Allamakee County Master Gardener Seeds of Wisdom

Allamakee County Master Gardener Seeds of Wisdom

Iowa S ta te Univers i ty Extens ion — Apr i l 2021

Allamakee County Master Gardener Meeting

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Waukon Wellness Center Activity Room

7:00 p.m.

Hostesses: There will be no food or drink.

Roll Call: What are you bringing to the plant sale?

Secretary’s Minutes: published in this newsletter

Treasurer’s Report

Old Business:

New Business: Plant sale on May 8

Next Meeting: Annual potluck, June 24, at Carol Goettler’s, 389 Volney Road. Spouses welcome.

Farmers Markets Waukon Farmers Market

Mondays, 3:30-5:30 pm, County Fairgrounds

Postville Farmers Market

Thursdays, 3:00-6:00 pm, NE Iowa RC&D

New Albin Farmers Market

Fridays, 3:00-6:00 pm, City Porch

Harpers Ferry Farmers Market

Fridays, 5:00-7:00 pm, Church parking lot

Iowa Food Hub online market

Weekly drop-site in Waukon

www.iowafoodhub.com

Don't wait to report your Master Gardener volunteer and continuing education hours for the year. Log in to the Volunteer Reporting System here: http://mastergardenerhours.hort.iastate.edu/

ISU Allamakee County Extension

Office Update

ISU Extension and Outreach face covering man-date continues through May 8. Face coverings are required when people:

• are indoors. This includes campus and county extension offices and meeting spaces. If you are using an external venue that has stricter require-ments than ISU Extension and Outreach, then follow the stricter requirements.

• are outdoors if people cannot maintain six feet of physical distance.

Will keep you updated as new information is availa-ble.

If you need more pots Ms. O’Connor, Waukon FFA Ag teacher; has pots at the

school feel free to email or call if you need more.

[email protected]

641-512-6272

Clara’s Clippings — President, Clara Lensing I hope that you all have had the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful spring days that we have had. Crocuses and daffodils are blooming along with the lilac bushes budding. I even have seen a pesky dandelion bloom-ing.

The plant sale will be Saturday, May 8. We will be discussing and making final plans for the plant sale at our April meeting. Perennials always do well at the plant sale. As you are digging plants, be sure to take notice of any pests that may be present. There was an article in the March Iowa Master Gardener News and Views on tips to avoid spreading invasive pests like the jumping worm that is well worth reading.

We are asking that plants brought in to the plant sale have a description sheet with them: variety; determi-nate or indeterminate; hybrid or heirloom; shade, partial shade, full sun, etc.

Many educational opportunities are in each Iowa Master Gardener News and Views. The webcasts from the Siouxland Garden Show and the webcasts from Dakota County Minnesota were excellent. They got you en-ergized to try something new.

Our April meeting will be on the 22 at 7:00 p.m. at the Waukon Wellness Center. Whether we agree with it or not or like it or not, we are still unable to have food at our meeting and will be required to social distance and wear a mask. ISUEO has extended this through May 8.

See you on the 22.

Use as a Pest Deterrent—Another garden use for this type of readily-available food waste is to pile sharp, crushed pieces of shell around the bases of plants as a barrier, to deter certain soft-bodied pests. Scattering crushed eggshells around your crops may help to repel cutworms, those nasty caterpillars that like to chop the heads off of your delicate little seedlings. Cutworms go for the tender stems of young seedlings, so a common defense against these pests is to block their access by placing collars around seedling stems. According to T. J. Martin at the Cochise County Master Gardeners office, crushed eggshells are also an effec-tive deterrent against cutworms when a layer is scattered around the stems of sensitive young seedlings. preparing eggshells for the garden involves baking them in the oven to dry them out before grinding. This practice does a couple of things at once – it dries out the sticky, inner membrane and kills salmonella. You only need one second of moist heat at 170.6°F to kill salmonella bacteria. The oven-drying method will expose your eggshells to temperatures higher than that for longer periods of time, so you should be able to set aside those worries about salmonella. Instead, this frees you up to think about more important things – like how you’re going to celebrate naked gar-dening day when it rolls around again! https://gardenerspath.com/how-to/organic/using-eggshells-garden/

