Selecting a Container

Virtually any type of vegetable or herb should fair well in a container as long as it has enough
room.
As a general rule, select as large a container as possible. Small containers dry out more quickly
and need daily watering.

Planting Depth
Here are the minimum soil depths for healthy growth. Keep in mind that you can get by with
less depth if you use a self-watering planter.
4-5 inches: chives, lettuce, radishes, other salad greens, basil, coriander
6-7 inches: bush beans, garlic, kohlrabi, onions, Asian greens, peas, mint, thyme
8-9 inches: pole beans, carrots, chard, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, leeks, peppers, spinach,
parsley, rosemary
10-12 inches: beets, broccoli, okra, potatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, dill, lemongrass
The Best Vegetables for Containers
Potatoes, chard, lettuce, cherry and tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, chives, lettuce, radishes,
basil, coriander, bush beans, garlic, kohlrabi, onions, Asian greens, peas, mint, thyme, pole
beans, carrots, chard, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, leeks, peppers, spinach, parsley, rosemary,
carrot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, beets, broccoli, okra, potatoes, sweet corn,
summer squash, dill, lemongrass
Plant Combinations / Companion Planting
Plant that can be grown together ( Good Companions):

Beans, carrots, squash

Eggplant, beans

Tomatoes, basil, onions

Lettuce, herbs

Spinach, chard, onions

Plant Combinations to Avoid:

Beans with onions and garlic

Carrots with dill or fennel

Tomatoes or squash with potatoes

Onions with beans and peas

Locating Your Container

Most vegetables require six hours of sunlight per day. Salad greens and herbs can usually get
by with less. Tomatoes, peppers, beans and other sun-lovers will appreciate as much sun as
they can get. If your yard is short on sun, consider putting your plants on caddies or adding
casters. That way they can be moved during the day or even later in the season as the angle of
the sun changes.
Wind is another factor to consider. Your plants will be happiest in a protected location where the
wind doesn't batter and dry out their foliage. Use the shelter of a building, erect a temporary
windbreak made from portable fencing or fabric. Arrange your pots so larger plants shield
smaller plants. Clustering potted plants together also helps to raise humidity levels, keeping
plants more productive.
Drainage
Drainage is key to keep plants from drowning. You want your pot or container to let excess
water out of the bottom, so your plants won't sit in water or soggy soil. Make sure your
container has one large hole or several smaller ones. You can usually drill holes if the drainage
is insufficient.
Soil
Quality potting soil is really important for vegetables. Mix some fertiliser as well.
Water
Vegetables require a consistent supply of water to perform their best. Inconsistent moisture
causes lots of problems, such as blossom drop, poor root development, leaf curling, insect
problems and rot.
Fertilizer
Plants need food to thrive, and their food is fertilizer. If your soil doesnt have fertilizer already
mixed in, youll want to add fertilizer
Fertilizer is especially important when you're growing vegetables in containers. In fact, you just
won't succeed if you don't use some kind of fertilizer. I recommend mixing a granular organic
All-Purpose Fertilizer into the soil when planting, then weekly feeding with a water-soluble
fertilizer.
There are several reasons why fertilizer is so important. First is that the growing medium in the
container has few, if any nutrients. So, your plants are totally dependent on you for the nutrients
they need. Second is that containerized plants get watered a lot, and every time you water, you
wash some nutrients out of the soil.

The third reason fertilizers are necessary is that in a container garden, you are packing lots of
plants into a very small space. One 2' x 2' self-watering planter might contain a tomato plant,
two pepper plants, a basil plant and some parsley. That's a lot of foliage to feed from a few
gallons of "soil".

Tips for Growing in Containers

Clay pots are usually more attractive than plastic ones, but plastic pots retain moisture
better. To get the best of both, slip a plastic pot into a slightly larger clay pot.

Avoid small containers. They often can't store enough water to get through hot days.

Add about 1 inch of course gravel in the bottom of the container to improve drainage.

Vegetables that can be easily transplanted are best suited for containers. Transplants
can be purchased from local nurseries or started at home.

Feed container plants at least twice a month with liquid fertilizer, following the
instructions on the label.

An occasional application of fish emulsion or compost will add trace elements to

container soil.

Place containers where they will receive maximum sunlight and good ventilation. Watch
for and control insect pests.

