Home and Living

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the warm, moist soil is beckoning for your attention. You are ready to get out there and do some planting, except you are not planting small flowers that you have picked up at the gardening store yesterday; instead, you are determined to sow your seeds this year. You have painstakingly researched what kinds of plants will grow well in your area, and you have purchased seeds from the best and most reputable sources available to ensure freshness.

Seeds are amazing little things. They basically contain the plant embryo as well as the nutrients the little thing needs to break out of the seed coat and begin the germination process. The goal is for the little plant embryo to develop into a seedling. Of course, for germination to occur, a number of conditions must be met, and each is germane to the individual plant itself. As a gardener wanting to start the growing process from scratch, you need to familiarize yourself with the needs of the different plants you are going to grow as well as the needs of the seeds you have purchased.

While one size does not fit all, there are some overall methods to follow when planting. Here are some tips for sowing seeds into individual flowerpots:

• Prior to unpacking your seeds, consider the eventual size of the plant you will have. Make sure that the pot will be big enough to house the grown plant, or at least until the seedling is strong enough to be transplanted.
• Make sure the pot has a hole on the bottom for drainage, so that no mold will grow in your flowerpot!
• Now go ahead and put some high quality potting soil or compost into your pot. Avoid top soil, since it is devoid of the nutrients a seedling will need to establish itself.
• Once you have the adequate amount of soil in the pot, gently press it down and then water it thoroughly.
• Now is the time to sow the seeds. Be certain to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and do not put in more seeds than the soil and the pot can handle.
• Keeping in mind the needs of the seeds, move your flowerpot to a location where the soil will receive the optimal warmth and watering needed to help the seeds to germinate.

If you are going to be planting your seeds outside rather than germinating them in a flowerpot or seed tray first, there are some unique tips to keep in mind:

• Consider if you want to simply spread your seeds, or if they will go into specified locations, such as rows or a bordered flowerbed.
• Grass seeds are usually just spread, whereas vegetable seeds are oftentimes sown in rows to keep the different vegetables apart.
• For the spreading of seeds you can use a hand-powered spreader, such as you would use for fertilizer. For the more precise method of putting seeds in rows, however, you will probably want to do the work by hand.
• Make sure that the ground upon which the seeds will land is prepared. You don’t want it to be hard, devoid of nutrients, or strewn with rocks. Instead, you want a soil that has been prepared with some compost, is soft, and well drained.
• Once your seeds have been grown, you will need to keep an eye out for birds that love to gobble up those delicious treats! Similarly, when the seedlings sprout, be sure to watch for damaging insects, slugs, snails, and even cats that have been known to gnaw at a plant or two.

As you can see, sowing your own seeds can be a thoroughly rewarding experience. With a little bit of know-how, and some early preparation, your patience and hard work will be rewarded with a crop of healthy plants and flowers that will grace your yard - depending on the kinds of seeds you are sowing - for many seasons to come. Just remember that you cannot hurry those little seeds along, and the best way of ensuring a bountiful crop is to not cut any corners during the preparation of the seeds’ living environment.