“Daffodils are yellow trumpets of Spring.” Richard L. Ratliff

Secretary’s Notes — Secretary Pro—Term, Judy Egeland Clara Lensing called the February 25, 2021, meeting of the Allamakee County Master Gardeners to order at 7:00 p.m. Ten members answered the roll call, “What have you been doing to keep your sanity during COVID-19?”.

The minutes from the August meeting, as published in the October newsletter were approved. In the absence of the treasurer, Clara Lensing gave the treasurer’s report.

The May 8 plant sale was discussed. Due to members at this time not having two COVID vaccinations, it was decided to raise plants at home and bring to the plant sale instead of raising them in the Waukon High School greenhouse. The FFA will have eggplant, pepper, tomato, and other seeds.

A sign-up sheet was passed around for hosting meetings when we can resume serving food at our meetings. Educational opportunities virtually were discussed. Gardening in the Air, Siouxland Garden Show, and Wis-consin Public TV – plant propagation, composting, raised beds, etc. The Master Gardeners will be offering a scholarship this year to a graduating Allamakee County senior.

Mary Trebbein had sent an e-mail in regards to a field trip sometime in April. No action was taken since we did not know when or where this field trip was going. We also need to follow the guidelines set forth by ISU Extension and Outreach.

Mary Engstrom moved to adjourn, seconded by Jane Meyer. Meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m. The next meet-ing will be April 22, 2021, at the Wellness Center at 7:00 p.m.

Egg Shells In The Home Garden — Gardeners Path

One of my favorite sounds in Spring is the frogs singing. Bull frogs here seem to sing mostly during the day, but the spring peepers start at dusk and on a warm spring night they can keep me awake and put me to sleep. I realize that it’s just a mating call, but I en-joy the sound regardless. I don’t really consider it Spring until the Great Blue Herons are back, of course they probably waited until the frogs emerged, but once I spot them...it’s Spring!

This year I have attempted to start some Anise Hyssop seeds. I’m hoping the plants will grow enough to share for the plant sale. I had a plant once but it was overtaken by a pink spiderwort that was gifted to me as a beautiful, must have plant. NOT. We have been digging and pulling roots that break off for five years and it’s still there. We’ll try black plastic this year and just try to kill the area. The odd thing is that hyssop is in the labiatae or mint family. It would be expected to take over, but I never had that problem.

Anise Hyssop grows to about 3’. It has bluish purple or pink flowers. It prefers a sunny spot that is a little on the dry side. Do a hefty pruning of the plant after flowering to keep the size smaller and possibly have a sec-ond bloom. Hyssop has the obvious square stems of the mint family and can be propagated by seed and leaf cuttings.

The leaves can be used fresh or dried to make a licorice flavored tea. Leaves can also be tied in cheesecloth and hung in the shower or put into a bath. There are always stories about the benefits of herbs, so read with a grain of salt. Some of these ideas go back to the Middle Ages. Using hyssop in the bath is said to relieve those aching gardening muscles and hung in a shower the scent relieves stress and calms nerves. The herb can be included in a sachet sewn inside a ‘dream pillow’ to foster sweet dreams and chase away night-mares.

The flowers are edible and can be eaten as is or used to decorate a cake or added to a fruit plate or sal-ad. Maybe even have a tea party with Anise Hyssop tea and cream cheese open faced sandwiches decorat-ed with flowers. I used to do things like that with grandchildren. They were particularly fond of purple violets much to the chagrin of my husband when the transplanted purple violets tried to take over his strawberry bed. I have tried the tea and eaten the flowers and hope to grow it again for those purposes.

