Re: [gardeners] (Fwd) info search
Kay Lancaster (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 15 Jun 1998 21:06:47 -0700 (PDT)
On Mon, 15 Jun 1998, THUNDERHAWK wrote:
[re: morning glory and moonflower seeds]
> After they sprout on the wet paper - how soon should I get them into the
> ground? Should I let them grow a bit?
I plant when the radicles (the baby roots) are out, and it looks like
the cotyledons are just about to break through the seedcoat. If
you've filed the seed coat, you may see random holes or nicks in the
cotyledons... don't worry about that. You've just chipped a piece of
cotyledon when you were filing.
> And - when I put them in - how deep? Cover with any soil? How tight
> should I firm the soil around them?
Plant about 3x as deep as the longest length of the seed... if a
seed is 1/4" long, plant it about 3/4" deep, etc. That works well for
almost every type of seed. Yes, cover with soil, preferably something
with a fair amount of organic matter or sand. Compost works well.
How firmly? Nicely patted down, as if you were patting a chair cushion
to encourage a pet to hop up next to you. Not so firmly that you
squeeze all the airspace out or run the risk of breaking the radicle
or cotyledons. And not so loosely that water can't wick to the seed
by capillary action.
Kay Lancaster kay@fern.com