Seed sowing
I decided to get sowing some seeds directly into the ground the other day. I don’t sow many seeds this way. Experience has taught me that the seeds and seedlings are easy pickings for slugs, snails and mice. Unlike plants in the garden I can’t get up to the allotment as frequently to check how everything is doing so I much prefer to start most of my plants off at home in seed trays, pots and modules, where I can nurture them to a good size before releasing them into the wild to fend for themselves. By this point they are much more able to cope with whatever the allotment might throw at them, whether its pest or weather related.
There are some seeds, however that prefer to be directly sown into the ground. They don’t like having their roots disturbed and it’s just as well really, with a limited amount of space to sow and grow on seeds it’s a bit of a relief that some can go straight into the soil. Of course with direct sowing does come problems. If you sow too early and the soil is still cold they will sulk, well wouldn’t you? Last year we had such a dry spring that lack of water was the problem. Quite a few of my early sown seeds didn’t germinate because I found it difficult to keep the seed drills moist. This isn’t normally a problem you would expect in spring, that’s what April showers are for after all, to provide just the right amount of moisture interspersed with sunny spells providing the warmth to provide the perfect conditions for seeds to germinate. Whether it’s climate change or just a blip in weather patterns we might not be able to rely on these perfect conditions in future.
The ground feels like it is warming up nicely. The old farmers’ way of checking the soil apparently was to sit on it with a bare bottom!! I have to say I didn’t go to these lengths. I don’t want that sort of reputation at the allotment and I find hands do a good enough job. If the soil feels nicely warm and it’s not too wet then it should be perfect to sow. Another good indicator is whether annual weed seeds have started to appear. If the conditions are right for them, your seeds should be fine too.
watering the seed drill first to help germination
The weather here in Wales has been glorious for 2 weeks now and the soil is quite dry so there are a few tactics I’m going to adopt to see if I can keep the soil moist enough for the seeds to germinate. The first task is making sure you’ve prepared the soil well with some organic matter, this helps to retain moisture not just in the initial stages but hopefully throughout the growing season. Then it’s a good idea to water the seed drill before sowing and finally, once you’ve covered over the seeds, mulch the drill with dry compost which helps to retain the moisture under the surface rather than it evaporating away. That’s the theory anyway, hopefully in practice it will work.
Dill flowers growing on the plot last year
The seeds I sowed today were two varieties of beetroot, ‘Boltardy’ and ‘Chioggia’. I had soaked the seeds overnight. I can’t remember where I read this tip but I had much better germination rates doing this last year. I also sowed some dill. I love dill’s feathery foliage chopped into potato salads, in omlettes and in sauces for fish but an extra benefit is the beautiful yellow flower heads make nice fillers in cut flower arrangements.
The other seeds were for my cut flower patch, Ammi visnaga and Daucus carota ‘Black Knight’. Both of these produce umbellifer flower heads which give arrangements an airy feel. I grew Ammi majus last year but visnaga is a chunkier form and ‘Black Knight’ is a cousin of Ammi majus but with crimson-black flowers which looked so unusual in the seed catalogue I just had to give it a go. Certainly Ammi majus was loved by hoverflies last year, so I hoping both these additions to my cut flower patch will benefit insects too.
I’d love to hear whether you started sowing outdoors yet.
wellywoman 
I have planted some veg direct into the ground but not flowers. Beetroot, onion sets, parsnips and carrots are already on their merry way. Hopefully!
I haven’t started anything off outdoors yet, though that’s probably because the beds aren’t prepared for sowing in to rather than the soil being too cold.
Gosh just the prompt I needed and since I have all the flower seeds you mentioned I will go to the allotment this afternoon and get sowing. I love the flowers of dill.
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You make me realise how behind I am with my seed sowing, the only ones I have sown were my meconopsis in February, which have sprouted nicely and are ready almost for pricking out. So much other work to do in the garden, little and often, when I feel up to it. I think I need a rainy day so that I can go and sit in the greenhouse and start my veg seed sowing !!
Funny, I just took a photo of three seed packets, all sown in trays and modules and gone into my mini greenhouse. I still haven’t been able to get out to get manure so I cut some grass around my plot and used that as mulch. The allotment is like a desert already. Love the bare bottom test, so funny, I’ve never heard of that.
An interesting post as I sow most things direct on the plot. It’s still a bit early although I have sown some beetroot, broad beans and carrots.
I’ll be sowing lots of flower seeds over the coming weeks, weather permitting. xx
I’ve sown lettuce, spinach, carrots, purslane, radishes and mizuna outside, and some poppies and pansies in trays. I’ve started all my brassicas in cells outside, leeks, and some pots of coriander and parsley too. And broad beans direct in the ground on the plot. I always sow my beans direct, but will have to wait until mid-April or so to do that!
I did sunflowers a few weeks ago which have now started to show & will be putting in various lettuce seeds in a pot this weekend.
The weeds here are growing like crazy so I decided to start a few seeds in the ground a couple of weeks ago with good results… helped by the freakishly warm weather (although still not warm enough to put my bottom in the soil!).
If my first seeds fail due to change in weather then I’ll just sow again later and chalk it up to experience 🙂
I do tend to sow most things into trays, modules or pots as, like you, I haven’t, in the past, had too much success sowing straight into the ground. But I am going to try again this year, as I would like to make it work, it is hard if you can’t get to the allotment everyday which I think is also my problem especially as we had such a dry spring last year and the same so far this year. You’ll have to let us know how you get on.
Planning to sow more seeds on site at the allotment this year but not made a start yet. The forecast for this week is not encouraging so may hold back a while. My other maxim for the year is sow little and often. Hope that your early sowings thrive 🙂
You have been very busy (and efficient); I’m lagging behind with my seeds this year, but I’m sure I’ll catch up…
I’ve had almost no success sowing into the ground, but in my case it’s down to cats. Freshly prepared seed bed = cats’ toilet. Nice and comfy, thanks a lot – I swear they can tell when I’m only thinking about it, and queue up ready. Grr.
he he, I was talking about the bare bum theory the other day (I was planting my potatoes). I’m happy to say I use my hands too!
Hi Promenade Plantings,
Hands are much the safer option. I do have this image in my head of old farmers across the country sitting on the soil in April testing the temperature!! Not a pretty sight, I’m sure.