Which Seeds Do You Hate To Plant?

twodaend 5/23/2014, 12:37 pm

I was planting another round of carrots yesterday and I noticed how much I hate planting carrot seeds. Not because I don't like carrots, but because of how small and light the seeds are. Which Seeds Do You Hate To Plant? 370856013

Which Seeds Do You Hate To Plant? 370856013

It was a tad windy yesterday so I had to be extra careful not to loose any plus I planted 16 in a square. Lettuce would probably be a close second for me only because I don't plant as many per square.

But you know what seeds I do like ... Watermelon. Nice size seeds that I can see and easily pick up. lol!

I was wondering if anyone else had seeds that don't like to plant, but enjoy the harvest?

boffer 5/23/2014, 1:03 pm

All my little seeds, which are usually planted in multiples per square, are planted in TTs. Sowing and thinning are fun.

Big seeds, which are usually one per square, get planted in boxes on the ground. One and done-they're fun to plant too!

yolos 5/23/2014, 1:24 pm

I am with you Twodaend - carrot and lettuce.

GloriaG 5/23/2014, 4:04 pm

Hi Twodaend,

You might try gluing you carrot seeds to a paper towel for planting.
What we do is:

Sit at the kitchen table!!!!
Split the two layers of a paper towel apart
Put a drop of Elmer's School Glue (which is water soluble) where each seed goes and put one or two seeds on each drop of glue
Let the paper towel dry thoroughly
Stack, roll and store the seed towels in a zip top plastic bag in the freezer for 3-6 weeks to improve germination
To plant we lay them in the square with the seed side down and dust with MM

Here's our carrot bed on May 13. This bed should give us a little over 50 lbs of carrots. BTW - We plant 25 per square and plan to eat some as "baby carrots."

Which Seeds Do You Hate To Plant? 20140512

Which Seeds Do You Hate To Plant? 20140512

twodaend 5/23/2014, 4:35 pm

Wow GloriaG!!! Is this how you really do it or are you pulling my leg cause I've never heard of such a method. Shocked

If it is true, I guess I could give it a try, but the glue and freezer are making me wonder.

**camprn** 5/23/2014, 4:53 pm

I broadcast the little seeds like Boffer does. The worst is probably basil.

Marc Iverson 5/23/2014, 6:09 pm

The ones that don't germinate!!!

Also, the small ones, like lettuce. Not only are they hard to handle, they always seem to stick together in the bottom of the packet. Then, as I'm tipping the packet down and oh so gently tapping the top of the envelope on the table, or tapping its bottom, or barely shaking it, or doing it all time and again hoping for a result, nothing happens until they suddenly come skittering out all at once all over the place.

They're like lemmings.

**camprn** 5/23/2014, 6:13 pm

It takes a degree of skill to handle small seeds well. Skill requires practice... If the gardener desires to be skilled , the gardener will keep practicing the art and science of gardening.
Wink

Which Seeds Do You Hate To Plant? 1787710427

GloriaG 5/23/2014, 6:23 pm

Yes twodaend, that's how I do it.

I started gluing small seeds to paper towels because I HATE getting on my knees to plant and thin. I didn't originate the idea. It's been discussed on this forum a few times although I don't have the topic names to give you.

I freeze the seed because carrots need a period of cold weather to germinate. In the beginning I was having trouble getting them to germinate, and read about a process called "cold stratification" where seed is frozen before planting. I did a test batch several years ago and haven't had any trouble with germination since.

nanatoeight 5/23/2014, 7:53 pm

I glue mine to napkins, about 12x12. I never put them in the freezer, but they seem to come up fine. I start lettuce in a plug tray and set them out when they are about 1-2" tall. I have better control over the seeds this way.

greatgranny 5/23/2014, 8:19 pm

Marc Iverson wrote:Also, the small ones, like lettuce. Not only are they hard to handle, they always seem to stick together in the bottom of the packet. Then, as I'm tipping the packet down and oh so gently tapping the top of the envelope on the table, or tapping its bottom, or barely shaking it, or doing it all time and again hoping for a result, nothing happens until they suddenly come skittering out all at once all over the place.

They're like lemmings.

Yup.

Which do I hate the most? Pretty much what everyone else has said.

