Anyone who wants to grow a garden or just grow plants in pots should learn how to plant seeds using a seed tray. It does not require much money or time in order to plant seeds. You do not even need a green thumb in order to prepare seedlings and be able to transfer them to your pots or your garden. Our following little guide will show you how to plant seeds using a basic seed tray.
The materials required to plant seeds are:
- seed tray
You can buy the basic tray minus any frills to get things started. In fact, any flat plain seed tray will work just fine. The only thing you need is to know how to plant the seeds correctly. It will suffice if you buy a plastic one that costs around 50 cents to a dollar. You will also need a sifter for the soil.
Basic Pointers on How to Plant Seeds
Keep the following pointers in mind when you decide to plant seeds.
You should begin the process by determining the appropriate time to plant your seeds. You should consider the climate in your area and the variety of the plant you intend to grow. You should take note that different plants have different planting times or seasons.
Once you have your timetable figured out, you should proceed to prepare your soil. Put garden soil in your sifter or sieve and hold it above your tray. Sift the soil until you fill your seed tray. Do not worry about the soil that falls on your work area since they can be easily cleaned later.
You should level the top soil on your tray using your hands. You can also opt to use a striking board to do this. Just drag it across the top soil until it is flush and dispersed evenly. You will also need to scrape off about a centimeter of soil off the surface. You can use your hand or a striking board to remove that layer of soil.
Next, you compact the soil using your hand or any wooden board. You then proceed to water the soil. You can use a watering can if you have one. The idea is to moisten the soil before proceeding to plant the seeds.
Once you are done with all the above mentioned steps, you can start planting the seeds. Pour seeds on your palm and take a pinch of them to plant. Sprinkle your seeds over the prepared soil. Make sure to leave ample spaces in between the seeds to ensure unhampered growth. After you have planted the seeds, cover them with soil.
Some seeds will not need the outer soil cover, so check the instructions on the seed packaging. Then, compact the soil but a bit more gently this time. Lastly, you should label your tray with the name of the plant in your tray.