Planting Seeds

How deep to plant seeds

1. Plant seeds 3 times the width of the seed.
   1. If it is a very little seed like carrot or lettuce, plant it very close to the surface and water often until the seed germinates. These seeds need light to germinate, so plant them just under the surface of the soil.
   2.  If it is a small seed like mustards, kale, collards and regular arugula, plant the seed about 1/8” deep.
   3. If it is a big flat seed like cucumber, plant ¼” to ½” deep
   4. If it is a large seed like beans, plant ½” to 1” deep.

How many seeds to plant in one hole

1. Put only one seed in each hole. If the seed does not germinate, replant.
2. If more than one seed is put in one hole, it is a waste of money, unless the intent is to transplant the extra plants somewhere else.
3. If there is an intent to transplant seeds, then plant the seeds about 1” apart so they will be easy to separate when transplanting, without damaging the roots.

Seed trays or seed beds

1. You can plant seeds close together (1” apart), at the end of a bed or in a greenhouse in trays.
2. These seeds are meant for transplant.
3. Once the plants are a good size for transplant, they can be moved.
4. Not all seeds are easy to transplant. Cucumbers are very difficult to transplant.
5. When transplanting some seeds like lettuce, it may defeat the purpose of transplanting, in that it may cause the plant to take longer before harvest.

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