My favorites to plant is Lima Beans, Melons, Squash, Peas, and Corn.

**kauairosina** 5/23/2014, 8:25 pm

is that why our carrot seeds don't germinate!
Gonna try these hints. Mahalo.

lyndeeloo 5/23/2014, 8:44 pm

Some of the herbs I can barely see, let alone pick up.

I have a set of dowels I made up. They are different diameters according to the size of the seed. I put a point on each one to make it easier to make the holes in the MM. I make all the holes first and then roll a couple of the small seeds between my finger and thumb until one drops in the hole. The dowels are really handy and you can draw a mark on them every 1/4 inch so you know what depth to plant. Plus you can use the pointed end to scoot the seed in the hole if you miss.

I think the paper towel idea is very clever. I imagine it also helps keep the seeds in place in case of a heavy rain.

boffer 5/23/2014, 10:23 pm

I think the secret to getting small seeds to germinate is to keep them damp. They are planted very shallow or on top (like lettuce), and the very top of MM can dry up in just hours. If it's not raining, I mist them several times a day.

Marc Iverson 5/23/2014, 10:32 pm

One of my problems is that with small seeds, I sometimes can't even see if it has fallen in the hole or not. So then, especially if I'm trying to drop one at a time from a few pinched between the tips of my fingers, I wonder whether I should drop "another" ... or even if one has been dropped. A lot of my swiss chards, that I thought I had been very careful with, came up as doubles.

GloriaG 5/23/2014, 10:35 pm

I agree boffer.

It isn't so bad in the early spring when the days are cool and overcast, but as soon as our weather starts to turn warm I have to mist constantly.

yolos 5/23/2014, 10:39 pm

I can't remember if this is in the ANSFG book or someone told me this. I moisten the tip of a sharpened pencil and touch the tip to a seed and this picks up 1 small lettuce/carrot seed at a time and then I try to drop it into the hole or spot where I want to plant it. It is time consuming but it does work.

Marc Iverson 5/23/2014, 10:42 pm

I thought I had read it as using a natural electrostatic charge to pick up the seed, which I tried and found to work half the time or less. Haven't tried it while wetting the tip, but will try it next time.

GloriaG 5/23/2014, 11:14 pm

I use long pointy tweezers.

**sanderson** 5/24/2014, 1:48 am

A straw cut in half diagonally.
Which Seeds Do You Hate To Plant? Seed_s13

brainchasm 5/24/2014, 12:55 pm

Planting oregano seeds. GAH!

And of course carrots and lettuce.

**Turan** 5/24/2014, 3:33 pm

Marc Iverson wrote: A lot of my swiss chards, that I thought I had been very careful with, came up as doubles.

I planted some in seed trays inside a wee or so ago. They are not small seeds and I put 1 per spot and got 2-3 plants at each. Sooooo I went searching for an answer. Chard seed capsules often contain two or more seeds. If more than one germinates, promptly snip off all but the strongest sprout at the soil line.

As per the OP... carrots make me grumpy. MOstly because they take so long to germinate.

Marc Iverson 5/25/2014, 1:30 pm

Thanks Turan.

kamigh 2/17/2015, 1:16 pm

Gloria you are once again proving me right that I think you are a gardening genius!!!! I can't wait to go home and glue some carrots to paper towels and put them in the freezer!!! I have some in the ground already but if they don't work then I've got these. What a great idea!!!!

audrey.jeanne.roberts 2/17/2015, 2:07 pm

I have taken the time to practice (and practice and practice) picking up a few tiny seeds and by rubbing my pointer finger and thumb across each other gently, dropping a single seed in a spot. I think I originally saw it in a youtube video a long time ago, but it's fairly simple and about 80% accurate for me. As time is more valuable than seed to me, 80% works Laughing

As to lettuce, I solved that one by loving baby greens. I just sprinkle across the surface and let 'em grow. I pick off all but 2 or 3 leaves each time I harvest. Every so often I'll find a clump where a bunch of seed fell in one spot. To deal with those, when they get to a size to get too crowded, I've found that they can easily be separated by just teasing out each plants roots and replant them at the density you want. I never/rarely lose a plant doing that as they seem to be quite hardy.

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