If you think your yard has too much shade to grow vegetables, think again. There are plenty of
vegetables and herbs that can be grown in constant dappled shade or in as little as three to six
hours of sun.
Heres the general rule for home vegetable growers plagued by what they think may be too
much shade from their own trees or shade from those in a neighbors yard: vegetables and
herbs grown for their stems, leaves or buds will tolerate light shade. Some of these include:
Cooking greens, such as kale, collards, mustard greens and Swiss chard.
Lettuce, specifically the soft, loose-leaf types such as Oakleaf," "Ruby Red" or "Salad Bowl."

Dont pull the plants up after your first harvest. Removing leaves encourages more to appear,
which yield repeat harvests. Head lettuce, however, is not the best option for growing in shade.
Salad greens, including sorrel, endive, cress and arugula. These tasty additions to a salad mix
will expand your options for flavor and texture.
Spinach, a cold-hardy vegetable that has growing requirements similar to lettuce.
Broccoli , a great choice for growing in the relative coolness of partial shade rather than full
sun. After cutting off the large central head, leave the plant in the ground. Smaller heads will
form along the stem in the leaf axils.
Cauliflower, which will tolerate partial shade, though it prefers full sun. It also prefers cooler
temperatures.
Cabbage, another veggie that thrives in the cooler temperatures of partial-shade.
Herbs, such as mint, chervil, coriander and parsley actually prefer partial shade. Heres a mint
hint worth taking to heart: It is an aggressive spreader. Plant it in a container or you may spend
years pulling it from places you didnt plant it and dont want it to grow.
Keep in mind that veggies and herbs grown in constant dappled or filtered shade or those
grown in partial shade will not be as large as those grown in full sun. The yields wont be as
much, either. However, the taste will be every bit as good and so will the satisfaction of having
grown your own food.
If you are wondering how to define what kind of shade you have?. Dappled shade is sunlight
that filters in shifting patterns through tree branches all day. This is similar to woodland shade
environments and the most common situation in suburban backyards. Partial shade is up to 6
hours of sun with four or more of those being in the morning. Full sun is 4 or more hours of
afternoon sun or more than 6 or more hours of direct sun all day.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind to help you get the most from a vegetable and herb
garden planted in shade:

If trees rather than structures such as houses are the source of shade, garden plants
may have to compete for nutrients and water as well as sunlight. One way to keep tree
roots from wicking away water is to plant your crops in raised beds lined with plastic.

Determine whether you have dappled shade, a condition where the garden gets some
sunlight for all or most of the day, or partial shade, which can vary from a few hours of
sunlight to long hours of shade for the rest of the day.

Watch your garden through the seasons to see where the sun falls on the garden and
how long different parts of the garden get sunlight. The amount of shade may vary at
different times of the year as the angle of the sun and leaf canopies change. This
knowledge may help you decide what, when and where to plant different crops.

Be aware that the reflection of sunlight off bright and light surfaces nearby (think white
fences or walls or, perhaps, glass walls from nearby office buildings) can increase the
amount of light your garden gets.

Use reflective mulches to cast light up onto plants.

Understand that there is a difference in morning shade and afternoon shade when it
comes to gardening. Some cool season vegetables, for instance, may perform better in
morning sun and afternoon shade, especially during the summer. This is particularly true
for a crop like lettuce, which has a tendency to bolt (send up a flower stalk) in hot

weather. When a vegetable or herb bolts, the taste turns bitter. When this happens, the
plant can be removed and replaced with another crop or left in the ground for the flowers
to attract pollinators.

Areas with partial shade in the afternoon can also extend the growing season for some
cool season crops such as lettuce that are prone to bolting during in high heat.

Because walls, tree trunks and branches can reduce air circulation, the ground in shade
gardens will not dry out as fast as the ground in gardens that get full sun. The moisture
retention can encourage plant diseases. To reduce the likelihood of this problem, allow
extra space between plants and soak the root zone rather than watering from above and
onto the leaves.

Keep shade gardens free of weeds. Weeds will rob garden plants of the light, water and
nutrients they are already competing for with nearby trees.

If possible, judiciously prune nearby trees and bushes to increase sun exposure. One
way to do that is to remove low-hanging branches from nearby trees.

