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Selecting a Container Virtually any type of vegetable or herb should fair well in a container as long as it has enough room. As a general rule, select as large a container as possible. Small containers dry out more quickly and need daily watering. Planting Depth Here are the minimum soil depths for healthy growth. Keep in mind that you can get by with less depth if you use a self-watering planter. 4-5 inches: chives, lettuce, radishes, other salad greens, basil, coriander 6-7 inches: bush beans, garlic, kohlrabi, onions, Asian greens, peas, mint, thyme 8-9 inches: pole beans, carrots, chard, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, leeks, peppers, spinach, parsley, rosemary 10-12 inches: beets, broccoli, okra, potatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, dill, lemongrass The Best Vegetables for Containers Potatoes, chard, lettuce, cherry and tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, chives, lettuce, radishes, basil, coriander, bush beans, garlic, kohlrabi, onions, Asian greens, peas, mint, thyme, pole beans, carrots, chard, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, leeks, peppers, spinach, parsley, rosemary, carrot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, beets, broccoli, okra, potatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, dill, lemongrass Plant Combinations / Companion Planting Plant that can be grown together ( Good Companions): Beans, carrots, squash Eggplant, beans Tomatoes, basil, onions Lettuce, herbs Spinach, chard, onions Plant Combinations to Avoid:

Selecting a Container

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Selecting a Container

Virtually any type of vegetable or herb should fair well in a container as long as it has enough room. As a general rule, select as large a container as possible. Small containers dry out more quickly and need daily watering. 

Planting DepthHere are the minimum soil depths for healthy growth. Keep in mind that you can get by with less depth if you use a self-watering planter.

4-5 inches: chives, lettuce, radishes, other salad greens, basil, coriander6-7 inches: bush beans, garlic, kohlrabi, onions, Asian greens, peas, mint, thyme8-9 inches: pole beans, carrots, chard, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, leeks, peppers, spinach, parsley, rosemary10-12 inches: beets, broccoli, okra, potatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, dill, lemongrass

The Best Vegetables for Containers

Potatoes, chard, lettuce, cherry and tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, chives, lettuce, radishes, basil, coriander, bush beans, garlic, kohlrabi, onions, Asian greens, peas, mint, thyme, pole beans, carrots, chard, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, leeks, peppers, spinach, parsley, rosemary, carrot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, beets, broccoli, okra, potatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, dill, lemongrass

Plant Combinations / Companion Planting

Plant that can be grown together ( Good Companions):

Beans, carrots, squash Eggplant, beans Tomatoes, basil, onions Lettuce, herbs Spinach, chard, onions

Plant Combinations to Avoid:

Beans with onions and garlic Carrots with dill or fennel Tomatoes or squash with potatoes Onions with beans and peas

Locating Your ContainerMost vegetables require six hours of sunlight per day. Salad greens and herbs can usually get by with less. Tomatoes, peppers, beans and other sun-lovers will appreciate as much sun as they can get. If your yard is short on sun, consider putting your plants on caddies or adding casters. That way they can be moved during the day or even later in the season as the angle of the sun changes.

Wind is another factor to consider. Your plants will be happiest in a protected location where the wind doesn't batter and dry out their foliage. Use the shelter of a building, erect a temporary windbreak made from portable fencing or fabric. Arrange your pots so larger plants shield smaller plants. Clustering potted plants together also helps to raise humidity levels, keeping plants more productive.

Drainage

Drainage is key to keep plants from drowning. You want your pot or container to let excess

water out of the bottom, so your plants won't sit in water or soggy soil. Make sure your

container has one large hole or several smaller ones. You can usually drill holes if the drainage

is insufficient.SoilQuality potting soil is really important for vegetables. Mix some fertiliser as well.

WaterVegetables require a consistent supply of water to perform their best. Inconsistent moisture causes lots of problems, such as blossom drop, poor root development, leaf curling, insect problems and rot.

