soil depth

[Tigerella]

Hi

How critical is the depth that veggie seeds are planted?
I have just sown some parsnip and carrot seeds in buckets.
What I have started to do is just place the seeds on top of the soil, and then sprinkle soil all over the seeds.
Do the seeds float if there is too much watering.

They should be okay in tubs, with the cold spell coming this weekend.

T

[rustylady]

Please make sure you have drainage holes in your buckets. The seed packets give a depth guide for sowing seed, best to stick to this. If your buckets don't have drainage and fill with water the seed will not only float it will rot as will resultant plants.

[Tigerella]

Hi

They are deep buckets

I will have to take my cordless drill to the lottie tomorrow, I hadnt forgotton.
My seeds are dated sow by 2006, hope they are ok.

T

[sewer rat]

Hi Tigerella
You might get away with the carrot seed, but parsnip seed should be fresh each year, so you may want to rethink them. It's not easy if you've mixed them as parsnips are notoriously slow to germinate therefore you may have to wait quite a while to find out if any have germinated.

[Paulottie]

A general guide is to sow seed three times their size deep.

When sowing anything in pots you water before you sow then cover with a layer/sprinkling of damp compost but most especially with small seed.