Direct Sow

PROS AND CONS

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Direct Sowing:

Direct sowing is when you sow your seed directly in the soil. Make a shallow furrow or a shallow indention in the soil, the depth that your seed packet suggests for your seed, cover the seed with soil, water it and wait. :)
If you have Critters around your yard like mice, chipmunks, squirrels, birds and others like I do, they will eat your seeds. So, I covered my seeds with a board. Wait until the seeds starts to germinate and uncover the seeds. Then I protect my seedlings with branches, rose clippings or wire mesh.

Can you Direct Sow All Seeds Zone6?

I would say "yes". However, our growing season is not very long and some plants can use the extra help by being started indoors. Peppers and Eggplants are two plants that I know I have to start indoors. Otherwise by the time our first frost arrives most of my Pepper plants are covered in green peppers and no eggplants.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Direct Sowing?

Advantages: I love to Direct Sow. No mess in the house with having pots, trays and grow lights everywhere.
Disadvantages: I only have one. Critters are hungry in the spring and they will either eat all of my seeds or dig them up.

Vegetables & Fruits that I can direct sow in Zone 6:

I direct sow almost everything except for Peppers, Eggplants and Tomatoes.
Tomato self-seeds in my garden, but I start them indoors as well to give my tomato plants a head start, before the self-seeders starts cropping. Some Vegetable and Fruit seeds that I Direct Sow:
Beets, Beans, Peas, Swiss Chard, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Carrots, Lettuce, Spinach, Rocket, Leeks, Turnips, Parsnips, Watermelons, Cantaloupe, Squash, Pumpkins, Zucchinni, Cucumbers, Kale, Cabbages, Corn, Fennel, Leeks, Onions and Potatoes.

Herbs & Spices that I can I direct sow in Zone 6:

I do Parsley, Dill, Chives, Garlic and then they self-seed everywhere.

Flowers that I can I direct sow in Zone 6:

Annual flowers like Sunflowers, Zinnias, Godetia, Four o'clocks, Baby's Breath, Sweet Peas, Coleus, Marigolds, Calendula and Cosmos.
Perennial flower seeds I like to Direct Sow in late fall, then they will go through stratification all on their own. I just cover the seeds with a board or something to keep the Critters from eating them during the winter. If I forget to Direct Sow my seeds in the late Fall, I just put my perennial seeds in the fridge and sow them in the spring. I found that perennial seeds do better if they go through a cold period before sowing them. I do this especially with Delphiniums.

How to start seedlings indoors
All about Seeds

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