Tips and tricks for seeding the garden
QAs I've begun planting a vegetable garden, I'm still looking for a quick and easy way to lay out rows for seeding. The only method I've come across is to use string wrapped around two sticks and unfurled to mark rows. Do you do this?
ABack when I began gardening, that was the traditional method for marking the lines to create furrows for seeding. It wasn't long before I moved on to a simpler method.
A hoe is the tool I use for outdoor seeding. Once a plot is readied for sowing seeds, I mark each line of seeding by laying the hoe handle on the ground. The indentation in the soil becomes the seeding line.
The next thing is to make a furrow along the line — an indentation in the soil to receive the seeds. I use my fingers to create the indentation, but a corner of the hoe blade can also be used.
Once the seeds are in place, use the hoe blade to draw soil from the furrow sides and cover the seeds. Then tamp the line down with the flat of the hoe blade to bring the seeds into firm contact with the soil.
QI'm never sure when to pull out the previous year's kale plants. Should they be left to flower? For how long do the plants produce usable food in spring?
AWeather and the variety determine how long kale plants will yield tender young leaves and short, succulent flowerbud stems and clusters in the spring. Hot weather hastens flowering while cool, damp weather prolongs the production of new green growth.
Though I sometimes need to remove a few plants to make room for new spring plantings, I try to leave as many kale plants to flower as possible. The bright yellow blooms attract and feed bees and other beneficial insects. Leaving the plants to bloom also enhances the chances of seed formation and the appearance of interesting “volunteer” plants with valuable characteristics.