Plant Gardens 101

Any reliable seed house can be depended upon for good seeds; but even so, there is a great risk in seeds. A seed may to all appearances be all right and yet not have within it vitality enough, or power, to produce a hardy plant.

If you save seed from your own plants you are able to choose carefully. Suppose you are saving seed of aster plants. What blossoms shall you decide upon? Now it is not the blossom only which you must consider, but the entire plant. Why? Because a weak, straggly plant may produce one fine blossom. Looking at that one blossom so really beautiful you think of the numberless equally lovely plants you are going to have from the seeds. But just as likely as not the seeds will produce plants like the parent plant.

So in seed selection the entire plant is to be considered. Is it sturdy, strong, well shaped and symmetrical; does it have a goodly number of fine blossoms? These are questions to ask in seed selection. (more…)

Many people are afraid of growing plants from seed but it’s really very simple and anyone can do it. All you really need is patience and diligence.

There’s nothing more rewarding than scattering a few seeds in a box and seeing them grow into real flowers or vegetables. In addition, it’s much less expensive to buy a few packets of seeds and some compost than to buy the equivalent number of plants from a garden centre. This is particularly true if you have a large garden and need plenty of plants to fill the spaces but if your garden is small, why not share a few different packets of seeds with a friend or two. If, say, three of you each grow one variety then you can all have three different types of flowers in your garden or window boxes.

So, to get down to essentials: it has to be the right time of year. Most annual flowers and summer vegetables such as tomatoes, salads, beans, cucumbers, etc. need to be planted in late winter or early spring but perennial plants and vegetables like spring onions should be planted in autumn so you must check the seed packet. You also need good quality seed compost. Don’t skimp on this; you really do get what you pay for and the cheaper varieties don’t contain the nutrients that growing seedlings need. You will also need some sort of container, usually a tray about 5cm deep by 22cm wide by 35cm long. Specialist seed trays from a garden centre are quite cheap and obviously designed for the purpose. Alternatively, you can buy strips of tiny pots, which are useful when you come to prick out your seedlings (more of that later) or for larger seeds, pellets which expand in water and which hold individual seeds. (more…)

As you start a garden, you must first till the soil, fertilize it, and then plant your flowers, trees, bushes, vegetable plants, etc. There are different ways you can do this, either by planting seedlings, transplanting entire plants, or sowing seeds. If you want to save some money, you can sow seeds. This way, all you have to buy is seeds which will probably only cost you a couple dollars for a large pack.

One way to sow the seeds is by sowing them in trays and growing them first, and then transplanting them into the garden. First, get some planter trays. Fill them with soil, pat it down, and moisten the dirt. Sprinkle the seeds over-top, spacing them according to the directions. Cover them again with a small layer of dirt and pat it down. Soon they will start to grow, and when it’s time to plant, with no dangers of frost, transplant them in your garden. This is a great way because they have a higher chance of surviving and it’s still as cheep as buying seeds with just an added expense of trays. (more…)

Seed selection can make or break your garden. If you choose the wrong seeds you can end up with a very pitiful looking garden. What goes into choosing the right seeds?

If you are saving your seeds from you own plants you have a little more control over what plants the seeds come from. You will want to choose plants that are hardy and contain a good number of blooms. Choosing seeds from a plant that is a little puny looking but with one or two very lovely blooms is not likely going to give you a plant that is hardy with more lovely blooms. Seeds usually produce plants like their parent plant. A good trick to know which plants to use for seeds is to look at your plants: size, hardiness, and blooms (or yields for vegetables). When you find the ones that exhibit the qualities you would like in your new plants tie a string on the plant, when it is harvest time you will know which ones to get the seeds from for your next year’s garden.

If you are buying your seeds you don’t have as much control over the plants that the seeds come from, but there are things you can look for to choose the proper seeds. The first thing you should look at is size, the larger the better. The next thing would be the plumpness or fullness of the seed. Using these two indicators will give you more certainty of a good plant for your garden. Each part of a seed, called a cotyledon, stores the food that the little plant will need until its roots grow enough to do their job. So the larger and plumper the seed the more likely it is to have enough food to sustain the tiny plant.

