Getting ready to garden TIPS FOR SEED SUCCESS DON’T OVER PLANT!
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3 You don’t want 40 tomato plants, for example,
or 30 mint plants. You may want the whole packet of flower seeds, however. Some seeds are just too tiny to count, so using
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your eye and some judgment is important. Plant- ing these seeds thinly can be challenging. You can plant tiny seeds using a folded piece of paper to control the number of seeds released to the soil.
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WHAT TO START INDOORS everything should be
started indoors.
Check your seed packets. Some seeds should be planted directly into the ground. This generally includes peas, beans, beets, carrots, onions, pars- nips, radishes and spinach among others. Sweet peas should be planted directly outdoors, before the last frost date. Check you seed packet.
WINTER 2013 5
WHEN TO START
Seed packets
will tell you the number of days it takes from germination to maturity, and how long to wait after the first frost-free
date
before planting out. To deter- mine this date, you can Google the Old Farmer’s Almanac (just type in your postal code) and it will take you to your city or town with very precise dates for when to start your seeds indoors or plant them in the ground. It also includes moon-favourable planting dates.
SEEDS Don’t plant the whole packet of seeds unless you
want a huge crop. If the seeds are large enough to count, decide how many plants you need, then plant 20 per cent more to account for any failures and thinning. Keep the rest of the seeds for next year in a cool moisture-retentive/repellent contain- er: a plastic pill bottle for example.
www.localgardener.net PREPARE LABELS Label your flats. You will not remember
which is which six weeks later. Popsicle sticks work very well. Use a permanent marker.
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