FertilizerPlants need food to thrive, and their food is fertilizer. If your soil doesn’t have fertilizer already mixed in, you’ll want to add fertilizerFertilizer is especially important when you're growing vegetables in containers. In fact, you just won't succeed if you don't use some kind of fertilizer. I recommend mixing a granular organic All-Purpose Fertilizer into the soil when planting, then weekly feeding with a water-soluble fertilizer.

There are several reasons why fertilizer is so important. First is that the growing medium in the container has few, if any nutrients. So, your plants are totally dependent on you for the nutrients they need. Second is that containerized plants get watered a lot, and every time you water, you wash some nutrients out of the soil.

The third reason fertilizers are necessary is that in a container garden, you are packing lots of plants into a very small space. One 2' x 2' self-watering planter might contain a tomato plant, two pepper plants, a basil plant and some parsley. That's a lot of foliage to feed from a few gallons of "soil".

 

Tips for Growing in Containers

Clay pots are usually more attractive than plastic ones, but plastic pots retain moisture better. To get the best of both, slip a plastic pot into a slightly larger clay pot.

Avoid small containers. They often can't store enough water to get through hot days. Add about 1 inch of course gravel in the bottom of the container to improve drainage. Vegetables that can be easily transplanted are best suited for containers. Transplants

can be purchased from local nurseries or started at home. Feed container plants at least twice a month with liquid fertilizer, following the

instructions on the label. An occasional application of fish emulsion or compost will add trace elements to

container soil. Place containers where they will receive maximum sunlight and good ventilation. Watch

for and control insect pests.

If you think your yard has too much shade to grow vegetables, think again. There are plenty of

vegetables and herbs that can be grown in constant dappled shade or in as little as three to six

hours of sun.

 

Here’s the general rule for home vegetable growers plagued by what they think may be too

much shade from their own trees or shade from those in a neighbors’ yard: vegetables and

herbs grown for their stems, leaves or buds will tolerate light shade. Some of these include:

 

Cooking greens, such as kale, collards, mustard greens and Swiss chard.

 

Lettuce, specifically the soft, loose-leaf types such as “Oakleaf," "Ruby Red" or "Salad Bowl."

Don’t pull the plants up after your first harvest. Removing leaves encourages more to appear,

which yield repeat harvests. Head lettuce, however, is not the best option for growing in shade.

 

Salad greens, including sorrel, endive, cress and arugula. These tasty additions to a salad mix

will expand your options for flavor and texture.

 

Spinach, a cold-hardy vegetable that has growing requirements similar to lettuce.

 

Broccoli , a great choice for growing in the relative coolness of partial shade rather than full

sun. After cutting off the large central head, leave the plant in the ground. Smaller heads will

form along the stem in the leaf axils.

 

Cauliflower, which will tolerate partial shade, though it prefers full sun. It also prefers cooler

temperatures.

 

Cabbage, another veggie that thrives in the cooler temperatures of partial-shade.

 

Herbs, such as mint, chervil, coriander and parsley actually prefer partial shade. Here’s a mint

hint worth taking to heart: It is an aggressive spreader. Plant it in a container or you may spend

years pulling it from places you didn’t plant it and don’t want it to grow.

 

Keep in mind that veggies and herbs grown in constant dappled or filtered shade or those

grown in partial shade will not be as large as those grown in full sun. The yields won’t be as

much, either. However, the taste will be every bit as good and so will the satisfaction of having

grown your own food.

 

If you are wondering how to define what kind of shade you have?. Dappled shade is sunlight

that filters in shifting patterns through tree branches all day. This is similar to woodland shade

environments and the most common situation in suburban backyards. Partial shade is up to 6

hours of sun with four or more of those being in the morning. Full sun is 4 or more hours of

afternoon sun or more than 6 or more hours of direct sun all day.

 

Here are a few other things to keep in mind to help you get the most from a vegetable and herb

garden planted in shade:

 

If trees rather than structures such as houses are the source of shade, garden plants

may have to compete for nutrients and water as well as sunlight. One way to keep tree

roots from wicking away water is to plant your crops in raised beds lined with plastic.

