Sowing seeds takes patience

These days a trip to the nursery will wow you with all the stunning displays of seed packets.

Who can resist? And the good news is that by now the garden soil is warm enough for direct sowing. Starting the vegetable garden the oldfashioned way by sowing seeds directly in rows is fun and rewarding. It does take some patience. Here are a few tips.

START NOW: The best time for sowing seeds here on the coast is midmay, though it all depends on how wet the weather is and how much the soil warms up.

MAKE A GOOD BED: A fluffy, well-made seed bed, at least 8 inches deep, is ideal for most vegetable seeds. One problem for tiny seeds is trying to poke through a soil that has crusted over. A good way to help them out and get better germination is to cover the little seeds with a fine potting soil. Then lay a blanket of row cover on the bed. This will keep moisture in, especially on a sunny or windy day. Large seeds like peas, corn and beans have the strength to bust through the crust.

BE PATIENT: Don’t believe those words on the seed packet that say germination in seven to 10 days. If you are growing with a heating mat in a greenhouse, it is true. Outdoors it usually takes twice as long, especially on the foggy coast.

THIN: Perhaps the hardest thing about sowing tiny seeds in the soil is the thinning process. If carrots, lettuce greens, broccoli and the like are not spaced out enough the crop yield will be small. One trick with small seeds is to mix them with granulated sugar. This makes it easier to spread about. With beets, the seeds are in a cluster. Once seeds sprout and are up an inch or so, take scissors and snip out the weakest seedlings, leaving one sturdy one. Seed tapes are wonderful if you want a nice, neat row of carrots already thinned.

WEED: Young seedlings cannot compete with husky weeds that seem to sprout bigger and faster than anything. Weeding is crucial. Once seedlings reach two inches tall, laying a mulch of rice straw will keep weeds down.

WATCH OUT: Birds, mice, slugs and snails are among the many critters that love freshly sprouted seeds. Keeping the seed bed covered with row cover will help. Always bait for slugs and snails before sowing seeds.

Terry Kramer is the retired site manager for the Humboldt Botanical Garden and a trained horticulturist and journalist. She has been writing a garden column for the Times-standard since 1982. Contact her at terrykramer90@gmail. com.