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Planting vegetables is the next step in the creation ... Custom Search Planting vegetables is the next step in the creation of your garden. The best gardening advice I can give is to purchase your plants and seeds from a reputable nursery, either locally, by catalog or on line. Relying on your old seeds can be a risky venture. Some varieties tend to cross pollinate very easily, and may give undesired results. Also, depending on the variety of seed, the shelf life of unused seeds can vary from one year to over five years. As a result of these variables, it is safe to recommend buying fresh seed, unless you are experienced and want to propagate an old favorite or an heirloom variety. Refer to your garden plan when deciding how many seeds to buy and stay with those crops and varieties that are adapted to your locality. Standard sorts of known quality and performance are usually the best choice. Disease resistant strains and varieties of the most important vegetables are now also generally available, so that there is little reason for risking the loss of the crop to sowing susceptible varieties. In the warmer sections of the United States, some fast growing vegetables such as lettuce, beans, peas, carrots and peppers can be sown directly into the soil with little or no protection as soon as it is
warm enough
and you will probably have a very successful crop. In the
temperate and colder regions,
if an early garden is desired, it is essential that certain crops be started indoors, in
hot beds, or in cold frames.
Occasionally crops such as onions, beets, cucumbers, squash, and melons are started under cover and transplanted. By growing your own transplants, you will be able to plan a supply of exactly what crops you want when you want them. Plus you will save money, as seeds are much less expensive than seedlings.
Do not put out your seedlings too early, this will create weak and spindly plants. By using the average day of the last frost as a reference point you will be able to make a note as to when to start the seedlings. Remembering that some vegetables are started several weeks before this date, others on this date, and others after this date, you can date back six to eight weeks from the last frost; and as a general rule you can start to sow indoor plants. Seeds can be germinated and seedlings started in something as simple as a box, pan, or flower pot of soil in a window. The seeds will require at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day and the room must be kept reasonably warm (70-75 degrees) all the time. The soil used must be light and sterile to prevent a deadly seeding disease called damping off. Washed fine sand and shredded sphagnum moss are excellent material in which to start seeds. Seed starter media from your garden center is an excellent alternative. Place a layer of easily drained soil in the bottom of the container and cover this with a layer three-quarters of an inch thick, of either fine sand or sphagnum moss. Press the sand or moss to form a smooth, firm seedbed. Using a simple jig, make furrows 1/2 inch deep in the seedbed. Water the sand or moss thoroughly and allow to drain.
An alternative method for large seeded varieties is to use peat-pots, which are made of compressed peat, and can be placed directly in the garden. This will lessen the stress on the roots which are being transplanted. Strong vigorous seedlings can also be started under 40-watt fluorescent lights. The tubes should be the 6 to 8 in. above the seedlings. Temperatures should be kept about 60 degrees at night and 70 degrees during the day. Best results will be obtained if the seedlings are also next to a window to increase the amount of light reaching the young seedlings. Soil pellets is the simplest and easiest method for starting plants and are readily available from garden supply stores and other sources. Soil pellets are a well-balanced synthetic soil mixture and are free of soil borne diseases and weeds.
For more information on transplanting, click here
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Sow the seeds thinly in the containers and cover them lightly with a second layer of sand or moss. Sprinkle the seeds; water with a fine mist, and cover with a sheet of clear plastic films such as Saran Wrap. This plastic film will diffuse and subdue the light and will hold moisture in the soil and air surrounding the seeds. They should not require any further attention until after the seedlings have developed their first true leaves. They are then ready to transplant to other containers