Root vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, parsnips and beets, fall somewhere in the middle
regarding light requirements. In general, they need more hours of sun than leafy vegetables but
not as much light as full sun for all or most of the day. If you are the adventurous type, why not
give them a try in your shade garden?
Most important of all, make the most of what sun you have. If youre lucky enough to have a few
sunny spots that get more than 6 hours of sun, try growing tomatoes or other favorites in
strategically placed pots.
With a little resourcefulness, you can have fresh vegetables and herbs from spring to fall ie
year-round.

Vegetable Garden Calender (month wise) for Indian Terrain.

This gardening calendar provides a list of month by month activities for growing indoor
vegetables in India.

Month

North India

JANUARY

Brinjal

FEBRUARY

MARCH

South India

Lettuce,Spinach, Gourd

Tomato,Okra,Brinjal, Be

Applegourd, Bittergourd, Bottle gourd, Cucumber, French

Lettuce,Spinach, Gourd

Beans, Okra, Sponge, Gourd, Watermelon, Spinach

Tomato,Okra,Brinjal, Be

Applegourd, Bittergourd, Bottle gourd, Cucumber, French

Beans, Okra, Sponge, Gourd, Watermelon, Spinach

Amaranthus, Coriander

APRIL

Capsicum

Onion, Amaranthus, Co

MAY

Onion, Pepper, Brinjal

Okra, Onion, Chilli

JUNE

All gourds, Brinjal, Cucumber, Cauliflower (Early), Okra,

Onion,Sem,Tomato,Pepper

All Gourds, Solanaecea

Month

North India

South India

JULY

All gourds, Cucumber, Okra, Sem, Tomato

All Gourds, Solanaecea

AUGUST

Carrot, Cauliflower, Radish, Tomato

Carrot, Cauliflower, Bea

SEPTEMBER

Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Peas, Radish, Tomato, Lettuce Cauliflower, Cucumber,

Beet, Brinjal, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Peas, Radish,

Brinjal, Cabbage,Capsi

Spinach, Turnip

Watermelon

NOVEMBER

Turnip, Tomato, Radish, Pepper, Peas, Beet

Beet, Eggplant, Cabbag

DECEMBER

Tomato

OCTOBER

Lettuce, Pumpkin, Wate

Bitter gourd, Bottle gou

Ideal Germination Conditions

Vegetable

Ideal Ideal Range Range Direct/

F

Transplant

Tinda

77

25

68-85 20-30 Direct

Beet

70

20

50-75 10-30 Direct

North India
Feb-Mar/ JunJul
Oct-Nov

South India

Feb-Mar/ Jun-Jul
Aug-Nov

Vegetable

Ideal Ideal Range Range Direct/

F

Transplant

Bittergourd

77

25

68-85 20-30 Direct

Bottlegourd

77

25

68-85 20-30 Direct

Brinjal/ Eggplant 85

30

70-95 21-35 Transplant

Cabbage

70

20

Capsicum

70

Carrot

North India

South India

Feb-March/

Nov-Dec/ Dec-Jan/

June-July

Jun-July

Feb-March/

Nov-Dec/ Dec-Jan/

June-July

Jun-July

Jan-Feb/ May- Jun-Jul/ Oct-Nov/

Jun/ Oct-Nov

Jan-Feb

45-70 10-20 Transplant

Sep-Oct

Jun-Jul/ Oct-Nov

21

60-77 15-25 Transplant

Nov-Jan

80

25

45-85 10-30 Direct

Aug-Sep-Oct

Aug-Nov

77

25

77-80 25-27 Transplant

Mid-June

Jun-Jul/ Aug-Sep

Cauliflower (late) 65

18

60-70 16-20 Transplant

Aug-Sep-Oct

Jun-Jul

58

15

<60

Sep-Oct

Jun-Jul/ Aug-Sep

Cucumber

95

16

60-95 16-32 Direct

Feb-March/

Jun-July/ Sep-Oct/

June-July

Dec-Jan

Frenchbeans

70

20

60-85 16-30 Direct

Feb-March

Lettuce

75

20

40-80 7-27

Sep-Oct

Oct-Dec

Melon

80

27

75-95 22-32 Direct

Jan-Feb

Oct-Jan

Okra

77

25

70-95 20-32 Direct

Feb-Mar/ Jun- Jan-Feb/ May-Jun/

Cauliflower
(early)

Cauliflower
(midseason)

