Sowing vegetable seeds outdoors

When the time finally comes to sow seeds outdoors, you can really start to fill up your vegetable plot, kitchen garden or allotment with lots of tasty crops that will be ready to eat at various times of the year. But how do you know the right time to sow, and how do you give your seeds the best chance of success?

Earlier in the year when it was still cold outside, I sowed seeds of peas, broad (fava) beans, beetroot and spinach under cover indoors. I hardened off the seedlings and then planted them out. 

See also:

Start growing your own by sowing seeds

Planting out vegetable seedlings

Some plants don't transfer from pots and modules to the ground as easily though, and some just need too much warmth and/or light which means there is no point sowing them until later in the year anyway. 

In most cases, I sow early indoors to get things started, and then sow later batches for later cropping and as an insurance policy against earlier ones not doing so well.

Whatever the reason, later in spring conditions become suitable for sowing seeds direct to the ground outside. Here in South Wales that time usually arrives some time in April, though it varies from year to year. 

When can you sow seeds direct in the ground?

Timing can be crucial, and yet difficult. The best time to sow seeds direct will be different in every location. You need to make a judgement based on conditions, but here are the things you should take into account.

Seed packets will give an indication of the time of year to sow seeds, but use this only as guidance. It's more important to go by your local conditions. 

If a seed packet recommends a sowing time that covers say two months, I usually find my plot is ready somewhere in the middle of this period. If I lived further south I could sow earlier, and if I lived  further north, I would probably need to wait until the end of the recommended sowing window.

Experiment and you will work out where your garden or allotment fits into these recommendations. 

How do you know if your soil is ready to sow?

Feel the earth. 

If it's cold to touch, it's still too early. The soil needs a chance to warm up before sowing seeds direct. 

GREEN FINGERS TIP: You can speed the warming process by covering your plot with fleece, cloches, polytunnel material, or even black plastic for a time before sowing.

A clue that the soil is warm enough is if annual weeds are growing strongly. If the weeds can grow, so can your veggies! If your plot is still free of all the weeds that die off for winter, then it may not be ready for your seeds.

A dry day is the best day to sow, as the soil is easier to work. 

However, it helps if some rain is forecast for the following week, as this will make it easier to keep your seeds moist, which is important for germination. A long dry spell will make it difficult for seeds to germinate and seedlings to survive. Some of my crops failed last year as we had an incredibly dry spell at the wrong time and I just couldn't keep them watered enough. 

Do you need to prepare the ground before sowing seeds?

The surface of the soil needs to be fine and crumbly. Seeds germinate better in light loose soil. This can be developed over time by mulching with compost or manure, particularly over winter. 

When sowing time approaches, removing weeds and raking the surface until a fine crumbly top level develops is good preparation. Here's one of my beds after winter but before it's ready to sow...

A vegetable bed before raking

...and here's the same bed after plenty of work with the rake:

A vegetable bed ready for sowing

How to sow seeds

For most seeds, the best and simplest method is to create a drill, or narrow channel in the ground, in a straight line, and sow the seeds into it.

The drill can be made by simply running your fingers, a hoe or spade firmly along the ground, pushing or scraping the soil to either side. 

The depth of the drill depends on the seeds and this is where I do try and follow the instructions on the packet. Having said that, it can be tricky to determine the difference between a drill that is 1cm and 1.5cm deep. I'm certainly not too precise, and I don't think there is any need to be. 

The size of the seeds themselves is a good guide, as in most cases, the aim is to ensure they are covered over afterwards, so the drill needs to be deep enough that the seeds will be low enough to be under the surface.  

Seeds need good contact with the soil, and consistent moisture, to germinate. A good way to achieve this is by gently watering the empty drill. Then sow the seeds along the drill (seed packets may suggest how much space there should be between seeds).

Then you need to gently nudge the soil that came out of the drill back over the seeds so they are covered.

Finally keep them moist - but not soaking wet - with regular gentle watering (use a watering can with a rose attachment) if there is no rain, and hopefully the seedlings should soon appear.

Spinach seedlings in a straight(ish) line

Make sure you label your crops

Don't forget to label your crops so you know what should be coming up where.  Sowing in rows and labelling them enables easy weeding between the rows without mistakenly removing seedlings instead!

Home made plant labels

Whatever seeds you're sowing, good luck, and happy growing.

Paul

 Follow on Instagram

Follow    

Click to Subscribe by Email