DYI Seed to Plant

REQUIREMENT FOR SEEDING

Nature of compost

It should be fine and uniform, well-aerated and loose. It should be free of insects, disease organisms, and weed seeds. It should also be of low fertility and capable of holding and moving moisture by capillary action.

E.g.

1 Part sterilized soil (very important for success)

1 Part washed builder’s sand

1 Part peat moss or completely decayed sterilised sawdust**

1/20 Part Superphosphate

To sterilise, place the slightly moist soil and chicken manure in a heat-resistant container. Fry as you would for Garri until the mixture is too hot to touch. Then cover the pan and switch off the fire while the pot remains on the cooker until it cools down. Beware thatodourswill be released during this sterilisation process.

Growing containers and implements should be washed to remove any debris, then rinsed in a solution of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. All this is very necessary for success especially for expensive and imported seeds. The mixture should be sieved before use.

These mixes have little fertility, so seedlings must be watered with a diluted half-strength fertilizer solution soon after they emerge. Failure to do this usually results in tall, weak, spindly plants which do not perform well in the garden.

Containers

Use seeding trays (purchased or homemade) for easy-to-seed plants - about 12 to 18 inches long and 12 inches wide with a depth of about 3 inches. Clay or plastic pots can be used. Ensure good drainage.

Seeding

The proper time for sowing seeds for transplants depends upon when plants may safely be moved out-of-doors.

Seeds for indoor container planting can be seeded any time if they are kept under shade. But plants for ground planting or for containers that will be kept outside should be seeded to mature around March-May or September-November. The reason is that if seeded plants are put out during the heavy rains or very dry period they may not withstand the weather.

Therefore it is necessary to know how long a particular seed-type (for outside planting) will take to reach a transplanting stage. Most seeds will take a period of 4 to 12 weeks before transplanting. This calculation is important and must be done before seeding.

After selecting a container, fill it to within 3/4 inch of the top with moistened growing medium. Firm down the medium at the corners and edges with your fingers or a block of wood to provide a uniform, flat surface.

For medium and large seeds, make furrows 1 to 2 inches apart and 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep across the surface of the container using a plant label.

Sow the seeds thinly and uniformly in the rows by gently tapping the packet of seed as it is moved along the row. Lightly cover the seed with sifted seeding medium. A suitable planting depth is usually about twice the diameter of the seed.

Do not plant seeds too deeply. Extremely fine seed such as petunia, begonia are not to be covered, but lightly pressed into the medium or watered in with a fine mist.

Large seeds are sown into some small containers or cell packs of 4-8inches depth depending on the seed. This eliminates the need for early transplanting. Usually 2 or 3 seeds are sown per unit and later thinned to allow the strongest seedling to grow. Some large seeds however require very deep containers e.g. silver palm seeds.

It’s important to sow seeds according to instructions for germination as some seeds need special per- germination treatment for success.

Watering

After the seed has been sown, moisten the planting mix thoroughly. Use a fine mist or place the containers in a pan or tray which contains about 1 inch of water. Avoid splashing. When the planting mix is saturated, set the container aside to drain. The soil should be moist but not wet through out the germination period.

Keep the container out of direct sunlight and in a cool place. Also protect with plastic covering that allows for aeration, otherwise the temperature may rise to the point where the seeds will be harmed.

Alternatively you can cover the pots with glass instead of using a plastic covering. Be sure to remove the covering as soon as the first seedlings appear. Careful surface watering can then be used.

Over watering or drying out are problems to watch out for. Excellent germination can be obtained with a low-pressure misting system. Misting every hour during the daytime will ensure success. Sub-irrigation or watering from below works well, keeping the compost moist.Be careful not to allow pots sit in water constantly, as this will cause the soil to absorb too much water, and the seeds may rot due to lack of oxygen.

Temperature and Light

Seedlings must receive bright light after germination, but the temperature must not be high. Place them in a window facing south, if possible.

Some seeds like the silver Palm need heat mats underneath to germinate. In such cases a mist system is essential.