Planting Seeds Has Never Been So Easy!

Just A Little Bit of Your Time…

 

This weekend I spent some time, actually very little time, planting seeds in my garden.

I think a lot of individuals get intimidated by the thought of gardening. What if I told you that you can garden in as little as 5 minutes a day, would you try your hand at gardening?

I am here to show you how easy it is to start your own garden.

Setting Yourself Up For Success!

 

Little space is actually needed to grow your own food! The key is to make sure that your garden is placed in a convenient location.

Is it by water? Is it in a sunny location? Is it close to your kitchen and is it easily accessible?

These are all important factors to consider when setting up your garden.

Here is an incredible free resource to guide you with your gardening journey: The Most Important Resource Any Gardener Could Ever Have!

How Much Space Do You Need?

 

Consider how much space you will need for your garden.  You might be surprised how much you can grow in such a small space.

I am planting my peas in my 4’x4′ square foot garden, but these peas could easily be planted in a container.

You only need your soil to be 6 inches deep, and 12 inches deep if you live in a  hotter climate.

Most people think you need at least 12 inches of soil but actually, a lot can grow in only 6 inches of soil and this can save you a lot of money!

Starting Your Garden by Planting Seeds

 

Buying plants can get expensive.  Did you know that there are a number of plants that you can grow in your garden just by planting a few seeds? Here’s how!

The first thing you want to do is read the back of your seed packet. There is a lot of important information on these little packages. Every package is different so be sure to read all the details on each package of seeds.

Make sure you are buying seeds from a good source and seeds that are not genetically modified. Let’s take a look at some important information on my packet of sugar snap peas.

Reading The Back of Your Seed Packets

 

There is so much information that is useful on the back of a seed packet! Let’s take a look.

The first thing I want to point out on this package of seeds is that it is not recommended to start these seeds indoors. This is important!

They will not transplant well into your garden and quite frankly, sugar snap peas grow super well planted right into your garden with almost no effort!

Temperature Is An Important Factor!

 

Another important bit of information is when to plant your seeds.

In this case, sugar snap peas are a cool weather crop and can tolerate cooler temperatures. 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost is when to plant your peas.

My average last frost here in Wisconsin is May 15, so I am about 7 weeks out and that is fine because we have had an unusually warm winter and my soil is workable so it is a good time for me to plant.

Do Your Seeds Need To Soak?

 

Sometimes seeds need to soak. In this case, the pea seeds need to soak 12-24 hours before planting. This is very important.

When you soak your seeds, this helps your seeds to germinate creating a healthy plant.

Some seeds need soaking, like peas and beans, but the majority of seeds do not need to be soaked.

Spacing Your Seeds

 

I garden using the Square Foot Gardening Method. I find this method to be extremely easy for any garderner…new or advanced.  Here you focus on one square foot at a time.

There are several key elements that you will need to figure out how many seeds to plant in a square. You want to look at the thinning and seed spacing (I love this one, it is 2″ (yes 2″)!

That is a lot of seeds for 1 little square foot! So that means you can plant a seed every 2 inches and there are 12 inches per square so that means you will need 6 seeds per row and 6 rows… that is 36 seeds per square foot.

You do not thin peas so you would use the seed spacing to figure out how many seeds to plant. If there are thinning instructions, you would go with that number.

Only Plant What You Need!

 

In square foot gardening, you only plant what you need, not a whole bunch of seeds and then thin out. This will save you money by using less seeds.

Take a look at the picture below to make sense of what I am saying.

So in that little square, I will have 36 plants and they will thrive in this environment.

How Deep To Plant Your Seeds

 

The second thing I want to point out is the depth at which to plant the seeds.

It says 1″ deep. That is an important element to factor in when planting your seeds.

If you plant them too deep, they might not sprout.  I like to push them slightly down into the dirt with a pencil and then slightly cover them up.

Building Vertical Frames For Your Garden In Under 10 Minutes!

 

Peas like to climb and be close together. By planting these seeds so closely together, the plants use each other as support to grow up and flourish!

I also put up a vertical frame to help my peas grow upward. This took me less than 10 minutes to put up.

You can view my video on how to do this below.

Step-by-Step Planting Guide

 

My daughter is going to illustrate how to plant these peas. Simply soak your seeds overnight. They will more than double in size!

Now plant 6 seeds in 6 rows, creating 36 seeds in one square.

Push the seeds in with a pencil 1 inch deep.

Cover the seeds loosely with soil, never push down on the soil!  Seeds like light and airy soil.

Now simply water your seeds that you just planted.

That is it!  How simple was that? Now water your seeds every few days depending on how hot it is. You don’t want them to dry out completely.

Before you know it your seeds will be growing like this!

That’s it!  Pretty simple right?  Let me know how it works for you too!

A Great Gardening Resource, Square Foot Gardening

 

As most of you know, I garden using a Square Foot Gardening method. Today I’ve shown you a little piece of Square Foot Gardening.

If you have the time, be sure to check out this book!  There is a lot of great information in this book!

Square Foot Gardening simplifies gardening significantly!