Thymley Tidbits— Pat Meeter

Become a Master Gardener— ISU Extension & Outreach We are looking for volunteers who: Are interested in gardening and horticulture; Are curious and love to learn; Can make a commitment to the program – 40 volunteer hours and 40 education hours in the first two years. Then 20 volunteer hours and 10 education hours after the Master Gardener training. We welcome participants with all levels of gardening experience. Who are Master Gardener Volunteers? They are passionate about serving their communities and sharing gardening best practices. Master Gardener volunteers are individuals who have completed the Master Gar-dener training and share their time and expertise as volunteers in community gardens, city beautification pro-jects, and farmers markets to name a few. If you are interested in the Master Gardener Training for professional development, or do not intend to volun-teer, you may apply for the course as a ProHort participant. Application Deadline: July 1, 2021 https://iastate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5jMShZrTKUUOV94 Participants are notified of acceptance to MG Training in early August; payment due at that time.

• Online Asynchronous Course: August 30-November 5, 2021 Steps to Become a Master Gardener Volunteer 1. Apply online by July 1, 2021 to be a part of the Master Gardener Volunteer Training 2. Be selected to participate: Submit and pass the background check. Background check not required for Pro-Hort. Pay class fee ($195 for MG trainees; $550 for ProHort); fee includes the training book (MG Resource Guide). 3. Complete the ISU Extension and Outreach Master Gardener training: Complete online course materials on your own time from: August 30 - November 5. Take pre- and post-assessment to gauge knowledge change. Topics include: Vegetables, insects, houseplants, flowers, fruits, turfgrass, landscape design, native plants, plant propagation, wildlife, integrated pest management, and common plant problems. Receive the MG Intern certificate (or ProHort certificate) upon completion of the online training. 4. Volunteer in your community: Complete 40 volunteer hours by December 31, 2022. Not interested in volun-teering? Register for the core course as a Pro-Hort trainee ($550 fee) and receive a certificate upon comple-tion of the training. 5. Stay involved: Master Gardener volunteers remain active members by completing 10 hours of continuing education and contributing 20 hours of volunteer service. Report your volunteer and continuing education hours online by December 31 of each year.

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• Juice of 1 lime

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or more to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper In a large bowl, whisk together lime and lemon juice, vegetable and sesame oil, salt and pepper. Add the radishes, radish leaves, cucumber and avocado and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Avocado and Radish Salad—Pat Meeter

Cook’s Nook

Growing Orichids — Clara Lensing Listening to the Spring Expo: Virtual Let’s Get Growing 2021, Growing Orchids, present-ed by the Dakota County Minnesota Master Gardeners got me excited about searching for an orchid. I had one years ago, but it had a short life.

The easiest variety to grow is the phalaenopsis. When buying one, we were told to make sure that the roots are green and not in full bloom. (Buy buds, not blossoms.) The leaves should be firm and spot free. I was able to find one at Home Depot that only had two blossoms and many buds. I have had it since the middle of March and now all but one of the buds are open.

Fun Fact: Did you know that there are 49 species of orchids that are native to Minneso-ta? For some reason, I thought that orchids were a tropical plant. Was I wrong!

“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful. They are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” Luther Burbank

CHART HOUSE was an eating place in Boston and my daughter got the recipe when she lived there. Use a large mixing bowl. Makes 2 1/2 Cups 3/4 Cup sour cream 1/2 tsp. dry mustard 1/2 tsp. black pepper Blend with hand mixer 2 minutes on low speed Add 1 1/3 Cup mayonnaise Blend on low speed 1/2 minute and then 2 minutes at medium speed. Crumble 4 oz imported Danish bleu cheese (I just use a container) and by hand. Recipe says to blend at low speed no longer than 4 minutes. I often just mix by hand this stage. MUST sit 24 hours before using. Enjoy

Chart House Bleu Cheese Dressing—Mary Kay Winke

• 1 bunch radishes washed, stemmed and cut into thin wedges

• 1 bunch radish leaves washed and dried, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 English cucumber halved and sliced

