How To Direct Sow
Sowing is just putting seeds in soil. It’s not that complicated, but there’s plenty of well-intentioned advice on seed packets and in gardening books on how far apart to space seeds for different plants and how deep the seeds should go. In general, most seeds will grow just find in good soil that drains well and isn’t too soggy.
Direct sowing differs from starting plants by seed indoors in that it happens later in the season, usually after the soil is warm and danger of frost is past. And because some seed will inevitably fail to germinate and some plants will fail to thrive, there will be more seeds put in the ground than will come to harvest.
“I use my finger to press a half-inch (1 cm) hole into the soil, at various intervals depending on the plant variety,” says Gary Pilarchik in The Modern Homestead Garden. “I found this a quick and simple way to sow seeds and set up the planting holes… I drop two seeds per each finger hole and cover.”
Be sure to prepare the soil first and water after planting. Thin the seedlings when a half-inch tall, keeping the strongest and composting the culls.
