Direct Sowing in the Garden

Vegetables and
Annual Flowers

Class 1: Gardening Basics
Class 2: Garden Planning & Design
Class 3: Indoor Seed Starting
Class 4: Planting & Transplanting
Class 5: Maintaining a Healthy Garden
Class 6: Troubleshooting

Sowing seeds is pretty straightforward, but there are some tricks that can make it easier and simplify future maintenance. But first, let’s review our planting calendar.

Here are the seeds we’ll be direct sowing:

Beans: May 1
Lettuce: April 17 (and every two weeks thereafter)
Peas: April 17 (Soak for 24 hours prior to planting)
Squash: May 1

Before you begin sowing, consider the following:

Sow at the proper depth; check seed packet for this information. You can poke individual holes for seeds or create a furrow. Seeds that need light to germinate should be sown on the soil surface.
Keep the recommended spacing in mind. Sow some extra seeds to allow for seeds that don’t germinate or otherwise survive; you’ll be thinning to the proper spacing.
Fine seeds can be a challenge to sow thinly. Fortunately, seed packets usually contain plenty of seed so don’t worry about exact spacing.
Some people like to broadcast seed in a scattered pattern, rather than planting in rows. It’s a good idea, however, for beginners to plant in defined rows. That way, it’s easier to keep weeds down between rows, and it will be easier to tell the difference between lettuce seedlings and weed seedlings. (Weeds don’t usually grow in rows!) If you are using wide beds, you can make several rows of lettuce about a foot apart. This technique is especially helpful for seeds that are slow to germinate, such as carrots.
Once seeds are sown, firm the soil gently to ensure good contact between seed and soil. Then it’s time to water. Don’t turn the hose on full strength and blast them! Use a fine, gentle mist to moisten the soil; otherwise you risk washing away the seeds you so carefully sowed.

	These beets have been through an initial thinning; they'll need to be thinned again when the beets are marble-sized.
	These beets were never thinned.

Next, let’s briefly run through our calendar, noting any special techniques.

Class 4, Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Planting & Transplanting FAQ #1

I’m very careful about spacing my seeds, but even so my beets always come up looking crowded. Why?

Answer

Sow seeds in rows (or in another defined pattern) to help you distinguish crop seedlings from weed seedlings. Using lighter-colored seed-starting mix to fill in the furrows can also help you identify their location.