• 2 ripe avocados halved, pitted, meat cut into 1-inch pieces

The pollen on a honey bee's legs is from dandelions. Her tongue is sticking out due to what killed her that was on the dandelions. It’s spring, dandelions are the bees first food. This bee is dead from weed killer spread on what we see as weeds, but what nature sees as food. Please don’t spray for weeds until you see the blackberries blooming. In this area, weeds, flowers and fruit trees are bees only source of food until middle of June. There are FAR more weeds than flowers or fruit trees, so it's their only food source. No bees, no food crops for us and we all starve.

Honey Bees — Mary Treibbien

scant 1/2 tsp. salt scant 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

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When should I clean my flower beds in the spring? Cutting down the dead plant stems too early in the spring will disturb them before they have a chance to emerge. Wait as long as you can to do your spring garden clean up. Ideally, you should wait until the daytime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees F. When should I test my garden soil? Testing soil — especially new garden soil — helps guarantee your vegetables and other plants will do their best during the growing season. And springtime, just before you begin planting, is the best time to do it. Where can I get my garden soil tested? Iowa State University’s Soil Testing Laboratory closed in 2017. To assist our client’s needs in accessing soil testing services, we have created a Soil Testing Kit. The kit includes soil testing submission form and corresponding example report from the University of Minnesota Soil Testing and Research Analytical Laboratory is provided for your convenience only. Give the Extension Office a call if you need kit for your garden or lawn needs. How often should I test my garden soil? Test your soil at least once every three years. Keep the test results handy so that you can monitor any changes in soil fertility. You may want to test more often if you have a problem area or if you've applied lots of nutrients.

Spring Reminders/Tips

One of the presentations I watched at PBS Wisconsin garden expo was by Noel Valdes on growing garlic.

Always plant the best and healthiest bulbs. Each year you plant it the garlic will get better and better. The garlic you grow from your own saved seed will produce better plants than seed brought in from an outside source.

There are two kinds-hardneck and softneck. Grow the kind you like. Hardneck produces scapes, has bigger cloves and is more pungent. Softneck doesn’t produce scapes (if it does it could be stressed). The kind you buy in grocery stores is softneck. You can only braid the softneck varieties. This stores longer than the hard-neck.

Plant in elevated rows. Make a ridge in the center of the elevated row. Typically plant 6 inches apart. Leave the pointy side up and just push the clove in the soil. You don’t have to put any more soil on top. Usually plant the last week of October. The best mulch for garlic is straw. Use a 6 inch topping.

Garlic doesn’t like wet feet so good drainage is important.

Garlic is the first plant to show in the spring. Very cold tolerant.

As days get warmer pull the straw back.

Usually not a lot of insect or disease problems. Rotate your crop.

When you see scapes that have seed bulbs on them, cut them off.

These take energy away from the bulb. You will have bigger bulbs. You can make garlic pesto with them.

Usually around July 15 is harvest time. Close to July make sure not to water right before harvest. At the end of June check bulb by pushing away some dirt. If it is smooth and looks like an onion it is not quite ready to harvest. If it has skins with papers it is ready. If papers are split then it is past time.

Don’t pull it out but lift it out with a fork. Brush dirt off and don’t wash if you don’t have too. Let it dry for 2 weeks. Then trim neck off about 2 inches from the bulb. Ideal storage is 65 degrees and low humidity. Don’t store in the refrigerator. It can be frozen or dried but not stored in oil as this can lead to botulism.

I bought garlic bulbs from SeedSavers several years ago and have been planting them every year since. It is an easy crop to grow.

Another thing to note-the guy that gave the presentation, Noel Valdes, has a website called CobraHead. His company makes two kinds of weeders and a cultivator. Thought I would give this tool a try and see if it makes weeding easier. I will report back at the end of summer!