Determine whether you have dappled shade, a condition where the garden gets some

sunlight for all or most of the day, or partial shade, which can vary from a few hours of

sunlight to long hours of shade for the rest of the day.

Watch your garden through the seasons to see where the sun falls on the garden and

how long different parts of the garden get sunlight. The amount of shade may vary at

different times of the year as the angle of the sun and leaf canopies change. This

knowledge may help you decide what, when and where to plant different crops.

Be aware that the reflection of sunlight off bright and light surfaces nearby (think white

fences or walls or, perhaps, glass walls from nearby office buildings) can increase the

amount of light your garden gets.

Use reflective mulches to cast light up onto plants.

Understand that there is a difference in morning shade and afternoon shade when it

comes to gardening. Some cool season vegetables, for instance, may perform better in

morning sun and afternoon shade, especially during the summer. This is particularly true

for a crop like lettuce, which has a tendency to bolt (send up a flower stalk) in hot

weather. When a vegetable or herb bolts, the taste turns bitter. When this happens, the

plant can be removed and replaced with another crop or left in the ground for the flowers

to attract pollinators.

Areas with partial shade in the afternoon can also extend the growing season for some

cool season crops such as lettuce that are prone to bolting during in high heat.

Because walls, tree trunks and branches can reduce air circulation, the ground in shade

gardens will not dry out as fast as the ground in gardens that get full sun. The moisture

retention can encourage plant diseases. To reduce the likelihood of this problem, allow

extra space between plants and soak the root zone rather than watering from above and

onto the leaves.

Keep shade gardens free of weeds. Weeds will rob garden plants of the light, water and

nutrients they are already competing for with nearby trees.

If possible, judiciously prune nearby trees and bushes to increase sun exposure. One

way to do that is to remove low-hanging branches from nearby trees.

 

Root vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, parsnips and beets, fall somewhere in the middle

regarding light requirements. In general, they need more hours of sun than leafy vegetables but

not as much light as full sun for all or most of the day. If you are the adventurous type, why not

give them a try in your shade garden?

 

Most important of all, make the most of what sun you have. If you’re lucky enough to have a few

sunny spots that get more than 6 hours of sun, try growing tomatoes or other favorites in

strategically placed pots.

 

With a little resourcefulness, you can have fresh vegetables and herbs from spring to fall ie

year-round.

 Vegetable Garden Calender (month wise) for Indian Terrain.

This gardening calendar provides a list of month by month activities for growing indoor

vegetables in India.

 

Month North India South India

JANUARY BrinjalLettuce,Spinach, Gourds, Melons, Radish, Carrot, Onion,

Tomato,Okra,Brinjal, Bean

FEBRUARYApplegourd, Bittergourd, Bottle gourd, Cucumber, French

Beans, Okra, Sponge, Gourd, Watermelon, Spinach

Lettuce,Spinach, Gourds, Melons, Radish, Carrot, Onion,

Tomato,Okra,Brinjal, Bean

MARCHApplegourd, Bittergourd, Bottle gourd, Cucumber, French

Beans, Okra, Sponge, Gourd, Watermelon, SpinachAmaranthus, Coriander, Gourds, Beans, Melons, Spinach, Okra

APRIL Capsicum Onion, Amaranthus, Coriander, Gourds, Okra, Tomato, Chilli

MAY Onion, Pepper, Brinjal Okra, Onion, Chilli

JUNEAll gourds, Brinjal, Cucumber, Cauliflower (Early), Okra,

Onion,Sem,Tomato,PepperAll Gourds, Solanaeceae,Almost all vegetables

JULY All gourds, Cucumber, Okra, Sem, Tomato All Gourds, Solanaeceae,Almost all vegetables

AUGUST Carrot, Cauliflower, Radish, Tomato Carrot, Cauliflower, Beans, Beet

SEPTEMBER Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Peas, Radish, Tomato, Lettuce Cauliflower, Cucumber, Onion,Peas,Spinach

