Watering seeds

[Chooklady]

Hello

I usually get given plants to grow on... I am a lucky girl I know! But... I would love to grow my own from seed so I can go the whole hog and say that 'I grew that'.

In the past I have sown seeds into plug trays and tried to water them in.... and drown them. They don't grow after that...

Is there a way of watering them in gently?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Water the compost first then plant your seed. When seedling are small always water from below. I.E. stand you plugs trays in a tray of water until the compost is moist.

[4390evans]

I do the same so I put them in bigger pots till they are bigger and can take my heavy handed watering.

[Chooklady]

Thank you, never though of watering from below, makes great sense... as does watering the compost first!

[Two_Sheds]

Seeds require surprisingly little moisture to germinate, eg they will do it on a sheet of damp kitchen paper

[KevinM67]

Seeds require surprisingly little moisture to germinate, eg they will do it on a sheet of damp kitchen paper

With the amount of human sweat I've poured over my plot in the last few years, I wish my seeds would be a lot more thankful!!

Yes - I'm talking to you "carrots and parsnips"

[scarey55]

I use a spray bottle and just mist over them rather than all out water.

[Chooklady]

Ah yes, spray bottle... thank you

[KevinM67]

I use a spray bottle and just mist over them rather than all out water.

How often do you do that?

The reason I ask is even during the early spring weeks when directly planting parsnip seeds for instance, the sun can dry out the soil (and I mean the top layer where thee seed is) quite quickly.

[scarey55]

How often do you do that?

The reason I ask is even during the early spring weeks when directly planting parsnip seeds for instance, the sun can dry out the soil (and I mean the top layer where thee seed is) quite quickly.

I only really do it when I start them off in small pots, I don't do it for long, just to get the soil wet enough without washing the seeds away, then I water as usual.

[TrysHard]

Capillary Matting is a good friend.