Download Sowing Vegetable Seeds - Starke Ayres Garden Centre

Late spring is the time to sow your summer seeds, especially for your veggie garden.
Sow your seeds in well-composted soil and remember to water regularly. Seed sowing is quite
simple; just follow the instructions below and consult the seed packet for individual varieties:







Prepare the soil - add compost and work it into the top 20cm of soil.
Fine seed - mix with soil or seedling mix first and sprinkle over soil surface.
Bigger seeds - plant them twice as deep as their size and plant 2/3 seeds per hole
Compact the soil - press down gently to hold seeds in place.
Water - use a gentle spray (fine nozzle) to avoid displacing any soil and seeds.
Keep moist - until the seeds begin to germinate, keep seeds moist but not waterlogged.
Once they germinate, however, reduce watering to encourage the seedlings to develop
strong roots.
Protect seeds - birds will target newly sown areas so devise a netting system and plant
Artemisia to repel snails.
When it comes to food gardening and
vegetables, there is a wide range available at
Starke Ayres Garden Centre. However, some
varieties prefer to be sown directly into the
ground.
If carrots are sown in seedling trays the long
tap root touches the bottom of the tray,
causing the development of a deformed
carrot. Therefore, sow the seed in situ and
thin them out once they have germinated
and developed the first mature leaves.
Watercress is an aquatic or semi-aquatic
plant and grows extremely fast. The
germinating seeds can be harvested soon
after germination as sprouts, while the
leaves can be picked to add peppery flavour
to salads and sandwiches. Watercress is,
however, invasive in water courses in South Africa and can create environmental problems.
Large seeds like those of beans, squashes, mielies and peas are best placed directly where they
should grow. One can get creative with runner beans … place about 20cm apart around a
wigwam. When the plants grow encourage them to climb up the poles.
Starke Ayres Garden Centre  Rosebank 021 685 4120  West Coast Village 021 554 8450 www.starkeayresgc.co.za