OCTOBERBeet, Brinjal, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Peas, Radish,

Spinach, Turnip

Brinjal, Cabbage,Capsicum,Cucumber, Beans,Peas, Spinach, Turnip,

Watermelon

NOVEMBER Turnip, Tomato, Radish, Pepper, Peas, Beet Beet, Eggplant, Cabbage, Carrot, Beans, Lettuce, Melon, Okra, Turnip

DECEMBER TomatoLettuce, Pumpkin, Watermelon, Muskmelon, Ash gourd, Ridge gourd,

Bitter gourd, Bottle gourd, Cucumber, Chilly, Cabbage,

Ideal Germination Conditions

VegetableIdeal F

Ideal C

Range F

Range C

Direct/ Transplant

North India South India

Tinda 77 25 68-85 20-30 DirectFeb-Mar/ Jun-

JulFeb-Mar/ Jun-Jul

Beet 70 20 50-75 10-30 Direct Oct-Nov Aug-Nov

Bittergourd 77 25 68-85 20-30 DirectFeb-March/

June-July

Nov-Dec/ Dec-

Jan/ Jun-July

Bottlegourd 77 25 68-85 20-30 DirectFeb-March/

June-July

Nov-Dec/ Dec-

Jan/ Jun-July

Brinjal/ Eggplant 85 30 70-95 21-35 TransplantJan-Feb/ May-

Jun/ Oct-Nov

Jun-Jul/ Oct-Nov/

Jan-Feb

Cabbage 70 20 45-70 10-20 Transplant Sep-Oct Jun-Jul/ Oct-Nov

Capsicum 70 21 60-77 15-25 Transplant Nov-JanJul-Aug/ Oct-Nov/

Jan-Feb

Carrot 80 25 45-85 10-30 Direct Aug-Sep-Oct Aug-Nov

Cauliflower

(early)77 25 77-80 25-27 Transplant Mid-June Jun-Jul/ Aug-Sep

Cauliflower (late) 65 18 60-70 16-20 Transplant Aug-Sep-Oct Jun-Jul

VegetableIdeal F

Ideal C

Range F

Range C

Direct/ Transplant

North India South India

Cauliflower

(midseason)58 15 <60 <16 Transplant Sep-Oct Jun-Jul/ Aug-Sep

Cucumber 95 16 60-95 16-32 DirectFeb-March/

June-July

Jun-July/ Sep-Oct/

Dec-Jan

Frenchbeans 70 20 60-85 16-30 Direct Feb-March

Lettuce 75 20 40-80 7-27 Transplant Sep-Oct Oct-Dec

Melon 80 27 75-95 22-32 Direct Jan-Feb Oct-Jan

Okra 77 25 70-95 20-32 DirectFeb-Mar/ Jun-

Jul

Jan-Feb/ May-Jun/

Oct-Dec

Onion 75 22 50-95 10-32 Transplant May-JunMar-Apr/ May-

June/ Sep-Oct

Peas 75 22 40-75 10-22 Direct Sep-Oct, Nov Sep-Oct, Nov

Pepper 85 30 65-95 18-32 TransplantNov-Jan/ May-

Jun

Jan-Feb/ May-Jun/

Oct-Nov

Radish 85 30 45-90 10-30 Direct Aug-Jan (Depending

Sembeans 85 30 77-95 25-35 Direct Jun-Jul Jun-Jul, Aug

Spinach 70 22 45-75 10-22 Direct Sep-Nov/ Feb Sep, Oct, Nov

Spongegourd 70 22 70-85 20-30 DirectFeb-Mar/ Jun-

Jul

Feb-Mar/ Jun-Jul/

Oct-Nov

Tomato 85 30 70-95 20-30 TransplantJun-Aug/ Nov-

Dec

Jan-Feb/ Jun-Jul/

Oct-Nov

VegetableIdeal F

Ideal C

Range F

Range C

Direct/ Transplant

North India South India

Turnip 85 30 60-105 15-35 Direct Oct-Nov Oct-Nov

Watermelon 95 30 70-95 20-30 Direct Jan-Mar Oct-Jan

 

