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Gardening From Seed
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Gardening from seed is both enjoyable
and rewarding. When you plan your seed garden, whether it be a flower
garden from seed or a vegetable garden from seed, you no longer have to
wait for your local garden center to get their seasonal stock of
annuals in 6 packs for you to buy. When you garden from seed, you
can plant rare and unusual plants from seed that are never available anyplace in
addition to all the traditional annuals. You can have a garden like no other! You aren't
confined to the common seeds everyone plants year
after year. The Garden
Time Online Seed Shop has seeds and seed kits for flowers, herbs
and vegetables! There are also great seed tapes, seed mats and seed gifts there too.
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How To Plant &
Grow Seeds
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The soil should be free of weeds, large stones and
debris and be broken down as finely as possible to what's called a fine
tilth. This is achieved by forking over the top few inches of soil, then
raking it to as crumbly a texture as possible.
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For many vegetables, some hardy annuals and tree seeds a special seed bed is prepared in an open but sheltered position. The seed is sown thinly in drills made to the recommended sowing depth for that particular variety. To make the drill you can use the reverse side of the rake head to make a V-shaped drill following a taut garden line. Alternatively, you can lay the rake, teeth uppermost, along the garden line and gently press the handle into the soil to make a U-shaped drill. The important thing is that the seed should be in good contact with the soil. In dry conditions it is advisable to moisten the drill thoroughly before sowing, and some gardeners believe that lining the drill with moist peat is an aid to even germination.
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After sowing the seed, rake soil over the drill or cover with peat and firm it with the flat face of the rake. The final touch is to mark the drill with a plant label giving the type of seed variety and date sown
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Annual flower seeds can, or course, be sown directly into those parts of the garden where they will flower. For best results choose sunny areas that are well drained. At sowing time the soil should be moist and at a minimum temperature of 50F. Annuals don't need a nutrient-rich soil, so dressings of artificial
fertilizer aren't necessary. All soils and plants benefit, however, from organic matter that has been dug in to the top few inches of the soil early in the year. The most effective technique when sowing a range of annuals is to sow the seed in patches, rather than in regimental lines. It's helpful to draw a plan of your intentions, placing the various varieties according to their height, spread and
color scheme you are aiming for. Prepare the soil as described above, then mark out the groups with a trickle of silver sand or flour. Sow the seed by sprinkling it as evenly as possible. One way of doing this is to put the seed into a triangular wedge of paper, hold in one hand while tapping it with the fore-finger of the other hand.
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Annuals need only a light covering of soil which can either be sieved over the seed or the soil can be raked gently after sowing then firmed with the flat face of the rake. When the seed has germinated it will be necessary to thin out any seedlings that are overcrowded. Do this as soon as possible after emergence, but a further thinning out might be needed when the plants have developed several pairs of true leaves. Remember that in the early life of the seedlings adequate space is a key factor in determining the plants' subsequent development, so weeds must also be kept under control.
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Over
4,000 Seed Varieties, Guaranteed To Grow, Seed Kits, Seed Growing Accessories,
Seed Mats & Gifts!
Starting Seeds Indoors
Saving Annual Seed
Saving Seeds from the Garden
Seed Saving Tips
How To Start Seeds
How To Plant Seeds Indoors
Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors
Seeds & Planting
Saving Vegetable Seeds
Vegetables: Planting
North American Native Seeds
Drying Herbs, Seeds and Nuts
Free, Printable Garden Seed
Packets
Store your seeds in any of these seed packets, give your seed harvest as gifts, share with friends or swap seeds with other gardeners. These seed packets are FREE and you can print them on your computer right now,
print as many as you need!
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Official Seed Starting Home Page
FLOWER GARDENING Fact Sheet
Common Vegetables for Seed and Fruit
Annual Flower Seed Germination Guide
Garden Flowers
Establishing and Maintaining a Prairie Garden
Selecting And Planting Annuals Outdoors
Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds
Annual Flower Culture
Wildflowers for the Home Landscape
Planting Guide
Planting Trees From Seed (pdf file)
Seasonal Vegetable Seed Planting Guide
Flower Seed Planting Chart
Making Seed Tapes
Seed Starting Guide: Annuals
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