One thing to consider for the viability of your seeds is their age. Seeds will only be viable for a few years. Of course if you are buying your seeds you have no control of this, but if you buy from a reputable seed house you should not have to worry about this. If you are saving your own seeds make sure you label when you saved them to be able to use them before they are no good. Another viability issue is to make sure the seeds are picked when they are mature, picked to early and they will not germinate. Also make sure the seeds are not frozen, if frozen most seeds will not germinate.

With careful consideration of your seeds you should have a beautiful garden full of blooms or with a plentiful bounty.
Gardens Abloom is dedicated to all aspects of gardening. For more on gardening and to sign up for the FREE “Gardens Abloom” newsletter visit the Gardens Abloom site.

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As spring arrives us gardeners start to get ready for the coming season and a major part of this preparation is seed sowing. Sowing seeds and nurturing them through germination into strong healthy plants is without a doubt one of the most rewarding tasks in gardening. Watching nature work its magic is something that I never tire of seeing. Wherever you sow your seed, be it on a kitchen windowsill, in a greenhouse or garden shed, following a few basic rules will aid your chance of success. Foremost is hygiene, have a good spring clean before sowing. All pots and trays should be scrubbed clean with biodegradable detergent. Staging, worktops and the interior of the greenhouse can also be done at the same time.

Now a decision has to be made as to which growing medium is to be used. There is a variety of seed composts available on the market but in general any medium that is not overly heavy, water retentive or high in nutritional value will suffice, personally I use coir and vermiculite. Coir is a by-product from coconuts, making it a renewable organic resource. The only downside to coir is the air miles involved in bringing it to this country although storage and transportation are easier now as it comes in dehydrated blocks slightly larger than a brick. When you are ready to use it place your coir brick in a tub, pour on the required amount of water and within ten minutes you have 10 litres of hydrated coir. Into this I mix vermiculite to help with moisture retention. (more…)

Phosphorus is very important in the early stages of vegetable plant development. Plants need this element in order to sustain good root development. If phosphorus is in short supply in your soil, your vegetable plant’s growth will slow very quickly or even worse, not grow at all.

A common appearance of lack of phosphorous in your soil is streaks of purple up and down stems or on the leaves and low yield of fruits and vegetables.

Phosphorus makes up one of the five elements needed in plant DNA for the process of photosynthesis, with the other four being carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. All of the pieces to this puzzle must be in place, otherwise during seed development the plant’s DNA will not form properly. (more…)

While selecting flowers seeds for gardens or for landscaping purposes, an increasing number of people are selecting wildflower varieties. Botanists and flower enthusiasts advocate against the usage of the term “wildflower”. Expressions such as “native”, “exotic” or “introduced species” are recommended to refer to flowers not logically occurring in an area. Other frequently used terms are invasive species and imported or naturalized varieties. These terms are used to refer to plants launched in an area much earlier and now considered as native to the location.

A wildflower is a type of flower that grows in uncultivated places, indicating that it was not seeded or planted by humans with a purpose. Taking this into consideration, it may seem strange that wildflower seeds of a few mixed species are being sold in seed packets. (more…)

The importance of having good seeds has already been declared. They must not only grow, but grow into what we have bought them for–be true to name. Without the latter quality we cannot be sure of good gardens, and without the former they will not be full ones. A meagre “stand” from seeds properly sown is a rather exasperating and discouraging experience to encounter. The cost for fertilizing and preparing the land is just as much, and the cost of cultivating very nearly as much, when the rows are full of thrifty plants or strung out with poor ones. Whether you use ten cents’ worth or ten dollars’ worth, the best seed to be had will be the most economical to buy–to say nothing of the satisfaction that full rows give. Inexperienced gardeners seem universally to have the conviction that the only thing required in seed sowing is to cover the seed with soil. What sort of soil it is, or in what condition, or at what depth or temperature the seed is planted, are questions about which they do not trouble themselves to think. (more…)

The Amazon jungles, mangroves, virgin forests, tropical forests and even plants in a kitchen garden have all originated from seeds. Many plants have survived over the ages through wind dispersals and alternative forms of reproduction. However, the predominance of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants in all landscapes confirms the importance of a seed.