Vegetable Plants Spacing

Vegetable Inches between plants

Asparagus 12-18

Beans, Broad 8-10

Beans, Lima

bush

pole

2-3

4-6

Beans, Snap or Green

bush

pole

2-3

4-6

Beetroot 2-3

Broccoli 24

Brussels Sprouts 24

Cabbage 18-24

Carrot 4

Vegetable Inches between plants

Cauliflower 18-24

Celery 8-10

Chard 6-9

Chayote 30

Chick pea 6-8

Chicory 12-18

Chinese Cabbage 18

Collards 12

Corn 12

Cucumber 12

Eggplant 18-24

Endive 9-12

Horseradish 24

Kale 12

Kohlrabi 8

Leek 6-9

Lettuce 8-12

Muskmelon 18-24

Mustard 6-12

Vegetable Inches between plants

Okra 12-18

Onion

sets

seeds

2-3

1-2

Peas 1-2

Peanut 6-8

Pepper 18-24

Potato 12-18

Sweet Potato 12-18

Pumpkin 24-48

Radish 6

Shallot 6-8

Sorrel 12-18

Soybean 6

Spinach 2-4

Squash, Summer 24-36

Squash, Winter 24-48

Tomato 24

Watermelon 24-72

How to make Organic Potting Mixture.

When you see a successfully grown vegetable garden, the first question you ask the owner is “What is your potting mix?” And some people share and some don’t. If you always wanted to make a best organic potting mix, look no further, this post is for you.

A good potting mix has the following characteristics.

Air porosity Water/moisture retention. Nutrition. Support/Anchorage. Fluffy and light weight. Well draining. Infection/pest free Free from weed seeds

 

Common Ingredients in a good potting mix

Soil

Paying attention to the quality of the soil used for potting mixes will pay you in the long run. A good quality soil should be free from stones, lumps and should be rich in nutrients. Don’t take soil from construction sites.They will contain lots of rubbles and is never good for growing plants. For Indian context, nurseries will sell red soil/ good quality top soil. A good quality soil from your nearest garden centre should do.

Peat Moss:

Peat moss is the most common ingredient for soilless mixes because of its wide availability.However, In india the situation is quite opposite. It is not easily available and very expensive. Peat moss decomposes very slowly and holds large amounts of water; however, it has a high acidity. Lime is usually added to mixes to balance the pH.

Coco coir peat:

Coir, a by-product of the coconut fiber industry, looks like peat moss, but is granular and also has an optimum pH for growing plants. Coir typically is packaged as a compressed brick that

will expand when mixed with water. It is important to note that coir may require less potassium and increased nitrogen supplementation. It retains the right amount of retention and air poro

Worm Castings/Vermicompost:

Vermicompost is the result of composting vegetable waste/food waste using earth worms, usually red wigglers, to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and worm cast. Vermicompost is an excellent, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner. This process of producing vermicompost is called vermicomposting.

Bone meal:

Bone meal is a slaughter house waste. Bones are steamed pulverised and used as fertilizers for plants.They are rich in Calcium, phosphorus and trace elements. Some people are not comfortable using it because of the odour. In some places, blood, hoof and horn meal are also available. Each of them have a different nutrient profile.

Oil Cakes:

Oil cakes are the remains when the oil seeds are crushed/pressed to extract the oil from them. Because of the nutrient content they act as a good fertilizer.

Potting Mix Recipe

1 part of good quality red soil/top soil 1 part of cocopeat/peat moss 1 part of compost (Vermicompost/manure)

 For every 15 litres of the above mix, add 200 grams of bone meal, and 200 grams of oil cake and 200 grams of wood ash. Thoroughly mix them. Once the mixture is uniformly mixed, put it in a sack or a big container , cover it and leave it for a good 3 weeks time. Ensure that the mix is little moist. It should not drip when you squeeze it in your palm. After 2-3 weeks, the potting mix is ready for use.