<16

Transplant

Transplant

Jul-Aug/ Oct-Nov/
Jan-Feb

Vegetable

Ideal Ideal Range Range Direct/

F

Transplant

North India

South India

Jul

Oct-Dec

Onion

75

22

50-95 10-32 Transplant

May-Jun

Peas

75

22

40-75 10-22 Direct

Sep-Oct, Nov

Pepper

85

30

65-95 18-32 Transplant

Radish

85

30

Sembeans

85

Spinach

Mar-Apr/ MayJune/ Sep-Oct

Sep-Oct, Nov

Nov-Jan/ May- Jan-Feb/ May-Jun/

Jun

Oct-Nov

45-90 10-30 Direct

Aug-Jan

(Depending

30

77-95 25-35 Direct

Jun-Jul

Jun-Jul, Aug

70

22

45-75 10-22 Direct

Sep-Nov/ Feb Sep, Oct, Nov

Spongegourd

70

22

70-85 20-30 Direct

Tomato

85

30

70-95 20-30 Transplant

Turnip

85

30

Watermelon

95

30

Vegetable Plants Spacing

Feb-Mar/ Jun- Feb-Mar/ Jun-Jul/

Jul

Oct-Nov

Jun-Aug/ Nov- Jan-Feb/ Jun-Jul/

Dec

Oct-Nov

60-105 15-35 Direct

Oct-Nov

Oct-Nov

70-95 20-30 Direct

Jan-Mar

Oct-Jan

Vegetable

Inches between plants

Asparagus

12-18

Vegetable

Inches between plants

Beans, Broad

8-10

Beans, Lima
bush
pole
Beans, Snap or Green
bush
pole

2-3
4-6

2-3
4-6

Beetroot

2-3

Broccoli

24

Brussels Sprouts

24

Cabbage

18-24

Carrot

Cauliflower

18-24

Celery

8-10

Chard

6-9

Chayote

30

Chick pea

6-8

Chicory

12-18

Chinese Cabbage

18

Collards

12

Vegetable

Inches between plants

Corn

12

Cucumber

12

Eggplant

18-24

Endive

9-12

Horseradish

24

Kale

12

Kohlrabi

Leek

6-9

Lettuce

8-12

Muskmelon

18-24

Mustard

6-12

Okra

12-18

Onion
sets
seeds

2-3
1-2

Peas

1-2

Peanut

6-8

Pepper

18-24

Potato

12-18

Vegetable

Inches between plants

Sweet Potato

12-18

Pumpkin

24-48

Radish

Shallot

6-8

Sorrel

12-18

Soybean

Spinach

2-4

Squash, Summer

24-36

Squash, Winter

24-48

Tomato

24

Watermelon

24-72

How to make Organic Potting Mixture.

When you see a successfully grown vegetable garden, the first question you ask the owner is
What is your potting mix? And some people share and some dont. If you always wanted to
make a best organic potting mix, look no further, this post is for you.
A good potting mix has the following characteristics.

Air porosity

Water/moisture retention.

Nutrition.

Support/Anchorage.

Fluffy and light weight.

Well draining.

Infection/pest free

Free from weed seeds

Common Ingredients in a good potting mix

Soil
Paying attention to the quality of the soil used for potting mixes will pay you in the long run. A
good quality soil should be free from stones, lumps and should be rich in nutrients. Dont take
soil from construction sites.They will contain lots of rubbles and is never good for growing
plants. For Indian context, nurseries will sell red soil/ good quality top soil. A good quality soil
from your nearest garden centre should do.
Peat Moss:
Peat moss is the most common ingredient for soilless mixes because of its wide
availability.However, In india the situation is quite opposite. It is not easily available and very
expensive. Peat moss decomposes very slowly and holds large amounts of water; however, it
has a high acidity. Lime is usually added to mixes to balance the pH.
Coco coir peat:
Coir, a by-product of the coconut fiber industry, looks like peat moss, but is granular and also
has an optimum pH for growing plants. Coir typically is packaged as a compressed brick that
will expand when mixed with water. It is important to note that coir may require less potassium
and increased nitrogen supplementation. It retains the right amount of retention and air poro
Worm Castings/Vermicompost:
Vermicompost is the result of composting vegetable waste/food waste using earth worms,
usually red wigglers, to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food
waste, bedding materials, and worm cast. Vermicompost is an excellent, nutrient-rich organic

fertilizer and soil conditioner. This process of producing vermicompost is called

vermicomposting.
Bone meal:
Bone meal is a slaughter house waste. Bones are steamed pulverised and used as fertilizers
for plants.They are rich in Calcium, phosphorus and trace elements. Some people are not
comfortable using it because of the odour. In some places, blood, hoof and horn meal are also
available. Each of them have a different nutrient profile.
Oil Cakes:
Oil cakes are the remains when the oil seeds are crushed/pressed to extract the oil from them.
Because of the nutrient content they act as a good fertilizer.
Potting Mix Recipe

