Some seeds are started where they are to spend their lives, such as lettuce, carrots etc, simply sown outdoors and perhaps thinned out as they grow and get too large for their space.. Some seeds are started indoors in seed trays, perhaps with heat. Others, like the leeks, brocolli and brussels sprouts I sowed last week are sown in outdoor seed beds with the intention of transplanting them to their final position when they reach a suitable size. This also applies to cabbages and cauliflowers that I will be sowing next week.
The process is very simple. After cultivation the soil is worked to a fine tilth. A seed drill (shallow groove) is then taken out. These seeds are sown about 15mm deep so I use a length of steel pipe that I keep just for the job. I just lay it on the ground where I want to plant and then lightly stand on it creating a nice straight groove. I’ve also used an old broom handle for this in the past or you can create a groove with the edge of a hoe lightly dragged through the ground.
The seeds are then sown thinly along the seed drill. Depending on the size of seed I do this either by dropping individual seeds into the drill at intervals or if the seed is very fine by trying to lightly roll them between my finger and thumb into the drill. I am trying to achieve an even light spacing to allow them to grow unhindered and make later transplanting easier. I do this with varying success dependent on seed size. It’s just a case of doing my best. This is a temporary home for these seeds. Once they have germinated and reached a suitable size to be handled they will be transplanted into their final positions in prepared beds.
Once the seeds are in the drill I use a rake to lightly draw soil back over them before lightly compacting the surface with the rake head. Each row is then labelled and watered before leaving nature to do it’s work.