Modifications

For some plants, you might want a mix that is more draining.Add 1 part of perlite to it to increase the drainage.

You can also add coco husk chips to increase the air porosity in the mix. This is required for crops such as orchids, gerbera etc.

You may add additives like seaweed, humic acid and aminoacids, beneficial microbes, pressed mud etc to enrich the soil. 

 Another wonderful way of adding organic fertilizer to a plant is by watering them with compost tea. You might be wondering what is compost tea and how to make it. That’s for another post!

 

Top 20 gardening mistakes new gardeners make

 It is human nature to not let our mista1kes be known outside. We are also encouraged to learn from others mistakes. So unless the mistakes are shared, one cannot really benefit from it. In this post, I am going to share the mistakes new gardeners make(including myself). We all make mistakes and in gardening that results in the killing of plants sometimes. I have killed more plants than many of you. I started this post to write top 5 mistakes that people make, but then the list kept increasing as I started recollecting the my experiences and my experience after discussing with customers who visit my store.

So without further ado, here goes the list of top 20 mistakes beginners make. You better read this, before you start a garden!

 

1. Not giving enough light to plants2. Watering them too little or too much.3. Watering them on their leaves.4. Underfeeding /Over feeding Plants5. Sowing one too many seeds and Not thinning them6. Not labeling the plants or taking notes.7. Choosing a container that is too small8. Planting plants that are either non-native or out of season9. Giving a wrong fertilizer to the plants10.Not pruning or over pruning11. Improper spray application/too much pesticide12.Transplanting too late13.Planting too close14.Planting too deep / planting too shallow15.Planting bulbs/cuttings upside down.

16.Letting weeds/pests take over.17.All at once or nothing/ No staggered planting18.Not knowing when to harvest. Too soon or too late.19.Emotional Meltdowns.20.Not knowing how the seedling would look like. Nurturing a weed.

How to sow seeds – Part I

I am sure this happens many times in our lives. You go to a nursery or a garden center and see the beautifully grown plants and also colorful seed packets. You say it to your selves “I want a garden just like this”. The plants and the flowers are so pretty that you end up buying a lot of seeds or plants themselves.

You bring the seeds home and you are all set to start your own dream garden. Some of you succeed in that process and come out as “green-thumb” and the rest call themselves “not-a-green-thumb” and move on with their life.  Though there are lots of posts in this site that touch upon germination of seeds. I have received lot of requests to write a post exclusively on seed starting procedure.

This post is mainly to ensure everyone gets a green thumb. If you are having the similar issues with starting seeds, this post is for you. If you are already an expert in seed starting, you can also take a look and if possible share some of your best practices. Gardening is one field where the learning never stops.

This article is going to be in series. So hang in there!

Before we actually dive into the process, definition of some terms is in order.

Seed

A seed can be defined in many ways. Seed is a miniature plant, dormant and resting inside a seed coat waiting for a conducive environment to germinate. Once the seed finds the environment favorable, it breaks the seed coat and germinates. This process is germination. It is also called emergence of seed. The phase before germination is pre-emergence and the one that comes after is post-emergence.

Cotyledon

Cotyledon is the first set of leaves that emerges post germination. They are also called the seed leaves. Those leaves don’t actually look like the actual leaves of the plant whose seed it is.

True leaves

True leaves are the set of leaves that emerge after the cotyledon. True leaves resemble the leaf of a particular plant or a variety.

 

Part I of this post we will discuss on the materials you need to do seed starting and in Part II we shall look at the procedure it self in detail.

 

 

For seed starting, we need the following items.

Seeds Seed starting mix Container Watering can and a Polythene sheet Plant labels., Good environment ( Sunlight, temperature, protection etc)

 

 

SeedsSeeds have to be the most important thing is seed sowing or seed starting procedure. It is very important that you select good quality seeds. Seeds must be from a good company. Each variety of seed has its own viability period beyond which their germination rate will come down. But the good thing is that many vegetable seeds stay viable for upto an year and some seeds

stay good for almost 5+ years. I sowed a tomato from 5 years back and it came out just fine.

