Vegetable Seeds
Some vegetable
seeds should be started indoors, while other seed varieties can be
planted directly in your garden. Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and
celery seeds are best when sown indoors, then the vegetable sprouts
transplanted to your outdoor garden.
Large seeds
(corn, squash, most beans) should be planted in rows, with the
vegetables set to grow about 1½ inches apart. To set the rows
correctly, simply post two stakes at either end of the vegetable
garden plot and tie a string between them - low to the ground.
This will keep your seed rows straight.
- Tip:
most larger vegetable seed packets will recommend planting
them 2 inches apart. However, some of the seeds will not
germinate, so it makes better use of your garden's available
space to cut ½-inch off that. Just remove any vegetables
growing too close together later on.
Smaller seeds
should be broadcast instead of grown in rows, more often than not.
This makes better use of your vegetable garden's space, as you can
always remove seedlings that are growing too close together when
they sprout.
- Tip:
Mix smaller seeds with sand that is of a different color
before sowing. This will help you identify the individual
vegetable seeds and avoid planting several right on top of
each other. More will germinate and you'll end up with a
bumper vegetable crop!