1 part of good quality red soil/top soil

1 part of cocopeat/peat moss

1 part of compost (Vermicompost/manure)

For every 15 litres of the above mix, add 200 grams of bone meal, and 200 grams of oil cake
and 200 grams of wood ash. Thoroughly mix them. Once the mixture is uniformly mixed, put it
in a sack or a big container , cover it and leave it for a good 3 weeks time. Ensure that the mix
is little moist. It should not drip when you squeeze it in your palm. After 2-3 weeks, the potting
mix is ready for use.
Modifications

For some plants, you might want a mix that is more draining.Add 1 part of perlite to it to
increase the drainage.

You can also add coco husk chips to increase the air porosity in the mix. This is required
for crops such as orchids, gerbera etc.

You may add additives like seaweed, humic acid and aminoacids, beneficial microbes,
pressed mud etc to enrich the soil.

Another wonderful way of adding organic fertilizer to a plant is by watering them with compost
tea. You might be wondering what is compost tea and how to make it. Thats for another post!

Top 20 gardening mistakes new gardeners make

It is human nature to not let our mista1kes be known outside. We are also encouraged to learn
from others mistakes. So unless the mistakes are shared, one cannot really benefit from it. In
this post, I am going to share the mistakes new gardeners make(including myself). We all make
mistakes and in gardening that results in the killing of plants sometimes. I have killed more
plants than many of you. I started this post to write top 5 mistakes that people make, but then
the list kept increasing as I started recollecting the my experiences and my experience after
discussing with customers who visit my store.
So without further ado, here goes the list of top 20 mistakes beginners make. You better read
this, before you start a garden!

1. Not giving enough light to plants

2. Watering them too little or too much.
3. Watering them on their leaves.
4. Underfeeding /Over feeding Plants
5. Sowing one too many seeds and Not thinning them
6. Not labeling the plants or taking notes.
7. Choosing a container that is too small
8. Planting plants that are either non-native or out of season
9. Giving a wrong fertilizer to the plants

10. Not pruning or over pruning

11. Improper spray application/too much pesticide
12. Transplanting too late
13. Planting too close
14. Planting too deep / planting too shallow
15. Planting bulbs/cuttings upside down.
16. Letting weeds/pests take over.
17. All at once or nothing/ No staggered planting
18. Not knowing when to harvest. Too soon or too late.
19. Emotional Meltdowns.
20. Not knowing how the seedling would look like. Nurturing a weed.

How to sow seeds Part I

I am sure this happens many times in our lives. You go to a nursery or a garden center and see
the beautifully grown plants and also colorful seed packets. You say it to your selves I want a
garden just like this. The plants and the flowers are so pretty that you end up buying a lot of
seeds or plants themselves.
You bring the seeds home and you are all set to start your own dream garden. Some of you
succeed in that process and come out as green-thumb and the rest call themselves not-agreen-thumb and move on with their life. Though there are lots of posts in this site that touch
upon germination of seeds. I have received lot of requests to write a post exclusively on seed
starting procedure.

This post is mainly to ensure everyone gets a green thumb. If you are having the similar issues
with starting seeds, this post is for you. If you are already an expert in seed starting, you can
also take a look and if possible share some of your best practices. Gardening is one field where
the learning never stops.
This article is going to be in series. So hang in there!
Before we actually dive into the process, definition of some terms is in order.
Seed
A seed can be defined in many ways. Seed is a miniature plant, dormant and resting inside a
seed coat waiting for a conducive environment to germinate. Once the seed finds the
environment favorable, it breaks the seed coat and germinates. This process is germination. It
is also called emergence of seed. The phase before germination is pre-emergence and the one
that comes after is post-emergence.
Cotyledon
Cotyledon is the first set of leaves that emerges post germination. They are also called the seed
leaves. Those leaves dont actually look like the actual leaves of the plant whose seed it is.
True leaves
True leaves are the set of leaves that emerge after the cotyledon. True leaves resemble the leaf
of a particular plant or a variety.