Selection of seed should also take into consideration the weather condition of the area in which the seeds are sown. If the weather is not suitable for the seed, then germination may not happen. It is better to check the sowing chart for finding out the right vegetable for the season and then get the seeds. Also check for expiry of the seeds. Some seeds lose viability too quickly.

 

Seed starting mix:

A seed starting mix is simply any substrate or medium that we use to germinate our seeds in. There are countless variety of mixes available for seed starting. My personal favorite is cocopeat. Cocopeat is also known as coir pith or coir peat. This is a byproduct of the coir fiber industry. Cocopeat can be purchased as compressed blocks or lose mix. I prefer compressed blocks since they are easier to handle. Buy cocopeat that is washed and sterilized.Seeds can be sown in a mix that has just cocopeat. Cocopeat offers no nutrients to the plants. It is important that we pay attention to adding fertilizer after the seed germinates. This can be done using a water soluble fertilizer or by adding some compost to the cocopeat while making the mix. If you want an easier way, you can buy seed starting plugs. Plugs are of so much convenience and they make transplanting a no-brainer.

Care has to be taken that the seed starting mix doesn’t have any fungal infection. Using such a mix will lead to seedling mortality due to damp-off.

Pictured below is a shot of tomato seedlings growing in a mix of cocopeat and perlite.

The following substrates can be used for seed starting.

Coir Peat ( Washed and sterilized) Peat moss (pH balanced) Coir Peat and compost ( 50:50) Peat + Compost ( 50:50) Perlite Vermiculite Perlite+Vermiculite Peat/Coir Peat + Vermiculite+ Perlite (1:1:1)

We will have a separate post just on substrates and their characteristics. For now,read on.

Container

Almost any container can be used. Seedlings don’t have lot of roots. So a shallow container is enough and also is easier to handle. Drainage holes are a must to any container used for seedling production. Root rot, damp-off and other problems arise mainly due to improper drainage.

For small scale germination, one can use any pot/tray or even small cups. Seed starting plugs are a good choice and they make containers unnecessary.

 

For large scale, you are better of using nursery propagation trays. The trays are filled with cocopeat and the seeds are sown in them.

 

Polythene sheet.

This one is not mandatory but it has time and again proved that covering the seeds during germination increases the humidity and makes the germination happen little sooner. It also keeps the temperature a little higher than outside which the seeds love.

 

Watering Can

You need a watering can as well water the seedling. It is important that you use a can that has a sprinkler nozzle fit in otherwise you will be hosing the pot and the seeds.. well, trust me..they wont be even there in the pot to germinate.

I will end this part I here and we shall continue on Part II detailing the seed starting procedure. The goal is that after reading these articles you will never have to worry about seed starting.

Prepare the seed starting mix

Getting the seed starting mix ready is our first step. I will mention the easiest and the quickest way to do this. Take some cocopeat/peat moss which ever is available in your location. If the cocopeat is already a moist powder, you can use it directly. If it is a compressed block, please follow the instructions on the block and expand it. Now you have some moist media with you. It is time to start. Gently squeeze the media/substrate to drain out excess water. The media should not be soggy wet, little moisture is enough for the seeds to get started.

Cocopeat/peat has no nutrients in them, so for the plants to grow once they germinate, they need some fertilizer. If you prefer organic ways, you can add in equal ration of compost to the peat. If you don’t mind adding some fertilizer, you can directly use the peat/cocopeat and once the plant germinates we can add some weak fertilizer.

If you decided to use compost, add 1:1 with the peat and mix it thoroughly. If you are using chicken/horse/goat manure, then reduce it to 20% of the mix since they are very strong. I would make this mix in big quantities and keep them aside. As the mix ages, it gets better. You also need to keep it little moist to keep the microbe population alive.

