The Beginning Gardeners Secrets To Planting Seeds And Seedlings

Once you've selected a design for your garden, and decided on the plants you want it is time to plant. Each seed packet or starter plantlets you buy will have guidlines for planting. Keep in mind the other foliage you'll be adding and take into account the space they need as well.

Seeds are easy to lose track of so mark courses where you'll be planting. The easiest way to accomplish this is with a piece of twine and two stakes. Just place a stake at one end of the row, tie the string to it and run it to the other end of the course. Tie off the string and your row is obvious. Do this before planting for all your rows and you'll be able to plant easily. It also makes it much easier afterwards to see what's sprouting and keeps you from treading on the row.

Plant the entire row of seeds and cover with a slight layer of earth. After planting, gently water the seeds. A light sprinkler or hand held wand sprayer on a mist adjustment works well. Do not over-water or you'll wash the seeds right out of the earth. The result could be no plants growing in your garden, or a pumpkin growing in the grass. Rather, water softly, yet frequently. Keeping the seeds damp is the best way to get them started so water a few times a day for the beginning few days.

When establishing seedlings, begin in early morning or in the evening. Never plant in the middle of the day with the sun beating down. Dig a hole decent enough for the plant root to fit in. Do not sink it too deep and don't leave the roots exposed to the air. Pack earth firmly around the root area and supply mulch around the base of the plant. Then, water thoroughly. The mulch will assist to keep the humidity around the plant higher and help it get acclimated. It also keeps the root area moist, keeping the plant from drooping.

If you are planting seeds, hold off until the plants are a couple of inches tall and then add mulch close to them as well. Straw works great and is quite easy to obtain from a nearby farmer. Just distribute the straw round the plants in a 2-4 inch thick layer. Keep it from covering the plants themselves, just provide them a small hole to poke out of. Water the straw heavy once layed out. The straw will work to keep moisture in and block out weeds and it clears a decent surface to walk or kneel on too.

Most people are uncertain of how to properly water their garden and water too much, too little or at the incorrect time of day. The better time to water your garden is in the evening as the sun fades or very early in the morning. Never water with a sprinkler or spray the leaves directly. You could burn your plant leaves. Sounds strange, but it's true, water droplets on plant leaves magnify sunshine like a magnifying glass. The effects are brown, dead, burned spots on leaves. Early morning sprinkler irrigating allows the water to evaporate and not cook the leaves. Nights are better for slow, drip watering as it allows the plant to soundly soak up the moisture.

Add compost to your garden to help fertilize your plants as they develop. Also consider applying other organics such as cow or horse manure. They add a boost of nitrogen to your dirt and promote vigorous plant growth and high payoffs at harvest time.

During your season, check your plants for dead foliage and other troubles. Keep the weed population down by pulling them and adding them to the compost. Keep your plants from drying out by adding mulch as required. Irrigate on a regular, consistent schedule and keep your plants fertilized. Your garden plot will show you just how happy it is by growing strong and producing a good harvest at the end of the growing season.