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Marin Home / GARDEN
Let’s Be Direct
Sowing spring seeds now for a summer bounty.
THINK SOWING ANNUAL seeds in the ground is time wasted and not worth getting your gardening gloves dirty for? Well, that might not be the case. Here are some reasons you should consider direct-sowing seeds. If nothing else, it provides good motivation to get
you and your gardening gloves into the garden. BY KIER HOLMES
TIPS FROM THE EXPERT “The easiest plants to direct-sow would be sunflowers and
beans for sure,” Vanessa Lyons, a garden coordinator at Conscious Kitchen – Bayside
MLK, says. She recommends planning ahead and getting the kids involved. “Starting in late
September through fall, start to harvest, dry, sort and save your favorite seeds. And kids
love to save sunflower seeds and flowering heirloom beans, as well as poppies with their
rattles and tiny black seeds.”
THE GROUND RULES
Why Seeds are inexpensive, you have more
choice in varieties when you direct-sow,
and some plants like zinnias with delicate
roots fare better from seed than from nursery transplants. How To First read the seed
packet directions to determine seed depth
and spacing. Then prepare the area by loosening the soil, removing weeds and working
in organic compost. Finally, smooth the
area. Row by Row One way to plant is to
make furrows for the seeds. Either tap the
seeds out as you move along the rows or
individually place larger seeds. Broad Idea
To create a meadow look, evenly broadcast
seeds, like a California native wildflower
mix, over a bed or an area, then rake lightly
to barely cover the seeds with soil. Seed
Depth Rule of (a green) thumb is to plant a
seed twice as deep as the width of the seed.
H20 No matter what the sowing method,
remember that all seeds need a fine spray
of water and need to be kept moist (not
soggy) until they sprout. Crowd Pleaser
When seedlings have two sets of leaves,
thin those too closely spaced to avoid
crowding. Fresh Idea Make sure your seeds
are fresh and dated for the current year.
Where to Buy Shop online or at your local
nursery. Tip The Mill Valley Library has
an ingenious seed-lending library called
SeedSmart, where you can check out seeds,
grow them and return any new seeds.
WHAT TO SOW AND GROW NOW
Sunflower
Nasturtium
Poppies
Nigella
Linaria
Cosmos
Zinnia
Calendula
Radish
Spinach
Beet
Carrot
Cucumber
