Covering beds after sowing seeds

msomers 4/22/2020, 9:51 am

Hi All! I finally got my boxes filled and I’m about to put seeds in. Should I cover the beds with floating row cover until the seeds start to pop up? I read somewhere that birds will dig up the seeds. I’m in Denver, so Zone 5, lows are in the 40s, so thinking it could help aid in germination as well. But not sure. I have never done a garden from seed before and am realizing I don't really know what I'm doing! Wink

Any and all advice welcome!

OhioGardener 4/22/2020, 3:27 pm

I don't have any problem with birds digging & eating the seeds after they are planted, with the exception of the Mocking Birds eating the beans after they sprout in order to get the tasty bean halves that are still attached to them - I have to cover the beans with bird netting to keep the mocking birds away from them until they get a little bigger.

The only seeds I cover after planting are the carrots, but that's a completely different story. I only plant cool weather crops right now, such as lettuce, carrots, kale, beets, and radishes, and they germinate fine in the cool soil. But, we are in zone 6 and get a little earlier start than you do in zone 5. A row cover will provide a greenhouse effect for warming the soil and protecting the plants, though, if you wish to do that.


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Covering beds after sowing seeds

Covering beds after sowing seeds

Re: Covering beds after sowing seeds