Growing Garlic — Connie Benedict

“A house with daffodils in it is a house lit up, whether or no the sun be shining. Daffodils in a green bowl and let it snow if it will.” A.A. Milne

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Tips for Container Gardening—By Robin Sweester; Submitted by Mary Kay Winke CONTAINER GARDENING YIELDS MORE VEGETABLES WITH LESS WORK! By Robin Sweetser

Pots: The Bigger, the Better—Large plants need lots of space, and most roots need room to grow. Avoid small containers as they often can’t store enough water to get through hot days.

Use barrels (a wooden half-barrel can yield an amazing amount of food), buckets, baskets, boxes, bath- and other tubs, and troughs—anything that holds soil. Just be sure that it has drainage holes in the bottom.

Care Tips for Container Gardening with Vegetables; Clay pots are usually more attractive than plastic ones, but plastic pots retain moisture better and won’t dry out as fast as unglazed terra-cotta ones. To get the best of both, slip a plastic pot into a slightly larger clay pot.

Many plants grown in pots must be watered as often as twice a day. To keep plants adequately cool and moist during hot summer days, double-pot: Place a small pot inside a larger one and fill the space between them with sphagnum moss or crumpled newspaper. When watering the plant, also soak the filler between the pots.

Hanging baskets make good use of extra space, and herbs, cherry tomatoes, and strawberries grown at eye level can be easily tended and harvested.

Add about 1 inch of coarse gravel in the bottom of containers to improve drainage.

Vegetables that can be easily transplanted are best suited for containers.

Feed container plants at least twice a month with liquid fertilizer, following the instructions on the label.

An occasional application of fish emulsion or compost will add trace elements to container soil.

Place containers where they will receive maximum sunlight and good ventilation. Watch for and control insect pests.

WINDOW BOXES: A large window box can provide the makings for a handy salad within arm’s reach! What-ever the size or type, place your containers where they are most convenient to be cared for and will grow best. Most vegetables need 6 to 8 hours of direct sun in order to thrive and produce well.

Plants in containers need the best possible soil, aeration, and drainage for healthy root growth and optimum harvest. Do not use soil from the garden: It is too heavy, can become waterlogged, and brings disease and insects with it. Choose instead a soilless mix or use compost, alone or combined with a soilless mix.

Attractive in window boxes, edible flowers such as nasturtiums, calendula, and signet marigolds also add col-or to the plate!

To keep vegetable plants growing, feed them organic soil amendments, like liquid seaweed, fish emulsion, or manure tea, weekly. To ensure growth, vegetables need consistently moist soil.

PLANT SUPPORTS: Support your climbing vegetables with trellises, stakes, netting, twine, or cages. Here’s how to build your own trellis or wooden supports.

A teepee of bamboo stakes will hold pole beans or snap peas. Cucumbers trained to climb up a nylon mesh fence will develop fruit that hang down and grow straight. To avoid damaging the plants or their roots, put supports in place at planting time.

To maximize space and thus your harvest, plant root crops, low-growers, and tall climbers together in the same container. The climbers will eagerly scramble up a trellis, while the small plants spread around their base. You’ll hardly need to weed because there won’t be any room for weeds to gain a foothold, and during the height of summer, some low-growers (leafy greens, for example) will thrive in the shade provided by the taller plants.

Mix quick-maturing plants, such as lettuce or radishes, with longer-growing ones, like tomatoes or broccoli.

Group plants with similar needs for sun and water, such as pole beans, radishes, and lettuce; cucumber, bush beans, and beets; tomatoes, basil, and onions; and peas and carrots.

Lettuce is excellent for container gardening.

WHICH CONTAINERS TO USE FOR YOUR VEGETABLES: Here are our recommendations on which vege-table varieties are container-friendly and which container types are most suitable for each veggie.

