This guide explains step by step how, under the care of the gardener, seeds grow into vigorous seedlings. Find out here the optimal procedure for direct sowing and cultivation on the windowsill. Helpful tips point to typical stumbling blocks when beginners sow seeds for the first time in gardening life.

If you prefer at home, you can harvest earlier

Direct sowing - Guide for direct sowing in the bed

In April and May, the flower bed and vegetable garden are buzzing with life. At the latest after the ice saints, the time window opens for the direct sowing of native species such as sunflowers, snapdragons, carrots, runner beans or radishes. Anyone who wants to create a lawn also chooses this time of year for sowing lawn seeds. How to proceed correctly step by step:

  • Work the soil with a rake and rake until a weed-free, loose, finely crumbly structure is formed
  • Depending on the type of plant, sow the seed broadcast or in rows
  • Row sowing: Dig a furrow, plant seeds at the prescribed distance and cover with soil
  • Press seeds down with your hands or a lawn roller and water with a fine spray

To protect against pecking birds and hungry snails, cover the seedbed with a protective net. At the end, please do not forget to label the seed rows with the seed labels.

Cultivation on the windowsill - this is how you prepare the seeds

Numerous garden plants come from distant lands, such as popular petunias and tomatoes. Higher temperatures are required for germination, so home gardeners sow the seeds on the windowsill or in the greenhouse. Pay attention to these preparatory works:

  • Provide low-nutrient, germ-free seed substrate
  • Clean the seed boxes and check for drainage holes in the bottom
  • Fill the spray bottle with room temperature, stale water
  • Prepare transparent hoods or plastic bags
  • Soak seeds for 24 to 48 hours in lukewarm water or chamomile tea (thermos)

Ecologically responsible home gardeners do not use peat-based tools. Coconut fiber substrate, for example, is ideal for sowing. Sowing in peat pots is also frowned upon, because reusable seed trays, pots or discarded egg cartons are perfect breeding vessels.

Sowing instructions - the way from seed to seedling

While the seed soaks, fill each seed jar two-thirds full with substrate. Press down the soil and spray the surface with water. You can now sow the still wet seeds on the moistened soil. Press light germs with a wooden board for a good soil contact. Sift dark germs with substrate at a species-specific level. You can find out what kind of seed it is on the seed label. This is how it goes on:

  • Cover seed pots with a transparent hood or plastic bag
  • Place in the partially shaded window seat at temperatures of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius
  • Air the cover daily
  • Spray with water as soon as the soil dries
  • Do not fertilize seeds and seedlings

The germination time depends on the plant species. Some growth rockets germinate in just a few days, while other seeds take weeks or even months to germinate. When the first cotyledons sprout, the cap has done its duty and is removed. Keep the substrate slightly moist and do not apply fertilizer.

Prick out and harden off seedlings - this is how it works

The first real leaves grow after the cotyledons. Both types of leaves are easy to distinguish optically. In the course of further growth, the seed container becomes tight. High time to give the busy seedlings more space. For this purpose, repot the strongest specimens into their own pots. This process is called pricking. Thats how it works:

  • Fill small plastic pots with special pricking soil
  • Drill a small planting hole in the middle with a pricking stick or spoon
  • Lift the seedlings individually and with a lot of finesse out of the seed container
  • Plant in the pricking soil, press and water

From mid-April, place your pets in a warm, semi-shady spot on the balcony or in the garden during the day. The young plants spend the cold nights behind glass until mid-May. This phase of hardening guarantees robust plants and vital growth in the bed right from the start.

Small sowing ABC - how to avoid stumbling blocks

To ensure that everything runs smoothly during your first sowing, we have summarized the most common beginner's mistakes. Practical tips indicate how to avoid the pitfalls:

  • Parched soil: keep the substrate slightly moist continuously with soft, warm water
  • Too much or too little soil on the seed: do not cover light germinators, sieve dark germinators at least as thick as a seed
  • Cold draft: Do not set up seed containers near tilted windows
  • Destroyed shoots due to lack of light: illuminate the seedlings with plant lamps in the case of long, thin shoots

The most common and fatal care mistake is waterlogging in the seed container. The advice on regular watering and spraying should not cause seedlings to stand in water. The consequences are fungal infections, such as the dreaded damping-off. Drainage holes in the bottom of the pot and a balanced water supply are the best prevention.

tips

With your own cold frame, you can start sowing as early as February and March. Equipped with natural heating, the first seeds germinate here when there is still snow in the garden. You can easily build the ingenious box yourself or buy it as a ready-made kit from a retailer.

Category:

Vegetable garden