A ripened ovule of a gymnosperm or angiosperm is called a seed. An angiosperm or a flowering plant has a seed enclosed in the ovary that later forms a fruit. Gymnosperm, conifer and related plants seeds lie open to the elements. A seed contains an embryo, which facilitates growth of a new plant under favorable circumstances. It also has a supply of accumulated food and is wrapped in a seed coat. This stored food is initially a tissue called endosperm derived from the parent plant. Over time, the endosperm becomes rich in oil starch and protein. In some species, the embryo is embedded in the endosperm, which will be used later by the sapling, upon germination. In some other species, the embryo absorbs it as it grows within the developing seed. (more…)

Flowers have been grown and nurtured over years for personal and business purposes. A flower provides visual bliss in addition to a soothing aroma and an array of delightful colors. One can give cut flowers as gifts to celebrate events, express feelings or just grow them in a backyard.

It may sound strange when a botanist refers to singular divisions of a flower while referring to male and female reproductive organs. However, this is true. Flowers are used as a reproductive organ only in certain angiosperms plants. A pistil is located in the center of a flower and it contains female organs. It has a rounded lower base, which is the ovary. These contain reproductive cells called ovule. (more…)

Starting Seeds for Hydroponics Use
This is a quick and simple tutorial for germinating seeds. Most people growing with hydroponics will start from either seeds or clones. But at one point or another you will always start with seeds as they are easier to obtain in most cases for clones. Starting seeds with the intent of moving them into a hydroponics system is a bit different than starting them in soil. this guide will cover starting seedlings and moving them into a hydroponics grow box.

Germinating seeds:

1. Place a moist paper towel on a ceramic dish.

2. Fold the paper towel up and around the seeds.

3. Place another ceramic dish upside down on top of the bottom dish. (more…)

Growing your own vegetables from seed is very easy. It is great fun to watch the tiny seedlings emerge from the soil mix and of course is a great deal cheaper than buying ready grown plants. It is not as quick though. The reason why it is cheaper is that you are doing all the work yourself.

So what do you grow them in? Well it all depends on what type of plant you are growing. Before we discuss what type of container you need, you also need to think about what type of soil mix you are going to grow them in.

My father used to just take some garden soil, put it in an old dirty plant pot and grow his seeds. It used to work but it was only his experience which allowed him to be able to identify which was the seedling he was after and which was a weed seedling. Why, well the soil he used was full of weed seeds. He also did not clean his pots which is never a good thing. (more…)

Seed saving can be a rewarding and cost saving activity particularly if plants are selected for their good seed saving characteristics. This article will offer the beginning seed saver helpful advice on which plants to start with and how best to harvest, prepare and save the seeds. Bean/pea, lettuce, pepper, and tomato offer the beginning seed saver the best chance for successful seed saving. They produce seed the same season as planted and are mostly self-pollinating, minimizing the need to be mindful of preventing cross-pollination.

Always harvest seeds from the best plants available. Choose healthy disease-free plants with desirable qualities. Look for the most flavorful vegetables or beautiful flowers. Because seed set reduces the vigor of the plant and discourages further fruit production, wait until near the end of the season to save fruit for seed. Seeds are mature when flowers are faded and dry or have puffy tops.

Beans/Peas Toward the end of the season and while healthy pods are still being formed allow the pods on some plants to dry brown before harvesting. This is about six weeks after eating stage for beans and four for peas. If frost threatens, pull the entire plant, and hang in cool, dry location until pods are brown. (more…)

With proper planning there are several advantages that greenhouse enthusiasts have for seed germinating and getting their plants off to agreat start.

Jump Start the Growing Season - Just as greenhouse gardeners are able to extend the growing season they can get a head start as well. Many desirable plant varieties cannot be sowed until after the last freeze of the season and in some cases it takes even longer for the ground to warm to an appropriate temperature for optimum seed germination. In the greenhouse, seed germination can start three to four weeks before the estimated last freeze of the season giving greenhouse gardeners a head start on their open air counterparts. This is particularly important for success with long season vegetables (those that require 70 or more days to produce) e.g., melons, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, corn, carrots and parsnips among others. (more…)

Any reliable seed house can be depended upon for good seeds; but even so, there is a great risk in seeds. A seed may to all appearances be all right and yet not have within it vitality enough, or power, to produce a hardy plant.

If you save seed from your own plants you are able to choose carefully. Suppose you are saving seed of aster plants. What blossoms shall you decide upon? Now it is not the blossom only which you must consider, but the entire plant. Why? Because a weak, straggly plant may produce one fine blossom. Looking at that one blossom so really beautiful you think of the numberless equally lovely plants you are going to have from the seeds. But just as likely as not the seeds will produce plants like the parent plant. (more…)