Most gardeners use ‘space sowing’ to get their seeds into the ground, because it is so economical. Long gone are the days when a small tear was made in top of the packet and the seed gently shaken out in the hope that you could sow it carefully enough. It is particularly difficult to sow seed of orchids, ferns, begonias, and petunias because they are so small and the slightest of breezes will blow the whole lot away. These require special treatment. This involves sowing them away from the possibility of being affected by even the lightest of winds. Moreover, they must not be covered at all otherwise they will not germinate.
Nowadays, seed trays are so designed that gardeners can sow economically into small containers, built into the seed tray. Just a few seeds can be sown into each little container.
Sowing outside in the garden is made easier because seeds are coated with an inert substance so that they are easily seen. Many can be sown by just picking them up and placing them into the seed row when the weather is right and the ground has been properly prepared.
One of the most versatile flowering plants for the garden, especially in the tropics, is the African marigold. And the top of my list of popular marigolds for over forty years is a tall variety called ‘Crackerjack’ which produces hundreds of orange and lemon flowers in profusion over many months. It will grow on even the poorest ground, unlike tomatoes, lettuce or cabbage, which do need good, fertile land. Once they have germinated and are growing and ready to plant out, make sure that they are planted firmly and watered copiously before planting to give them a drink and to make sure they are not dry, and after planting give them a good watering to settle the soil around their roots. By the way, watering plants before planting them into their permanent position and after planting to settle them into the ground always applies whatever you are putting into the ground. This is a golden rule.
Many times the weather is just right to try sowing direct into the ground when you are sowing, but the ground needs to be forked over and firmed properly to prevent the plants falling over as they get taller. However, if the ground is slightly damp you must try and use a piece of plyboard or a short plank to avoid depressions. Always sow seed as thinly as you can, otherwise you are just giving money to the seed companies which allows them to keep producing such magnificent catalogues.
Watering will need to be done in really dry weather, and don’t forget that although marigolds are superb for hot sunny weather they will also need watering sometimes, and not just a light sprinkle but a really good soaking..
Going back a few weeks, I find it extraordinary that Easter still has not been fixed to a permanent date. I meant to mention this a few weeks ago when we celebrated it at the earliest time for ninety years. In Britain, it happened to be one of the coldest Easters for many, many years. Time to stop linking it to the moon and start linking it to the calendar – like Christmas.
Some people always have difficulty remembering which plants like extremely dry conditions (cacti and other succulents) and which like the tropical rain forest. The point about this is that the gardener should put away his hosepipe when dealing with cacti, which will grow quite happily in clay pots, but not so happily in plastic pots, which do not dry out as quickly as their clay counterparts. Remember succulents, including cacti, do not need anything like as much water to survive. And what is more, they will take far more sunshine.
Take the greatest care and may your God go with you wherever you are in this beautiful land.