By now you should have a mix ready to use. Head to the section choosing a container for planting.

 

Ready made seed starting mix

For those using Jiffy plugs/ similar rooting plugs. The media is ready to use already. Depending on the type of media you bought, it might already have some fertilizer in them or just the substrate, read the instructions. Moisten the plugs with water to expand them if they are in their compressed form. You can gently squeeze them to drain off excess water and then line them up like shown in the picture. Now the jiffies are ready for sowing.

 

 

 

 

Choosing and using a container:

There are so many choices we have for containers. If you are using a jiffy plug, you don’t need a container. move to the next section. For folks using prepared seed starting mix, you can choose from the following options.

Propagation Tray or seedling trays

Propagation trays are needed if you are planning to sow in large numbers say 50+ plants. The trays come in different cavity sizes depending on the size of the seedlings. Tomato seedlings are small, zucchini seedlings are huge, so the cavity size differ. A small cavity size and big cavity size are shown in the pic below.

 

Small pot or tray

If you need small number of seedlings, then sowing them on a smaller pot and tray/flat makes sense. It is easier to handle and you need less resources. Food take out containers can be used for making seedlings and they do a pretty good job. Easy to find, cheap and it works. Just punch few drainage holes and you are good to go.

Big Pot ( direct sowing)

There are some plants that are not comfortable with them being moved around. They prefer to stay in the same place where you sown them. Refer to the Sowing Chart page, under Ideal Germination Conditions. If the column reads “Direct” then the plant doesn’t like being transplanted or moved around. For such plants, it is better to sow them directly in their final container. For such cases, the sowing happens in their final pot. Here are some examples .

 

Sowing Procedure

We now have the seed starting mix and we now have the container as well. Lets dive right into the seed staring procedure.

1. Fill the container with seed starting mix.2. Fill the mix right to the top of the container and then gently tap or press the mix so that it

compacts. This step ensures there are no air pockets in the mix.3. Now start making small pits or depressions on the surface of the medium. Now two

questions arise. .

 

How deep one should sow the seed ?

I have prepared a chart just for this and it should serve you as a guide line for sowing depths. Refer to Sowing Chart. I will tell you easiest way to remember the sowing depth if you don’t have a reference chart handy. The sowing depth should be not more than twice the size of the seed. I can immedialy hear you saying “Which side of the seed?” Longest side.. if the seed is spherical, use the diameter. Convinced?

How far apart the seeds be sown?

The distance between plants is only applicable when you are direct sowing them. For that purpose, there is a table in the Sowing Chart page that explains you that.

 

 

Cover it with Polythene sheet

Once the seeds are sown and it is watered. It is time for us to cover the seed starting tray / pot with a polythene sheet. While this step is not mandatory, doing so reduces the time it takes for seeds to germinate. This is because of the humidity the polythene creates. It also ensures the moisture is locked in. This is very good because we don’t have to water the tray till the plants germinate. That’s right. No watering is necessary until the plants germinate.

In the picture below, the seeds are sown in a tray and covered with poly sheet. The condensate on the sheet is also evident indicating a warm environment inside the sheet. Trust me, the seeds will love it.. they love it so much they surprise you by popping early.

 

Once the seeds germinate, remove the polythene and expose seedlings to good sunlight. This step is very crucial. If you delay exposing them to sunlight, the chances are very high that they will become tall and lanky. Such seedlings don’t become healthy plants. They also tend to break so quickly.

 

Feed the seedlings

Water them daily and don’t let them get dry. A dry spell during the seedling stage can have a huge impact on the crop’s health. If you raised the seedlings in just cocopeat or any other inert substrate, this is the time to water them with a dilute nutrient solution. You can use a hydroponic solution or 19-19-19. About a gram per liter is good enough for seedlings.

 

If you do the above, the seedlings from your garden will be at par with the commercially grown ones. The picture below is an example of how great the seedlings will come up if you do things the right way! Go ahead, get set sow.