Week 3: Growing from seed

 

There's a worldwide revival of interest in
growing plants from seed. Is it because we're
retreating from the stresses of modern life? Or
saving money? Or simply wanting to enjoy the
satisfaction of nurturing a plant from its
inception?

Whatever the reason, more and more people
are growing their own seedlings, especially
herb and vegetable seeds. So here are some
tips from Yates, the New Zealand seed
company that's been selling packet seeds for
more than a century:
? Check the sowing time. Yates seed
packets have a map and a climate guide
that provides important information
about the right time to sow. For
example, there's no way that tomatoes
will germinate outdoors in the winter, so
it's best to either start them indoors or
wait until the soil is warmer.
Nasturtiums, by contrast, won't sprout
when the soil's too warm, so get them in
within the next few weeks before
summer starts to heat up the soil.
? Use a good quality seed raising mix
when sowing into pots or trays. Yates
Black Magic Seed Raising Mix is a
special blend that balances good
drainage and moisture retention. The
fine particles of controlled release plant
food in the mix ensure that the young
plants are provided with sustenance
from the beginning.
? Sowing depth's important. Some tiny
seeds (e.g. petunias, lettuce, impatiens)
need to be exposed to the light in order
to germinate successfully. This means
pressing them into the surface of the
mix and not burying them.
? Don't let seeds dry out at any stage
during the germination period (which
can last for days, weeks or, in the case
of some rare varieties, years). The mix
should be moist at sowing time and
should stay moist, without becoming too
wet. Tiny seeds are easily washed
away, so they should be gently watered
with a soft mist or by soaking from
beneath. Take care, too, with some of
those larger seeds that are sown direct
where the plants are to grow. A large
seed usually contains a lot of starch with
sponge-like qualities that soaks up far
more water than is required and,
eventually, causes the seed to drown
from lack of oxygen.
? Seedlings can survive initially on the
food contained within the seed but
they'll soon need some extra fertiliser.
Yates Black Magic Seedling Fertiliser is
ideal.

Yates entire packet seed range is currently
being re-vamped. The packets have been
given a fresh new look and are illustrated
with clear, inspirational pictures of the end
results. Simple icons indicate the best
position (full sun for most vegies, of course)
and approximate time to maturity or harvest.
Information on the back of each packet has
been checked and expanded so that even
novice seed sowers can achieve success.

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