For supplies, you only need a good container, the right soil mix, and appropriate seed (or transplant) varieties. In addition to providing 5 hours or more of full sun, watering is critical. You may need to water daily or twice daily; in hot weather, the soil can dry out quickly. Beans, snap Container: 5-gallon window box Varieties: Bush ‘Blue Lake’, Bush ‘Romano’, ‘Tender Crop’

Broccoli Container: 1 plant/5 gallon pot, 3 plants/15-gallon tub Varieties: ‘DeCicco’, ‘Green Comet’

Continued Page 7

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This article is from Becky's Greenhouse. Spring is official with that first fresh leaf lettuce salad. Enjoy!

Growing your own salad greens will put a world of fresh ingredients at your fingertips and you are only limited by the seeds you can find.

TYPES OF SALAD GREENS—We always think of spinach and lettuce as the main spring greens, but there are many more to choose from.

If you are lacking garden space, try growing salad greens in containers or a salad table.

Depending on your taste buds, you can grow mild, tender greens like chard, and mache, or bitter greens like endive, escarole, and radicchio. If you want to add a peppery tang to your salads, try mustard, or arugula.

Lettuce is the obvious choice for a salad garden and there are many spring lettuces to choose from. Try a del-icate butterhead, or colorful leaf lettuce. Plant them as soon as the ground can be worked. Lettuce seeds will germinate in soil as cold as 40°F (5°C).

“CUT-AND-COME-AGAIN” GREENS—There are ready-made salad mixes that offer a wide variety of tex-tures, colors, and flavors. Look for mesclun or misticanza mixes, or make up your own custom blend using seeds for your family’s favorite greens. Lettuces and greens that will continue to grow after being given a hair-cut are called “cut-and-come-again” in many catalogs.

GROWING AND HARVESTING SALAD GREENS—The key to having perfect greens is to grow them under row covers, which help to keep them relatively clean and bug-free.

Many row covers are made from spun-bonded polypropylene, a material that is light-, water-, and air-permeable, and very lightweight. Most allow 70%-90% light transmission. Covers help to moderate tempera-ture and give a few degrees of frost protection, too. They can be supported by wire hoops or just laid over the plants and held in place with rocks and soil. Unlike plastic, this breathable material won’t cook your plants on a hot sunny day.

One simple way to grow your cut-and-come-again greens is to rake the prepared seedbed smooth and broad-cast the seed evenly or sow it in wide bands to make harvesting easier.

To keep a continuous supply of greens, plant a small section of the bed every two weeks. Cover the seeds lightly with soil and tamp down. Keeping the seedbed moist while the seeds are germinating is important and the row covers will help to keep moisture in. Greens are mostly water and will suffer a setback if allowed to wilt. When the plants emerge, keep the row covers in place and well-anchored on all sides. Only remove them when harvesting.

To pick your greens, carefully shear the young plants with scissors, leaving the growing center of the plant intact. Water and lightly fertilize the plants, cover them up with the row cover, and in no time at all, they will regrow and be ready for another harvest.

If you don’t have a lot of room, try growing salad greens in a pallet garden . Wrap landscape fabric around the back and sides of a wooden pallet, then fill the openings with soil and plant your seeds or starter plants. When the plants have taken root and begun to grow, simply stand the pallet upright in a sunny location.

Taken from https://www.almanac.com/how-grow-your-own-salad-greens Mary Kay and Becky like to order seeds from Jungs.

Try Growing Your Own Salad This Year—By Robin Sweester; Submitted by Mary Kay Winke

Continued from Page 6 Carrots Container: 5-gallon window box at least 12 inches deep Varieties: ‘Danvers Half Long’, ‘Short ‘n Sweet’, ‘Tiny Sweet’

Cucumbers Container: 1 plant/1-gallon pot Varieties: ‘Patio Pik’, ‘Pot Luck’, ‘Spacemaster’

Eggplant Container: 5-gallon pot Varieties: ‘Black Beauty’, ‘Ichiban’, ‘Slim Jim’

