RAND WATER Grow your own plants from seed · Sow your seeds into one of the following mixtures:...
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28 Supplement to SA Gardening Directory 2006/7 T o begin growing plants from seed, buy a packet of seeds or use seeds you have collected from flower heads (see page 30). To assist growth and to avoid disease, treat the seeds with a garlic tonic. Soak 100g fresh, crushed garlic in cold water for one hour. Place the seeds on gauze from a first aid kit and tie into a little 'bag'. Soak in a tonic for 15 minutes and then allow the seeds to dry on newspaper. Plant the next morning. Note: Do not use this tonic on cabbage, pea and bean seeds. Sowing seeds Sow seeds into seed trays or directly into a bed containing a well prepared growing mixture (see box). Prepare the bed a week in advance by hoeing and removing large stones and weeds. Rake in matured compost to a depth of about 5cm. Cover the ground with mulch (see page 45). Just before sowing, hoe again to kill any weeds that may have germinated in the meantime. Push aside the mulch to a distance of 5cm to mark a planting row and then sow the seeds. Always follow the instructions given on the seed package for the depth of planting. If you plant the seeds too deep, the seedlings will be weak, causing them to damp off (fall over and die). Also, if seeds have been planted too shallowly, they may dry up very quickly and wilt and die. Watering seeds Keep the soil where the seeds are sown moist at all times, whether the seeds are sown in seed trays or directly into a garden bed. However, overwatering also disturbs seed growth by moving the seeds. For the best growth, water lightly both in the morning and the evening to keep the soil moist. Use a fine spray – you can make a watering device out of a 2-litre colddrink bottle. Correct hand watering uses less water and produces healthy seedlings: • When watering with a watering can, first tip the can over a non-seeded adjacent area and, for a couple of seconds, allow the water to flow out fully. Then, immediately swing the can right across the seed trays or seed Grow flowers to sell Conserving Water, Conserving the Enrironment RAND WATER Grow your own plants from seed Growing annual flowers and vegetables from seed is less expensive than buying them in trays Pic: Wright.
Transcript of RAND WATER Grow your own plants from seed · Sow your seeds into one of the following mixtures:...
28 Supplement to SA Gardening Directory 2006/7
To begin growing plants from seed,buy a packet of seeds or use seeds
you have collected from flower heads(see page 30). To assist growth and toavoid disease, treat the seeds with agarlic tonic. Soak 100g fresh, crushedgarlic in cold water for one hour. Placethe seeds on gauze from a first aid kitand tie into a little 'bag'. Soak in a tonicfor 15 minutes and then allow the seedsto dry on newspaper. Plant the nextmorning. Note: Do not use this tonic oncabbage, pea and bean seeds.
Sowing seedsSow seeds into seed trays or directly intoa bed containing a well preparedgrowing mixture (see box). Prepare thebed a week in advance by hoeing andremoving large stones and weeds. Rakein matured compost to a depth of about5cm. Cover the ground with mulch (see page 45). Just before sowing, hoeagain to kill any weeds that may havegerminated in the meantime. Push asidethe mulch to a distance of 5cm to mark a planting row and then sow the seeds.
Always follow the instructions givenon the seed package for the depth of
planting. If you plant the seeds too deep,the seedlings will be weak, causing themto damp off (fall over and die). Also, ifseeds have been planted too shallowly,they may dry up very quickly and wiltand die.
Watering seedsKeep the soil where the seeds are sownmoist at all times, whether the seeds aresown in seed trays or directly into agarden bed. However, overwatering alsodisturbs seed growth by moving theseeds. For the best growth, water lightlyboth in the morning and the evening tokeep the soil moist. Use a fine spray –you can make a watering device out of a2-litre colddrink bottle.
Correct hand watering uses lesswater and produces healthy seedlings: • When watering with a watering can,
first tip the can over a non-seededadjacent area and, for a couple ofseconds, allow the water to flow outfully. Then, immediately swing the canright across the seed trays or seed
Grow flowers to sellConserving Water, Conserving the Enrironment
RAND WATER
Grow your ownplants from seedGrowing annual flowers andvegetables from seed is lessexpensive than buying themin trays
Pic: Wright.
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Supplement to SA Gardening Directory 2006/7 29
bed, and back again, so that the fallingwater is applied evenly. Make sure theend of first swing takes place past theend of the seed bed to avoid dribbles.
• Start watering on the part of the seedbed furthest away from you. Continuethe swings but step backwards so thata nearer area of seeds is watered onthe next swing.
• If you see any sign of puddling,instantly swing the watering can awayfrom the seeds.
• Make sure the last of the water in thewatering can does not fall on the
seeds, as damaging heavy drops ofwater occur at this stage.
• Allow the water to move down into thesoil. Then repeat the watering.
Transplanting seedlingsYou can sow seeds in a mixture of sandand vermiculite (available at hardwarestores) in a seed tray, and transplant intothe garden later on. Handle them withcare when you transplant them intogarden beds, as any damage will delaygrowth and make them weak so that theycatch diseases.
Conserving Water, Conserving the Enrironment
RAND WATER
LEFT ABOVE: Summer annuals sown in seed trays can be sold tonurseries or the public. (Pic: Bader)
ABOVE: Swing a watering can rightacross the seed trays or seed bed,and back again, so that the fallingwater is applied evenly. (Pic: Shirley-Carr)
RIGHT: Make a sprinkler from a 2-litre colddrink bottle. (Pic: Shirley-Carr)
Growing mixture for seedlingsSow your seeds into one of the following mixtures:• One part matured leaf-mould or commercial
potting soil and one part perlite or river sand orcoarse sawdust.
• One part matured compost, one part loosegarden soil and one part vermiculite or coarsesawdust.
• One part matured compost, two parts potting orgarden soil and one part rotted, sifted manure.
See page 20 to find out how to make compost.
WATER WISE TIP: Correcthand watering uses less waterand produces healthyseedlings.
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