| Flower Seeds How to Plant Them |
To plant small seeds, use your finger or the corner of a trowel to prepare a trench to the depth you desire. Take a few seeds and scatter them down the trench, it doesn't have to be perfect. In most cases, seeds are sown closer than their final spacing because having too many seedlings is always better than having too few. You can always thin out the rows later. After sowing the seeds, spread a light layer of mulch or soil on top to protect them. This will also help the seeds germinate. Make sure that you thoroughly water right after planting.
Tip: For small seeds that are going straight into the garden, mix them with a little sand before spreading. Adding sand will help make it easier to properly space plants.
Planting Transplants
Transplants are a good choice if you have a hard time getting seeds to sprout or if you live in an area with a short growing season. Before you start planting, you'll want to determine the correct spacing recommendations for your plants and dig holes accordingly. Dig a hole that is as deep as the plant container and about one and a half times as wide. Remove all rocks and un-decayed organic matter so the roots have plenty of room to grow. If you like, you can add a bit of organic fertilizer or compost to the hole, but mix it with some of the soil before you put the plant in. Next, remove the transplant from its container and examine the root ball. If several of the roots are circling around at the bottom, gently loosen them. Try to disturb the root ball as little as possible. Use both hands when placing the plant into the hole and make sure the plants' base is even with the soil surface, neither protruding nor sunken into the ground. Gently fill and tamp with your hands. Transplants need water shortly after they have been planted. When you have finished, make sure to give your garden a gentle but thorough watering. If temperatures drop, you can protect your young plants by using row cover, plastic milk jugs, or other season extenders to keep them warm at night.
Watering
Transplants and newly sown seeds need to be kept constantly moist for the first few weeks. Water your new garden lightly every time the surface is dry or thoroughly twice a day in hot weather (see Watering the Garden). Seedlings should emerge from the ground in a week or two. If the weather is cool, it may take a bit longer. Transplants take a while to recover once they've been planted. You'll know they're doing fine when you see them start to grow again (usually in one to two weeks). Once your garden is established, water in the early morning hours (avoiding overhead watering if possible) to give the plants time to dry out during the day. This will prevent many fungal disease problems and encourage deep roots, which will make your plants more hardy and less likely to suffer when deprived of water.
Tip: If a plant starts to wilt, don't assume that it is drooping because it needs water. Check the soil first. Plants can wilt for a variety of reasons. You may do more harm than good if you water first and ask questions later.
For more information on gardeing go to http://www.Teegoes.org
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