When to direct sow and how

When it comes to gardening, many people are under the misconception that starting from seed is a difficult and daunting task. However, direct sowing of seeds is actually an easy and satisfying way to get your garden going. Not only can you save money by buying seeds vs plant starts, but you can also save yourself a lot of time by not having to transfer young plants into the garden beds later. Here’s how you can successfully direct sow your own seeds:

Step 1: Choose your site. To begin with, you need to find the best place for planting. Make sure that the spot receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day and has good drainage. This will ensure that your plants have enough sunlight to grow strong and healthy, and won’t become waterlogged or rot away. 

Step 2: Prepare your soil. Once you’ve chosen your planting area, it’s important to properly prepare the soil before sowing your seeds. Work some compost or other organic matter into the soil to make it rich and fluffy, then rake it over so that there are no clumps or stones. 

Step 3: Plant your seeds. You can now go ahead and sow your chosen seeds directly into the prepared bed - this could be anything from herbs like parsley or coriander, vegetables such as courgettes or pumpkins, or even annual flowers like petunias or sunflowers! The general rule is that small seeds should be sown at about 1/4 inch deep in the soil, whereas larger seeds should be planted about twice as deep. When you have finished sowing all of your desired plants, lightly press down on the soil around them so that they are secure and won’t wash away when it rains!

Step 4: Watering and care. As soon as you have planted all of your seeds it is important to water them regularly until they sprout – this should be done once every two days in order to keep them damp but not soaked through! You may also need to thin out any overcrowded patches once they start germinating (so long as you follow packet instructions!) – otherwise, there may not be enough space for each plant to grow its full potential!

With just a few steps followed carefully, anyone can have success with direct seeding their own garden beds! If done correctly it can save both time and money when compared to buying ready grown plants from a nursery – plus there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing all those hardy little seedlings coming up throughout springtime! So what are you waiting for? Get sowing today!