Home Vegetable Gardening - Direct Sowing

In milder climates, or when an early start to the growing season is not required, you can sow the seeds in place where they are supposed to mature; or prepare a patch with fine soil to grow seedlings, which you can later transplant.

For the outside seed-bed select the most thoroughly pulverized spot to be found, enriched and lightened with fine manure. Mark off rows a foot apart, and to the necessary depth; sow the seed evenly; firm in if the soil is dry, cover lightly with the back of the rake and roll or smooth with the back of the spade, or of a hoe, along the drills.

The seed, according to variety, will begin to push through in from four to twenty days. At all times keep the seed-bed clear of weeds; and keep the soil between the rows constantly cultivated. Not unless it is very dry will watering be necessary, but if it is required, give a thorough soaking toward evening.

Two conditions - moisture and warmth - are necessary to induce germination of seeds, no matter how full of life they may be. In addition, different varieties have different needs for moisture and particularly for temperature.

This means of course that some commonsense must be used in planting. When planting outdoors, where we cannot regulate the temperature to our need, we simply must regulate our seed sowing time according to the variety.

See section: Planting Table

Getting the seed to sprout, however, is only the first step in the game; they must be provided with the means of immediately beginning to grow. This means that they should not be left to germinate in loosely packed soil, full of air spaces, ready to dry out at the first opportunity, and to let the tiny seed roots be shriveled up and die.

The soil should touch the seed - be pressed close about it on all sides, so that the first tiny tap root will immediately take hold. Such conditions can be found only in a seedbed fine but light enough to pack, reasonably rich and sufficiently moist, and where, in addition to this, the seed has been properly planted.

H. Baley, Home Vegetable Gardening