5 Tips to Take Your Direct Sowing Game to The Next Level

When it comes to direct sowing seeds, there are some things you can do to take your direct sowing game to the next level, and increase success in the garden.

[mountainpatriothomestead]

Bless your sweet heart. I was thinking that the board was going to be a straight edge. The thought of crouching, then falling headfirst into the bed, made me laugh.
Thank you for sharing the ideas!

[terrantula]

Great ideas, Luke! One I came across from a local Gardner friend of mine was to use clear (see through) shower curtains. I bought some from Walmart and have been using them to help germinate seeds outdoors bc the temps are still somewhat cold and they act like a little greenhouse for the seedlings, light can get through and it provides the warmth/humidity for them, bonus is that they only cost me about $4 a piece.🥰🥰

[theorangetreehomestead]

I love direct sowing, much less tedious than babying the seedlings and then transplanting.

[lindalee]

I'm definitely going to try the cardboard method for carrots this year. Thanks, Luke. 🌻🌷🌻🌷

[jenniferwagner]

I used the cardboard trick to get my carrot seeds I ordered from you to germinate. 🤩 Since I'm a newby gardener and can't tell the difference between seeds sprouting and weeds, I use toilet paper rolls to remember where I planted cabbage seeds and buttercrunch lettuce seeds I ordered from you. I dig a hole, put an empty TP roll in, put some soil in, place a couple of seeds in, then add more soil on top.

[doctorhousemd]

Luke I hope you know the happiness you cause so many people you are a really influential person !

[HomesteadForALiving]

I’ve recently changed how I go about sowing, and it’s made my garden incredibly abundant. I lay the seeds in the row, then lay compost between rows. If they don’t germinate within the time they’re supposed to, I simply plant a row of something else. Seeds are cheap/free if you save them. This way I always have something growing. I keep this up year round, mulching around plants constantly with compost

[lorrigierman]

Thanks for the great tips...especially for carrots. I like to use plastic silverware from the dollar store to mark my rows. Usually plastic knives but don't be surprised to see plastic forks and spoons in the garden too. I also use different colored ones to mark where I want to plant tulip and daffodil bulbs in the fall so I know where my gaps are.

[janesheppard]

I’ve been gardening for almost forty years and I began with direct sowing of everything except tomatoes and peppers. I’ve been working for years on starting seeds inside under lights and in a small greenhouse. Watching you now almost makes me miss direct sowing. Almost! Too many variables and I’m too old to thin and weed constantly. I have found I really enjoy the greenhouse and seed starting in a standing position. I love your videos and occasionally learn something, just proves you’re never too old.

[charlesdevier]

I use old "mini-blinds" for garden labels. Just cut the plastic "blind" into 6 inch pieces and write on it with a Sharpie.

[Gkrissy]

Cool tip with the use of board, it made you look like a skateboarding gardener.😆

[lauramccament]

Oh my, great quad and balance work out using that board!

[lea-nadegebarrett]

Great tip with the cardboard Luke! Tried this with my chamomile seeds since viewing this video and they have Thanks for sharing that tip!!!

[reneeodayok]

Guys all those cottage cheese and sour cream containers....cut them up and make tags for your plants!

[nathanielp]

Having seen 2 days of on/off rain in the forcast i dropped seed this past weekend & will let mother nature do her thing!

[sandytoner]

I use vermiculite to cover my seeds. Holds in moisture and marks where they are planted.

[mickeemickee]

Thank you for the video. I learned something new about planting carrot seeds.

[drewsample]

I've been heavily sowing radishes and carrots in the same bed at the same time. The radishes grow in fast and provide some shade and moisture to the young carrots. by the time the radishes are a few inches tall and have 5-6 leaves, I thin the radishes to give some more light to the carrots. I also ussualy sow the radish thickly enough that I can taste one every morning, when I check up on them.

I usually do this in my round raised beds and containers, sowing the carrots and radishes in concentric rings to minimize damage to the carrot roots when I thin the radishes.

[hart]

Great tips. My Seed orders from you are always A+++. Ty vm.

[dionnegleckler]

Thank you I've learned so much since I discovered your channel. I use plastic knives for my row markers as I always seems to I have so many left over out of the mixed packs of cutlery and I can write on them what I planted in that row. I can get several years out of them before they get too brittle to re-use.