Planting Seeds.

 

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For the last one year or more, I have taken great interest in gardening as I have space to plant a few. I have grown honeysuckles, bougainvillea, paw-paw or papaya , Spanish cherry or sapota, green chilies, spinach, coreopsis, night queen, frangipani, Cana, lilies, gazania, tube roses, red roses, roses, chrysanthemums, Indian lavender like fragrant foliage called “davana” and “moraga” etc etc. I have few vegetables growing in the garden too. Tomatoes, spinach, green chilies both wild varieties as well as commercial. More coming on the way.

Gardening is an immensely pleasurable, albeit back braking hobby. Since I have chronic back ache, its even more taxing for me. But, believe me, the pleasure of plants growing and bringing color to your surroundings is unimaginable. It attracts colors in the form of birds, butterflies and squirrels .

This time, when I was ready to plant few seeds, both flowering as well as vegetables, I wanted to take pictures and do a write up so that I can share my experience.

I soaked up seeds for 24 hours prior to planting them. Nature has provided excellent protection to seeds in the form seed coats for extended period of shelf life. It’s discovered that some seeds can survive thousands and thousands of years and still can germinate. Seeds wait for right environmental conditions to start germinating. The three important factors which determine the germination are :

1. Physical.

2. Chemical.

3. Light.

Physical: The environment like soil, density of the soil, temperature of the soil, moisture etc play the primary role in determining the germination.

Chemical: The chemical composition of the medium in which seeds are sowed or dispersed plays equally important role in the germination process.

finally;

Light: Once the germination has taken place, the roots go down towards the soil and leaves and shoots go up towards the light source.

Soaking in water or any other liquid nutrient (I actually do not know if some thing else can be used instead of plain tap water, I am assuming that some other solution can also be used), rubbing the seed coat, scoring with a razor blade, all help to soften the tough coat the seeds have been provided with by mother nature. Soaking them is good enough and easiest. No sweat. And, also, smaller seeds can not be scored or rubbed as its difficult because of their size.

Soaking is like: “Hey seed, wake up, its time to start growing. Enough of sleeping. Conditions are quite right and I assure you, I will provide all those things you need to start growing. I promise. “

Ok enough of that philosophy :)

This time, I did some thing different than previous occasions when I used mixture of sand and compost to plant the seedlings. I have been reading a lot on gardening websites about some thing called peat moss. Peat moss is a naturally formed compost which is used along with perlite as the growing medium for seeds. Peat moss is a non renewable resource, you can read more about that at the Wikipedia link. And, the biggest problem is Peat moss is not available in India easily, may be in some fancy gardening supplies shop (I haven’t come across so far).

During one of my routine shopping at Basheerbagh in Hyderabad (where there are a bunch of Gardening supplies shops), I had seen a brick like thing. When I asked about it, I got the information that its compressed coconut dust, used by gardeners as planting media. It is supposed to retain moisture, light, airy, just like peat moss. So I bought 2 bricks. Actually, after working with the coco-peat, I know realize that one brick is sufficient. When soaked, it really becomes huge quantity.

Rest of my planting activity can be explained with pictures. So here they are with occasional meddling by me with a few sentences here and there. :)

 

 Coco-peat. Once the broken pieces of the brick is sprinkled with water, it swells enormously. You can see that it has over flown and spilled out.

 

 Take paper cups, not those with plastic, non permeable not so environmentally friendly Styrofoam cups. Plain paper cups. actually you can make your own too with magazines and news papers.

 

 I took my Swiss Army Knife to make holes in the bottom of the paper. They provide drainage if the watering is not done very carefully.

 

 a thin layer of compost

 

seeds soaked for 24 hours

 

 compost layer topped with another thin layer of coco peat

 

Swollen seed

Hole made with a plastic spoon

Plastic Tray Carrier for Cups.

After planting the seeds, give a good spray of water.

 

Remember, don't forget to spray water every day. See to it that the growing medium is moist and airy. Too much water will displace air and that's not good too. You have promised them that you will take care of them. And do take care, they will give you immense happiness when they grow up. Just like children. Actually better than children. Plants do not bring sorrow, like most of us do (to our parents, and to the world).