always make sure that the place where you have sowed the seeds never gets dry as at an early stage of germination seeds require proper watering.