{"id":12126,"date":"2021-02-12T12:00:59","date_gmt":"2021-02-12T20:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/?p=12126"},"modified":"2021-02-12T20:43:28","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T04:43:28","slug":"sowing-vegetable-seeds-in-the-ground-in-southern-california-three-keys-to-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/sowing-vegetable-seeds-in-the-ground-in-southern-california-three-keys-to-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Sowing vegetable seeds in the ground in Southern California: Three keys to success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I remember well the first time I sowed vegetable seeds. They were green beans. I stood there holding the packet, looking at the garden dirt wondering, \u201cDo I really just bury them and they\u2019ll grow?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though I&#8217;ve done much sowing since then, I still mess it up from time to time. Below are the three ways I\u2019m inclined to get it wrong &#8212; except that I\u2019ve decided to frame things generally, as if you might also make the same mistakes. (Presumptive me.) And I\u2019m framing things positively: Three keys to <em>success<\/em> in sowing vegetable seeds directly in the ground in Southern California. Doesn\u2019t that sound encouraging?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Not too deep<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, remember to cover the seeds with a bit of soil or compost but not to bury the little guys in a grave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is especially important to remember when sowing small seeds such as lettuce, parsley, or carrots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While we in Southern California should generally ignore what seed packets say about <em>when<\/em> to sow certain vegetables, we should not ignore advice about sowing depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/sow-different-vegetable-seeds-at-different-depths.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"443\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/sow-different-vegetable-seeds-at-different-depths.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12129\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/sow-different-vegetable-seeds-at-different-depths.jpg 500w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/sow-different-vegetable-seeds-at-different-depths-480x425.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 500px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Left: beans; right: carrots.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Instructions about sowing depth are mostly based on the size of the particular seeds. Put simply, sow big seeds deeper than small seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/different-vegetable-seeds-are-different-sizes.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"409\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/different-vegetable-seeds-are-different-sizes.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12130\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/different-vegetable-seeds-are-different-sizes.jpg 600w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/different-vegetable-seeds-are-different-sizes-480x327.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 600px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Seed size varies a lot. Left: beans; right: carrots.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I like the rule of thumb that Robert and Cheryl Gough give in their book <em>The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds<\/em>, which is: \u201cDon\u2019t cover seeds to more than twice their largest diameter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, in practice, what I do is sow all big seeds to the depth of my first knuckle, and for small seeds I don\u2019t even make furrows or press them into holes. I just sprinkle the seeds, then sprinkle just enough compost over them until I can no longer see the seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Covered or buried too deeply, small seeds will either never germinate or only a small percentage will emerge from the soil; small seeds don\u2019t have enough energy within them to break through inches of dirt to reach the sunlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Before<\/em><\/strong><strong> sowing, thoroughly wet the soil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But let\u2019s back up. Before even sowing a seed, you should make sure that the garden dirt you are going to sow into is wet at least a foot deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you sow into garden dirt that is dry or only wet down a couple inches, you are inviting challenges. Seeds only germinate if kept moist. But if you try to wet the soil after sowing you\u2019ll find that your seeds unearth. Some of them will float up to the surface of the dirt. Better is to sow into wet dirt because the seeds will stick to the wet dirt and stay in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Further, once the seeds germinate they send down a root as deeply as they find the soil conditions hospitable. One of the conditions for being hospitable is being moist. But you don\u2019t know when the seed is germinating, as it happens underground and out of sight, and <em>before<\/em> the first leaves emerge above ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wetting the soil before sowing ensures that the germinated seeds have no barrier to getting a fast and strong start to life through being able to root down as deeply as they want. Moreover, it removes the need for you to later guess about or dig to test how much wet soil the plants have to work with. (Moisture deep in the soil remains in place, essentially waiting for plant roots to drink it. It doesn&#8217;t dry up.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, first, ensure the soil is wet. Second, sow seeds. In that order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Third, with small seeds, and especially outside of the winter season, you might have to irrigate lightly so that the soil around the seeds stays moist until the seeds germinate. This is because the sun and wind do evaporate moisture from the soil near the surface, and small seeds must be sown very close to the soil surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, I sowed a row of carrots a week and a half ago, on February 3. It was sunny and in the 70s for the next four days so I watered lightly each morning. But since then it has been cloudy and cooler, and I\u2019ve only needed to sprinkle the row every two or three days. I know when I need to water by feeling the moisture in the dirt at the depth where I sowed the seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/keeping-soil-surface-moist-for-carrot-seeds.