Sowing Seeds in a Garden

Executive summary by Samantha Asher

Seeds garden: Instead of buying plants for your garden you can sow gaden seeds if you want to save some money.

One way to sow the garden seeds is by sowing them in trays and growing them first, and then transplanting them into the garden. Fill the garden seeds with soil, pat it down, and moisten the dirt. Sprinkle the seeds over-top, spacing them according to the directions.

garden seed

If you still don’t want to buy trays, or are confident in your gardening skills and soil, you can sow the garden seeds directly in your garden. Read the directions on the back of your seed packets to know what time of year to sow the seeds. If you are planting vegetables, make sure you have rows correctly labeled even before you start planting.

Once you’ve spaced everything out and all your soil is correctly fertilized, begin making shallow holes for your garden seeds. After placing one or two seeds in each hole, depending on the directions, cover of the seeds and lightly water the soil.

If you have more than one plant growing in each spot, weed the weaker ones. Continue weeding, watering, and tending to your garden to ensure the most beautiful and robust garden possible!

Seeding Your Lawn, Laid Bare
Executive summary by James Kilkelly

• Prepare before you sow

Ideally sometime between March and August you must “burn off” any unwanted growth. Achieve this by spraying all weedy soil areas on a dry day with a herbicide containing the active ingredient Glyphosate.

• Grading the site

Ensure nothing but light rainfall occurs when you are carrying out soil movement and grading whether it be by hand or machine. This will prevent creating a pan in the soil (a layer of smeared soil or subsoil that water cannot drain through). When grading your soil remove any half buried timber and old tree roots as they will lead to toad stools in the established lawn.

• Fallow before final cultivation

Rake to an acceptable level whilst removing all surface debris down to the size of a 1 euro coin including weed stems and roots.

• Seed sowing secrets

You will need approx 40 to 50g of seed per square metre, which can be broadcast by hand or use a wheeled spreader Divide the seed into 2 lots and spread half the seed whilst walking up and down, with the other half being spread whilst walking left and right across the lawn When spreading any seed avoid spreading onto drives, patios and beds. Lightly rake the seed into the soil with a sprung rake, do not drive it in or bury it.

Have some extra soil and seed to hand as a hollow or two may show up when rolling, you can then top up the soil and give it a shake of seed.

Check out my other guide on gardening care and growing tomatoes

Growing Tomatoes

Executive summary by Sharon Fleming

Tomatoes are probably one of the most commonly grown fruit (arguably vegetables). Growing tomatoes need attention to these things:

• Placement

The first thing you’ll need is a place for your tomatoes to grow. If you prefer, you can grow them in pots.  Growing tomatoes also require a good air flow to help reduce the risk of fungal diseases.

grow tomatoes

• Soil

Moderate to high fertility in the soil is best. This type of soil drains well and is quick to warm up. It is good to grow tomatoes in such soil.

Your tomatoes will grow well in soil that is rich in organic matter. You can use well-rotted manure or a good compost. Either of these should be worked well into the soil before you plant. Also, when choosing how many plants to grow, take note of how many people eat tomatoes in your household.

• Planting

Spacing is important as well, allow 5-6 square ft between seedlings. If you’re going to use stakes instead of larger supports, then you can plant them closer together.

When transplanting the seedlings into the soil, cover about 75% of the seedling. Using a stakes or trellises, with pruning, will allow you to place the tomatoes closer together as well as improve the overall air flow around them. Be aware that this may result in a smaller crop, but larger tomatoes.

How to Grow Tomatoes in Containers and Pots
Executive summary by Kenneth H Jones

For the container grown tomatoes I did treat them differently and with a bit more care.

• Make sure you put tomato plants in a really big pot.

I use standard clay terracotta pots but any wide and deep container will work fine.

• Water your tomatoes even if it rains.

I still found that the pot grown tomato plants were wilting a bit if I didn’t check them for watering. Very little water gets to the root of the plants.

• Be ruthless with pinching outside shoots on the tomato plants.

The plants in pots were pinched out once a week to ensure that the fruits I did get were big enough and juicy enough. I never bother pinching out cherry tomatoes.

• Remove excess foliage once you have the tomato fruits.

I prefer the tomatoes to ripen on the plant and this helps speed up the ripening process. Removing the leaves also gives you slightly bigger tomatoes.

How to Handle the Problems of Growing Tomatoes
Executive summary by Jude C Wright

• Problem with climates.

In colder climates, tomato plants can be covered with small greenhouse-like structures to help protect them. If possible, longer growing plants should be started earlier on in the growing season, perhaps by planting seedlings indoors or in a greenhouse.

There can also be problems with growing tomatoes in warmer climates. They can be sunburned if planted in full sun.

• Blossom end rot (diseases)

This disease can be caused by incorrect watering procedures since water carries calcium from the soil to the root of the tomato plant.

Try picking the affected tomatoes off of the plant to give other, healthier, tomatoes a chance to grow.

The soil’s pH level should be about 6.5 for healthy tomatoes.

• Tomato hornworms and aphids (pests)

Tomato hornworms are four-inch larvae that are difficult to see because they are the same green color as the tomato plant. Aphids can also cause problems with growing tomatoes. You can try planting petunias or anise around the plants but there are certain insecticide soaps that will eliminate the bugs without hurting the tomato plants – or the people who eat the tomatoes.

Plant tomato seedlings of a type to suit the climate they will be growing in and protect them from cold and heat.

You may want to check out my other guide on garden care and gardening supplies