Part I of this post we will discuss on the materials you need to do seed starting and in Part II we
shall look at the procedure it self in detail.

For seed starting, we need the following items.

Seeds

Seed starting mix

Container

Watering can and a Polythene sheet

Plant labels.,

Good environment ( Sunlight, temperature, protection etc)

Seeds
Seeds have to be the most important thing is seed sowing or seed starting procedure. It is very
important that you select good quality seeds. Seeds must be from a good company. Each
variety of seed has its own viability period beyond which their germination rate will come down.
But the good thing is that many vegetable seeds stay viable for upto an year and some seeds
stay good for almost 5+ years. I sowed a tomato from 5 years back and it came out just fine.

Selection of seed should also take into consideration the weather condition of the area in which
the seeds are sown. If the weather is not suitable for the seed, then germination may not
happen. It is better to check the sowing chart for finding out the right vegetable for the season
and then get the seeds. Also check for expiry of the seeds. Some seeds lose viability too
quickly.

Seed starting mix:

A seed starting mix is simply any substrate or medium that we use to germinate our seeds in.
There are countless variety of mixes available for seed starting. My personal favorite is
cocopeat. Cocopeat is also known as coir pith or coir peat. This is a byproduct of the coir fiber
industry. Cocopeat can be purchased as compressed blocks or lose mix. I prefer compressed
blocks since they are easier to handle. Buy cocopeat that is washed and sterilized.
Seeds can be sown in a mix that has just cocopeat. Cocopeat offers no nutrients to the plants.
It is important that we pay attention to adding fertilizer after the seed germinates. This can be
done using a water soluble fertilizer or by adding some compost to the cocopeat while making
the mix. If you want an easier way, you can buy seed starting plugs. Plugs are of so much
convenience and they make transplanting a no-brainer.
Care has to be taken that the seed starting mix doesnt have any fungal infection. Using such a
mix will lead to seedling mortality due to damp-off.
Pictured below is a shot of tomato seedlings growing in a mix of cocopeat and perlite.

The following substrates can be used for seed starting.

Coir Peat ( Washed and sterilized)

Peat moss (pH balanced)

Coir Peat and compost ( 50:50)

Peat + Compost ( 50:50)

Perlite

Vermiculite

Perlite+Vermiculite

Peat/Coir Peat + Vermiculite+ Perlite (1:1:1)

We will have a separate post just on substrates and their characteristics. For now,read on.
Container
Almost any container can be used. Seedlings dont have lot of roots. So a shallow container is
enough and also is easier to handle. Drainage holes are a must to any container used for
seedling production. Root rot, damp-off and other problems arise mainly due to improper
drainage.
For small scale germination, one can use any pot/tray or even small cups. Seed starting plugs
are a good choice and they make containers unnecessary.

For large scale, you are better of using nursery propagation trays. The trays are filled with
cocopeat and the seeds are sown in them.

Polythene sheet.
This one is not mandatory but it has time and again proved that covering the seeds during
germination increases the humidity and makes the germination happen little sooner. It also
keeps the temperature a little higher than outside which the seeds love.

Watering Can
You need a watering can as well water the seedling. It is important that you use a can that has
a sprinkler nozzle fit in otherwise you will be hosing the pot and the seeds.. well, trust me..they
wont be even there in the pot to germinate.
I will end this part I here and we shall continue on Part II detailing the seed starting procedure.
The goal is that after reading these articles you will never have to worry about seed starting.

Prepare the seed starting mix

Getting the seed starting mix ready is our first step. I will mention the easiest and the quickest
way to do this. Take some cocopeat/peat moss which ever is available in your location. If the
cocopeat is already a moist powder, you can use it directly. If it is a compressed block, please
follow the instructions on the block and expand it. Now you have some moist media with you. It
is time to start. Gently squeeze the media/substrate to drain out excess water. The media
should not be soggy wet, little moisture is enough for the seeds to get started.
Cocopeat/peat has no nutrients in them, so for the plants to grow once they germinate, they
need some fertilizer. If you prefer organic ways, you can add in equal ration of compost to the
peat. If you dont mind adding some fertilizer, you can directly use the peat/cocopeat and once
the plant germinates we can add some weak fertilizer.
If you decided to use compost, add 1:1 with the peat and mix it thoroughly. If you are using
chicken/horse/goat manure, then reduce it to 20% of the mix since they are very strong. I would
make this mix in big quantities and keep them aside. As the mix ages, it gets better. You also
need to keep it little moist to keep the microbe population alive.
By now you should have a mix ready to use. Head to the section choosing a container for
planting.

