Introduction
Are you planning to grow vegetables in your kitchen garden? If yes, then you need to know about the basics of planting seeds to grow healthy and fresh vegetables.
For planting vegetables there are 2 methods. Either you can plant seeds directly into the soil or you can use transplants (small starter plants). In this article, we will discuss about ‘how do you plant seeds in garden’.
Planning
Making a garden planner is very beneficial to maintain control over the planting process. Plan vegetable gardening table according to the seasons. Some vegetables grow in the warm season like tomatoes, cucumber, squash, peppers, etc., others in cold spinach, broccoli, cabbage, etc.
These vegetables require different care according to their seasonal needs. Warm weather vegetables need ample moistened soil while warm-season one needs plenty of heat to grow. If you failed to plan the planting of seeds according to season, your vegetables would not grow appropriately.
Prepare soil
Soil preparation plays the most important role in seed germination. Add compost and other organic matter to fill in nutrients. Phosphorus, nitrogen, calcium, Magnesium, Potassium are major nutrients for plant growth. Also, maintain soil pH slightly acidic 5.5-6.5 which is optimal for growth.
You can prepare compost at home with fruit scraps, vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells. These ingredients add appropriate nutrients to the soil. If you don’t have time to prepare it, you can buy compost from Agrisetu that has all the necessary macro and micronutrients soil needs.
Buy quality seeds
Make sure seeds should be free from dust, dirt, and other impurities. The quality of seeds is important for plant growth. High-quality seeds germinate faster and absorb nutrients better from the soil.
Quality seeds are free from seeds-borne diseases. They are also weed-free that helps a plant grow safely without any difficulties. Using high-quality seeds ensures a high yield. So, make sure to purchase good-quality seeds for your garden.
Create space
Preparing a garden is not an easy task, you need to create separate spaces for planting seeds. When you prepare space take special care that plants get appropriate sunlight at least 6 hours daily. Plants are Autotrophs, that prepare their own food with the help of sunlight, water, and nutrients.
If you don’t have a large space, you can use planters. They are containers that don’t take much space and you can plant seeds safely. Also, make sure water could be easily available near the garden space so, that will get appropriate water for growth.
Method of planting seeds
- Planting of seeds
Place seeds two times the length of seeds deeper into the soil it doesn’t need to be placed too deep. Also, some seeds may just be placed lesser than its diameter so, check the seeds pack for additional information.
Make sure seeds are covered with soil so, that they can absorb nutrients. Maintain distance in between them, so when they grow, they will not take away each other space. Having appropriate distance is important.
- Keep soil moistened
It is important to water plant to maintain soil moisture. Water is needed to transport nutrients and minerals to grow and the photosynthesis process. Plant is about 80-95% of water. So, watering them is very essential for their overall growth.
Loam soil is known to be ideal soil for plants. It absorbs water up to ¼ to 2 inches per hour. It has a better water holding capacity, holds nutrients, and maintains a warm temperature. So, make sure to maintain the soil moisture by watering it.
- Plant in a uniform manner
Make rows to prevent weed growth. When you plant seeds make sure to place them in the distance so they won’t prevent others’ growth. Don’t place seeds too close otherwise they won’t grow appropriately.
Making rows helps to maintain distance and identify the weeds. Also, this uniform manner helps to maintain distance and identify the plants easily.
- Maintain soil temperature and humidity
Seasonal vegetables require different temperatures and humidity to grow. For example, tomatoes seeds need 1-2 inches of water per week for growth while spinach doesn’t require much water. Care according to the plant requirement.
Protection and Caring
- Water plants and never let the soil dry up. Watering is essential for plant growth. You use drip irrigation to maintain the soil moisture.
- Cut down or pinch out the rotten leaves off from the plant. Pinching off leaves helps to increase the growth and makes the plant bushier. Mostly in flower plants, this technique is used.
- Protect your plants from insects and weeds. You can use planters, nets to keep insects away. Also, prepare the soil by clearing it from any weeds seeds. Make sure there are no weed plants when you plant new seeds in a prepared space.
- Give supporters for your plant to maintain its structure.
Conclusion
Planting seeds is not tricky when you understand plants’ needs and requirements. Just like human beings they need nutrition, water, and care to grow healthy. In this article, we understood the importance of these factors and learned about the sowing process. If you need more information regarding Agriculture and gardening, contact Agrisetu on the official website!
