Wonderful, marvelous, vegetable seeds.
They evoke the promise of bountiful beans, beaming beets, crunchy carrots, smashing squash, and mouthwatering watermelons. Every year we peruse the seed catalogues looking for that new variety of a standard or finding an heirloom that will refresh our appetite.
The seedbed preparation may be the most enjoyable part of gardening, next to enjoying the fruits of our labor. Tilling the soil several weeks before planting, cleaning up large surviving plant material, and removing newly found rocks, is the order of things leading to a bountiful harvest. Level the soil surface if uneven, and apply compost, dry manure, or other organic material that may be available.
Raw organic material must be ¼ inch or less for soil fungi to colonize and reduce cellulose in a timely manner, providing a nutrient rich environment for your future vegetables. Work this organic material into the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches or more. The majority of aerobic (requiring oxygen) microbial activity occurs in the upper 4 to 6 inches of soil. Organic Matter (OM) makes the soil loose and easy to work with, and also improves water holding capacity, drainage, and ventilation.
Fertilizer should be applied at the time of seedbed preparation. A good slow-release, well-balanced NPK (6-10-1) would be just the ticket. A typical application can be 5 to 6 pounds per 100 square feet, spread evenly over the ground. Lightly rototill or spade into the top 6 to 8 inches, as this will slow the nitrogen in the fertilizer from evaporating and becoming lost.
Do not work wet soil, as this will contribute to soil compaction and loss of soil crumb structure. To check, take a handful of garden soil in your hand and squeeze it into a ball. If it crumbles, the soil is ready to work. As a general rule, it will be less than 35% moisture.
I leave bed and row construction to the gardener, however, be aware that on east-west run beds the south side of the bed will produce earlier, while the north side will lag behind from less direct sunlight. The latter is also important when making windrow compost. North sides of east-west linear compost lines will stay wetter and cooler, producing less oxygen.
For planting time and seed preparation that offers the best possible germination and protection for emerging radical (roots), hypocotyl (stems), epicotyl (shoots), and cotyledons (leaves) from marauding, pathogenic microorganisms, take the following steps:
Your seeds should have some directions for seeding rates, hilling and drilling, seed spacing, planting depth, and information for covering and firming soil, irrigation, and thinning. If transplants are being used, be sure to use the same “seed soak” mixture to settle the soil around the root ball. This will reduce shock and allow the same disease-buffering conditions rendered to seed that has been soaked.
Happy gardening!
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Premium soil amendment for planting trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables, ground cover and much more. May be used as a mulch or seed cover. Helps break up clay soil.
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