In dry soil or during the summer months, direct seeding germination can be erratic. One way to overcome this is to use a technique called fluid seeding. Pre-germinate the seed on sheets of damp kitchen paper. When the roots are just poking out, before the leaves open, mix the seeds with a fungicide-free wallpaper paste or a special sowing gel at half strength. Place the mixture in a plastic bag and make a small hole by cutting one corner. Twist the top of the bag to keep the batter from spilling, and then squeeze the batter into the prepared planter as if you were frosting a cake.
This is the technique for sowing seeds and planting bulbs. Parsnip, carrot, onion, and parsley seeds are sometimes germinated and then mixed with wallpaper paste, placed in a bag, and squeezed onto the ground. This is called fluid seeding. Carrots must be seeded finely. Mix the seed with a little silver sand, which facilitates both fine and uniform sowing. Large seeds, such as peas, can be sown individually, with the correct spacing in a wide planter. Make sure the trench is the proper depth. The shallots are about six inches apart. Push the bulbs into the drill so the tips stick out. Pull the dirt around them with a rake or how.
These methods show you how to sow seeds in planters. Most of the vegetables that are grown in rows, such as carrots, are placed in the planters. Use a garden line to make sure the holes and therefore the rows are straight. Open a shallow hole with the corner of a how-to or rake. Check the seed packet for the recommended depth. If the weather is dry, flood the planters with water before sowing. Do this before sowing rather than after so the seeds don’t wash out or form in clumps. Sprinkle the seeds evenly along the hole. Do this carefully now and you will save time later when you have to thin out the seedlings. Cover the row of seeds with a compost mix if your soil is stony. Use a rake to return the excavated soil to the holes. Rake in the direction of the row, not across it, otherwise you may scatter the seeds and produce an uneven row.
Crops planted in a seedbed can be protected from bad weather with bells. They are transferred to their final position in late spring.
