|
Which seeds should
you sow directly into the garden, and which do better if you plant them
as seedlings -- either purchasing transplants or starting the seeds indoors
yourself?
Some seeds are most
successfully sown directly into the garden. These plants usually mature
relatively quickly, or have delicate roots that are easily damaged during
transplanting. Also, plants with taproots, such as carrots and beets,
generally don’t transplant well so it’s best to start them from
seed right in the garden too.
Other plants have
long growing seasons, or must be planted outdoors in early spring so they
mature before the hot weather arrives. These do best when set in the garden
as transplants.
| Method
of planting |
Vegetables |
Flowers |
| Direct
sow |
beans,
beets, carrots, corn, lettuce, spinach, peas |
nasturtiums, sunflowers, zinnias |
Plant
transplants
(seedlings) |
broccoli, cabbage,
peppers, tomatoes
|
impatiens,
petunias, snapdragons |
| Either
method |
cucumbers, squash
|
cosmos,
marigolds |
We’ve covered
some specifics; now let's step back and spend some time looking at what
makes plants "tick." The more you understand about plants, the
more you’ll be able to "hear" what they’re telling
you, and respond appropriately to give them what they need.
Class
1, Page 1 2
3 4
5 6 7
Copyright 2002,
National Gardening Association. All Rights Reserved.
For questions regarding this web site, contact Webmaster
|
|
It's
best to purchase greenhouse-grown petunia transplants (seedlings),
rather than sowing the seeds directly into the garden. If you want
to start your own petunias from seed, you'll need to grow them indoors
for 12 weeks or so before transplanting them into the garden.
|
|
Gardening
Basics
FAQ #3
Why is it
that some plants, such as carrots and beets, form large taproots
and others, like tomatoes, don’t?
Answer
|
|