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/keeping-soil-surface-moist-for-carrot-seeds.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12131\" width=\"622\" height=\"436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/keeping-soil-surface-moist-for-carrot-seeds.jpg 622w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/keeping-soil-surface-moist-for-carrot-seeds-480x337.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 622px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Lightly watering a row of carrots to keep the soil around the seeds moist.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>With big seeds, on the other hand, I\u2019ve never found a need to irrigate after sowing &#8212; and before the plants have emerged. In fact, if you do water and keep the soil soggy around such big seeds (think: beans, peas, corn) you run the risk of rotting them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Protect from birds and bugs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, don\u2019t do all this work of sowing vegetable seeds and ensuring moisture in the soil only to feed wild animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Birds can be attracted to your seeds. Specifically, I\u2019ve noticed white-crowned sparrows and towhees scratching up seeds and munching first leaves as they emerge. Pill bugs, earwigs, snails and slugs will also eat leaves as soon as they emerge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are various ways to prevent these critters from spoiling your sowing. In my own yard, I attempt to debug the area I intend to sow before I sow. I do this with my chickens sometimes. (\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/chickens-my-gardens-little-helpers\/\">Chickens: my garden\u2019s little helpers.\u201d<\/a>) And I also run my fingers through any nearby mulch to reveal hiding bugs. If found, they get squished or fed to the chickens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the birds, lately I\u2019ve been getting good results from laying tulle fabric over a sowing. I&#8217;ve found that this also prevents rabbits from munching the seedlings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/tulle-fabric-over-pea-seedlings-as-protection-from-birds-and-rabbits.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/tulle-fabric-over-pea-seedlings-as-protection-from-birds-and-rabbits.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12132\" width=\"543\" height=\"408\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/tulle-fabric-over-pea-seedlings-as-protection-from-birds-and-rabbits.jpg 543w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/tulle-fabric-over-pea-seedlings-as-protection-from-birds-and-rabbits-480x361.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 543px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Tulle fabric protecting pea seedlings.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you notice seedlings emerging but then disappearing, work fast to figure out who is doing the damage or you\u2019ll lose the whole sowing. The first thing you might do is go out after dark with a flashlight to check for the presence of bugs and snails and slugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Plus two tips<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, other things can go wrong with a vegetable sowing. If you haven\u2019t dealt with weed seeds in the area, then that can be a nightmare. (See the stale seedbed section of my post, <a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/how-to-outsmart-garden-weeds\/\">\u201cHow to outsmart garden weeds.\u201d<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the first order of business should actually be to make sure you\u2019re sowing the right crop at the right time. This is even more important when direct sowing compared to transplanting seedlings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, sowing peppers directly in the ground right now (February) is likely to be a bust since germination will take forever in the cold soil and the plants will grow so slowly that they probably won\u2019t outgrow bug damage whereas you could plant pepper seedlings right now and they\u2019ll probably just sit around not growing much for the next month or two, getting some bug damage but not being killed. (See this post for more on timing: <a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/which-vegetables-can-i-plant-now-in-southern-california\/\">\u201cWhich vegetables can I plant now in Southern California?\u201d<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s raining lightly as I write this: an ideal circumstance in which to sow vegetable seeds. The garden might get another row of carrots today. Now, if I follow my own advice . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>All of my Yard Posts are listed <a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/list-of-yard-posts\/\"><strong>HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I remember well the first time I sowed vegetable seeds. They were green beans. I stood there holding the packet, looking at the garden dirt wondering, \u201cDo I really just bury them and they\u2019ll grow?\u201d Though I&#8217;ve done much sowing since then, I still mess it up from time to time. Below are the three [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12128,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vegetables"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sowing vegetable seeds in the ground in Southern California: Three keys to success - Greg Alder&#039;s Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wet the soil BEFORE sowing; cover seeds to appropriate depth; and protect seeds\/seedlings from bugs and birds.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/sowing-vegetable-seeds-in-the-ground-in-southern-california-three-keys-to-success\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sowing vegetable seeds in the ground in Southern California: Three keys to success - Greg Alder&#039;s Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Wet the soil BEFORE sowing; 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