Ready made seed starting mix

For those using Jiffy plugs/ similar rooting plugs. The media is ready to use already. Depending
on the type of media you bought, it might already have some fertilizer in them or just the
substrate, read the instructions. Moisten the plugs with water to expand them if they are in their
compressed form. You can gently squeeze them to drain off excess water and then line them up
like shown in the picture. Now the jiffies are ready for sowing.

Choosing and using a container:

There are so many choices we have for containers. If you are using a jiffy plug, you dont need
a container. move to the next section. For folks using prepared seed starting mix, you can
choose from the following options.
Propagation Tray or seedling trays
Propagation trays are needed if you are planning to sow in large numbers say 50+ plants. The
trays come in different cavity sizes depending on the size of the seedlings. Tomato seedlings
are small, zucchini seedlings are huge, so the cavity size differ. A small cavity size and big
cavity size are shown in the pic below.

Small pot or tray

If you need small number of seedlings, then sowing them on a smaller pot and tray/flat makes
sense. It is easier to handle and you need less resources. Food take out containers can be
used for making seedlings and they do a pretty good job. Easy to find, cheap and it works. Just
punch few drainage holes and you are good to go.

Big Pot ( direct sowing)

There are some plants that are not comfortable with them being moved around. They prefer to
stay in the same place where you sown them. Refer to the Sowing Chart page, under Ideal
Germination Conditions. If the column reads Direct then the plant doesnt like being
transplanted or moved around. For such plants, it is better to sow them directly in their final
container. For such cases, the sowing happens in their final pot. Here are some examples .

Sowing Procedure
We now have the seed starting mix and we now have the container as well. Lets dive right into
the seed staring procedure.
1. Fill the container with seed starting mix.
2. Fill the mix right to the top of the container and then gently tap or press the mix so that it
compacts. This step ensures there are no air pockets in the mix.
3. Now start making small pits or depressions on the surface of the medium. Now two
questions arise. .

How deep one should sow the seed ?

I have prepared a chart just for this and it should serve you as a guide line for sowing depths.
Refer to Sowing Chart. I will tell you easiest way to remember the sowing depth if you dont
have a reference chart handy. The sowing depth should be not more than twice the size of the
seed. I can immedialy hear you saying Which side of the seed? Longest side.. if the seed is
spherical, use the diameter. Convinced?
How far apart the seeds be sown?
The distance between plants is only applicable when you are direct sowing them. For that
purpose, there is a table in the Sowing Chart page that explains you that.

Cover it with Polythene sheet

Once the seeds are sown and it is watered. It is time for us to cover the seed starting tray / pot
with a polythene sheet. While this step is not mandatory, doing so reduces the time it takes for
seeds to germinate. This is because of the humidity the polythene creates. It also ensures the
moisture is locked in. This is very good because we dont have to water the tray till the plants
germinate. Thats right. No watering is necessary until the plants germinate.
In the picture below, the seeds are sown in a tray and covered with poly sheet. The condensate
on the sheet is also evident indicating a warm environment inside the sheet. Trust me, the
seeds will love it.. they love it so much they surprise you by popping early.

Once the seeds germinate, remove the polythene and expose seedlings to good sunlight. This
step is very crucial. If you delay exposing them to sunlight, the chances are very high that they
will become tall and lanky. Such seedlings dont become healthy plants. They also tend to break
so quickly.

Feed the seedlings

Water them daily and dont let them get dry. A dry spell during the seedling stage can have a
huge impact on the crops health. If you raised the seedlings in just cocopeat or any other inert
substrate, this is the time to water them with a dilute nutrient solution. You can use a hydroponic
solution or 19-19-19. About a gram per liter is good enough for seedlings.

If you do the above, the seedlings from your garden will be at par with the commercially grown
ones. The picture below is an example of how great the seedlings will come up if you do things
the right way! Go ahead, get set sow.