Lettuce Container: 5-gallon window box Varieties: ‘Ruby’, ‘Salad Bowl’

Onions Container: 5-gallon window box Varieties: ‘White Sweet Spanish’, ‘Yellow Sweet Spanish’

Peppers Container: 1 plant/2-gallon pot, 5 plants/15-gallon tub Varieties: ‘Cayenne’, ‘Long Red’, ‘Sweet Bana-na’, ‘Wonder’, ‘Yolo’

Radishes Container: 5-gallon window box Varieties: ‘Cherry Belle’, ‘Icicle’

Tomatoes Container: Bushel basket Varieties: ‘Early Girl’, ‘Patio’, ‘Small Fry’, ‘Sweet 100’, ‘Tiny Tim’

Taken from https://www.almanac.com/content/container-gardening-vegetables

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“I am ready for flip-flops, green grass, sunshine, blooming flowers and bird song weather.” Anon.

“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather.” John Ruskin

When you’re sowing your garden seeds, do it right! Sow seeds more easily with seed tape, soak your seeds to boost germination rates, and speed up germination with our excellent tips!

1. SPACE OUT SEEDS WITH SEED TAPE

Make your own seed tape. This method is perfect for spacing out smaller seeds.

For this you’ll need some toilet paper, a paste made from equal parts flour and water, and your seeds. Start by rolling out enough toilet paper to run the length of your row. Place a daub of paste at the correct spacing on the paper using an artist’s brush. Drop two seeds onto each daub of paste. Then fold over the toilet paper. The paste will help to hold it all together.

After drying, the seed tapes can be labeled then rolled up and stored until you’re ready to sow. To sow simply unravel the tape into the seed drill and cover to the correct depth with soil. Water along the row and, hey presto, they’re ready to grow!

You can also make squares of pre-sown seeds using paper towel. The same method applies: daub on your paste, add your seeds, then sandwich with another layer of towel. These squares are great if you grow your plants in blocks, for example if you’re using the square foot gardening method.

2. SOW TINY SEEDS SUCCESSFULLY

Tiny seeds such as carrots are notoriously tricky to sow evenly. Make the task easier by mixing the seeds with fine, dry sand.

Thoroughly mix together a pinch of seeds with a couple of teaspoons of sand, then sprinkle along your seed drill. Now fill in the seed drill.

3. SPEED UP GERMINATION OF BIG SEEDS

Large seeds or seeds with a tough seed coat will germinate quicker if their coats are first punctured or sof-tened, just before you want to plant them. This allows the water and gases necessary for germination to enter the seed faster.

A simple way to do this is to gently roll your seeds between two sheets of sandpaper until the seed coat just starts to rub off. Stop at this point or you risk damaging the seeds.

Or, soak your seeds in a bowl of lukewarm water for 24 hours. Soaking is an easy way to soften a hard seed coat to spark germination.

Good candidates for pre-soaking include: peas, beans, okra, corn, gourds, and squash. Parsley seeds also benefit from soaking for 48 hours, with a change of water halfway through.

4. MAKE SEEDS EASIER TO IDENTIFY AND GET RID OF WEEDS

Some seeds are hard to make out against the dark soil. A simple way around this is to line your seed drill with toilet paper. The white background makes it easier to see your seeds and to space them evenly along the row.

Using a label will help you to locate rows of seeds, but if you want to be certain you can backfill your seed drill with potting soil so that it stands out from the surrounding soil. This is particularly useful once they start to grow, as it helps you to differentiate seedlings you’ve planted from weeds which need removing.

One other method is to mix quick-growing seeds such as radishes with slow growers like parsnips. The radishes will germinate within a few days to mark the location of the row. They’ll be harvested long before the parsnips grow big enough to need that extra space.

Taken from https://www.almanac.com/video/5-garden-hacks-seed-sowing-success and edited by Mary Kay. Enjoy

Sowing Garden Seeds—Submitted by Mary Kay Winke