In perfect conditions seed germinates well, so let\u2019s look at how to make those conditions.\u00a0 Top requirements are healthy soil and healthy seed.<\/p>\n
Your soil should be able to both hold water and allow excess to drain.\u00a0 The seed needs water and air to germinate successfully.\u00a0 The best vehicle for good water retention and drainage is organic matter, and having plenty in the top inch of the seed bed is important.<\/p>\n
Organic matter in the soil is helpful in every respect, and it is good to add a good dose as often as possible.\u00a0 My own method is to put an inch on the surface of the soil in the summer when the plants are well established.\u00a0 I do this even with carrots and parsnips, and it does not make them fang.\u00a0 If you dig your compost in, it will disappear to a depth where the plant can only reach it when its roots and the mycorrhizae get to access it.\u00a0 The next winter, though, you may dig a little of it back up to the top again.<\/p>\n
On the subject of digging, experiments have shown that this makes seedling establishment slower than in undug soil.\u00a0 It is probably the result of disruption to all the soil fauna and destruction of precious soil structure.<\/p>\n
A fine tilth helps.\u00a0 This means lots of tiny crumbs of soil which can surround the seed with water but not exclude air needed by the seed to breathe.\u00a0 My own soil is naturally crumby because of all the organic matter in the topsoil, but you may need to gently work the soil with a hoe or rake to get those crumbs right.\u00a0 Remember that disturbing the soil encourages weed seeds to germinate.\u00a0 If you have a fine tilth, you can gently firm the soil over the seed without smearing it.\u00a0 As a rule, gentle watering firms soil crumbs around the seed for you.<\/p>\n
The depth of sowing is generally in proportion to the size of the seed.\u00a0 So potatoes at 4\u201d, beans at 2\u201d, sweetcorn at \u00be\u201d, carrots at \u00bd\u201d lettuce at \u00bc\u201d and celery on the surface.\u00a0 Keeping the seed moist is crucial while they have no roots, so the water retention of organic matter is helpful.\u00a0 In dry windy conditions like last spring, we watered our carrots three times a week and scored 100% germination.\u00a0 If overwatered, any inadvertent excess would drain away in the crumby topsoil.\u00a0 Sowing in April showers does the work for you with shallow seed sowings, but beans should not need watering at their 2\u201d depth.<\/p>\n
Celeriac, which takes 2 to 3 weeks to germinate and has to be sown on the soil surface, is best raised in modules or seed trays, with glass over the surface to retain moisture and also see when to take the glass off as the leaves emerge.<\/p>\n
Seed quality is a big subject!\u00a0 Most of the big seed companies inevitably get themselves into a hole occasionally due to bad weather, buying in seed from outside or from having to use old seed.\u00a0 Your own seed is best, and helps you realise it is difficult to do!<\/p>\n
My experience is that you need new seed each year for parsnips, followed closely by carrots and sweetcorn.\u00a0 Many others will keep well for a few years if you store at consistent levels of low humidity and temperature, which is also difficult to do.\u00a0 Whatever you do, don\u2019t keep your seed packet outside in a shed.<\/p>\n
And slugs, I hear you ask?\u00a0 Keep all weeds at bay all winter, as that is what makes slugs grow strong.\u00a0 And don\u2019t use slug pellets, all the things that eat slug eggs eat and die from the pellets too, and the problem gets worse.\u00a0 I have proved it several times to my cost, and no longer use them.\u00a0 And what did the slug say as he slipped down the wall?\u00a0 How slime flies!<\/p>\n
The last word is to sow at the right time.\u00a0 If sowing early, used fleece to warm the soil, but the seed can only germinate if it has the warmth it needs. This month\u2019s joke is in the middle of the article, so you must read it all!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In perfect conditions seed germinates well, so let\u2019s look at how to make those conditions.\u00a0 Top requirements are healthy soil and healthy seed. Your soil should be able to both hold water and allow excess to drain.\u00a0 The seed needs water and air to germinate successfully.\u00a0 The best vehicle for good water retention and drainage […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[20],"class_list":["post-1999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-gardening","tag-fergus-dowding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1999"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marshwoodlife.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}