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Return to Organic Farming 101 index.Organic Farming 101: SeedsA Thought to get you going: "A seed contains everything it needs to grow, can live for thousands of years, and springs to life under the proper conditions." This month's message: Get Growing with Seeds! Think local when selecting seeds. Heirloom seeds - seeds that are collected directly from a plant - are best. If buying seeds, be sure to get seeds that are listed as appropriate for your hardiness zone. Store seeds in a cool, dry and dark location, preferably in an airtight and watertight container. Test old seeds by sprouting one between damp cloth before using in your garden. Prepare your soil to receive your seeds. Seeds can sprout anywhere, but the best soil is rich, loamy and fine. Loam is loose, clumps under light pressure, holds moisture, and drains well. Test your soil in by squeezing it in your fist to see how well it satisfies these conditions. Add vermiculite to improvement moisture retention, or perlite to improve aeration. Your seeds may benefit from preparation too: some seeds like a cold treatment in the fridge or freezer (parsley); some like to be nicked (lotus); and some soaked in water, compost tea or worm tea (papaya, nasturtium). Decide how you will plant your seeds: you can sow them directly into their destination earth or container (direct sow), or sprout them in a flat or temporary location and transplant. Root vegetables and fast sprouters are the best candidates for direct sow; for other seeds, transplanting is best. Starting seeds in seed flats is common, and for good reason! It's easy to control moisture and temperture, and the flats can be moved away from unusual weather or critters. Sprouting seeds give off chemicals which help other seeds to germinate. More seeds than you need can be sprouted, and and you can select the strongest for planting. Most seeds are sowed by simply sprinkling them onto the surface of the soil, then gently covering them with soil. The seed planter's rule of thumb is to plant seeds at a depth twice their thickness. Be careful not to plant too deep: your seeds won't get the light they need to sprout! Germination requires constant moisture, good aeration, light and warmth. Different seeds require different soil temperatures and sprouting times. Keep the soil moist or damp, but not wet. Cover flats to conserve humidity. Don't fertilize seeds - they get everything they need from the soil, water, and sunlight. Seeing seeds break through the surface of the soil as infant plants is the miracle of life. Be sure to keep your garden free of weeds and your seed areas well marked so you can recognize your new sprouts when they appear. If transplanting, move your sprouts into their garden bed or transplant into larger cells once they develop their second set of true leaves. This is also the time to thin your plants. If your sprouts are going from flats to containers, you don't want to increase the pot size more than 1 or 2 inches at a time. This is because the plant will send out deep roots until they reach an edge, only then will the plant begin to develop its feeder roots. Keeping a log is a good way to collect your experiences for review. Note the variety, planting conditions, weather, days to sprout, and then follow your plant to maturity by including days to harvest, yield, and quality and flavor of produce. Finally, don't forget to collect seeds off of your plants for your own use or to share with friends. Resources on the Web:USDA Hardiness Zones - from the National Gardening AssociationThe Importance of Heirloom Seeds - from Care2 Seed Germination - from You Grow Girl Return to Organic Farming 101 index. |
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Simple Living Institute, Inc. PO Box 536457 Orlando, FL 32853-6457 info@simplelivinginstitute.org |
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