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Why buy seed?
Christin Deener of Federal Point
Farms says while seeds are more affordable
and eliminate potting waste, the real
advantage of starting with seeds is the
pure pleasure of it.
“You get to see the whole thing happen.”
Deener says. “Growing by seed
makes you more aware, more clicked in
with the life cycle of a plant.”
And while one can be sure that
Deener’s plants, sold at the downtown
farmers’ market, have been cared for in
the most sustainable way possible, some
nursery-bought plants are born and
raised in a synthetic environment.
Another advantage to sowing your
own seeds is controlling the plant cultivation
process and possibly decreasing
the impact that gardening may have on
the environment.
Gardening by seed also allows access to
a wider variety of plant options. Buying
from a nursery can be limiting; but, by
seed, the gardener can experiment and
spice it up a bit.
It’s impractical for many gardeners to
sow all the color in their gardens. But
along with shopping at local farmers’
markets and nurseries for staple annual
and perennial garden color, ordering a
seed packet or two from a favorite seed
company can be a lot of fun for the family
and can add a lot of interest and perhaps
fresh herbs to the established flower
garden.
To sow or not to sow
Seeds can be sown directly into garden
soil or raised in a controlled environment
such as in a flat, or other contained
space.
Egg cartons are a great inexpensive
alternative to buying seed-starting kits.
A small slit in the bottom with a butter
knife will allow the container to drain
properly. In some cases the seeds are so
small that it may be necessary to line the
bottom with a layer of newspaper.
At Federal Point Farms, Deener starts
most of her seeds in flats in hoop houses.
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WBM april 2011
She does sow a few herb and flowering
varieties directly into her mounded beds,
but she believes that some control in the
beginning can be really helpful.
“I’m a big proponent of having that
control.” Deener says. ”It’s just nice to
have them in their own little contained
space. It’s easier to gauge how they’re
doing and what they might need.”
Although a green house or even a cold
frame is ideal for seed-starting, the flats
don’t always need to be kept indoors
while germinating. The seeds actually
need a lot more light than even a bright
window can offer, Deener says. They
should be protected from frigid night air,
but on most early spring days they could
be kept outdoors in the sunniest spot
possible.
As for direct seeding, Charlotte Glen
says to start big. Glen is a gardener, a
former New Hanover County extension
agent, and currently a Pender County
extension agent.
“One of the problems with most
annual and perennial flower seeds is that
they’re so tiny they can easily get lost in
the shuffle. The bigger the seed the more
control you have,” Glen says. Sunflowers
of all varieties are usually foolproof when
sown directly. Glen recommends sowing
a batch of the dwarf varieties every
three to four weeks for more consistent
color. Dwarf sunflowers come in electric
hues of red, orange and yellow, and in
some cases, a mix of all three; and, at full
growth they provide a bright spot in any
garden.
Sunflower seeds can also easily be collected
and planted the following season–a
great job for kids and adults alike. Seed
collection and seed saving is a great way
to get children involved in the garden.
Sprinkling the seeds from the spent flower
into their hands, storing seeds and planting
them the following year can help
to create life cycle connections children
might not otherwise be able to make.
Glen says that in order to sow seeds
successfully, the area to be seeded must
be well prepared. “Be sure that the area
Clockwise from top left: Potting up pepper plants. Young lettuce. Celosia.
Photography by Forest and Kim Starr. Christin Deener of Federal Point Farms scuffle
hoes a row of sugar snap peas.