5393391245239365981

5393391245239365981

How Many Seeds To Plant – A Gardener’s Guide

Byking_adm on March 15, 2021

When people are starting any type of garden, they might jump into the task without learning the fundamentals. One of the many things you need to learn is how many seeds to plant. People pick up packages of seeds with the misconception that every single seed in the package will germinate and sprout up to a strong and healthy plant. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case, and many plants and gardens end up failing because people don’t keep that in mind. It’s natural to want to save money and only purchase as many seeds as you think you’ll need, but that kind of mindset might end up causing your hopes to be let down once you start to see many of the seeds you planted not coming to fruition.

How Many Seeds To Plant

A general rule of thumb is to put two seeds in every hole you’re making. It would be nice if 100% of the seeds you plant begin to germinate, but that won’t happen. If you add more seeds to the holes, then you have higher chances of them germinating than if you only put one seed in every hole.

Maybe you’ve had some success in the past with only planting a single seed instead of doubling them up. If you did have success doing that in the past, then you should consider yourself fairly lucky. It’s good to take a closer look at the dynamics of planting more than just one seed.

What’s The Point Of Over Planting Seeds?

100% Of The Seeds You Plant Won’t Germinate

To take a closer look at why you should plant more than one seed, the following example needs to be considered. Assume that you’re wanting to reap the harvest of six tomato plants in the upcoming season that are all going to be planted from seeds. Also, assume that you don’t end up getting anywhere near six plants once the growth phase begins. This is going to leave you feeling disheartened and wondering why all six seeds didn’t germinate. By planting more seeds, you lessen the chances of discouragement and increase the chances of the six plants all germinating. It doesn’t matter if you’re growing the seeds outdoors, in pots, or containers, the same rule of overplanting seeds applies across the board.

Planting More Seeds Can Save You Space

If you plant six tomato seeds, there’s a good chance that only four of those seeds will germinate. Doubling up on the seeds will only increase your chances of the plants growing. If you think of it, seeds aren’t all that expensive, so planting an extra seed or two can be seen as an insurance plan. If your goal is to get six plants, it’s good to add two seeds to twelve different cells because all of the cells won’t end up turning into a plant. At least the second seed can act as a backup in case the first one doesn’t grow. This can be a good way to save space instead of just only putting one seed in each cell and risk the chance of having half of those cells growing into plants.

Overplanting Can Save Money

Let’s jump back to the six seed tomato plant example. If your end goal is to produce six tomato plants and nothing less, you’ll have to run to the store and purchase two more tomato plants if only four seeds ended up growing from the six seeds that you planted. Purchasing a tomato plant will cost you much more than just purchasing additional seeds. If your goal is to also have certain quantities of other plants, then you’ll have to do the same thing for every plant that doesn’t end up growing because you under-planted seeds.

You Can Choose What Plants Are The Healthiest

Every seed you plant won’t be equally as strong as the other if they end up successfully germinating. Plants sometimes end up growing at different rates in comparison to each other and planting more seeds will give the grower more options to choose from. If you overplant, then you can pick and choose the healthiest plants and discard ones that didn’t end up growing well.

You’ll Have Leftover Seeds For Next Season

By purchasing more seeds than you need, you don’t have to see them as a waste of money because they will always be there for next year. Even though you might be tempted to purchase a small number of seeds, you don’t always have to think a higher quantity will be a waste of money. You’ll also have to keep in mind that the chances of seeds germinating will lessen each year that you have them sitting around, so you’ll want to use them as soon as the next season rolls around. Seeds don’t cost that much, so if you’re thinking that you’re saving a ton of money by collecting used seed packages, then you should know that there are much better ways to save money than the dollar or two that you’re saving once a year on seeds.

What Are Some Ways To Sow Seeds?

Each seed you purchase will have a slightly different sowing method, so it’s useful to take a look at some of the different kinds.

Herbs, Lettuce, And Onions

If you’re planning on sowing herbs, lettuce, or onions, it’s useful to know what the broadcast method is. Because these types of seeds are so small, it’s recommended to grab a pinch of the seeds and place them in a pot, cell, or a full row (if you plan on doing an outdoor garden). After that, you’ll want to gently place some soil over the seeds. Ensure that you’re not putting too much soil on top of them because these tiny seeds don’t need to be covered with too much soil to germinate properly.

Herbs that work best with this method are:

• Parsley
• Oregano
• Mint
• Cilantro

Onion Seedlings

If you’re wanting to start onion seedlings inside, it’s recommended to plant them quite close in proximity to each other. Once you think the seedlings have reached the point where you can plant them outdoors, all you have to do is gently grab them with your fingers and pull them apart from each other. The roots that onions have been known to be very durable and resistant to damage, so you don’t have to be too anxious about damaging them.

Kale, Tomatoes, Peppers, Broccoli

With these vegetables, using seeds that are medium in size seems to work the best. Once they reach maturity, they tend to grow most efficiently when they aren’t all bunched together. You’ll want to plant a few seeds of each plant variety with these particular ones. After the seeds start to germinate, you’ll then want to select the healthiest plants and place them in their own respectable spots because they grow best alone.

Peas, Melons, Pumpkins, Cucumbers

These seeds are known to be quite large in size, and with larger seeds, you typically won’t want to add as many in each specific hole. Once these types of seeds start germinating, the roots take up a lot of room, and that can hinder the growth of each plant. It’s best to limit the seed count to only two with these particular seeds.

Now that you’ve got a better grasp on why you should overplant seeds, it’s important to go over the fundamentals of thinning the seeds out so that they’ll grow to their full potential.

What’s Involved In Thinning Out Seeds?

Many gardeners have trouble when it comes to thinning seedlings properly. No one ever said it was easy to plant seeds and get them to grow successfully from start to finish. Some plants tend to grow easier than others, and some just require a bit more assistance throughout the entire process.

Cotyledon is the two tiny leaves that poke out of the stem once seeds begin to sprout. After these initial leaves start sprouting up, the leaves that follow those ones are known as true leaves. True leaves are the ones that will remain on the plant and the initial ones that sprouted up will fall off.

As the true leaves start to appear on a plant, you’ll want to start thinning out the plants and scattering them to their own cells, pots, or holes. Ensure that you’re using the healthiest looking plants out of all the ones you’ve grown so far in the process. The healthiest ones will be green, straight, and further along in the growth process than the rest of the pack. Once you’ve determined what the healthiest plants are, get some scissors and make a cut through the plant’s stem located at the soil level. Some people just use force and yank the plant right out of the pot, but that isn’t a good method.

Q & A

What Is The Average Length Of Time For Germination?

A lot of seeds will begin sprouting up within two weeks of being planted, but that also depends heavily on the environmental growing conditions. It also depends on what type of seeds you’re growing. There are certain seeds that might germinate within a week, while others could take much more time.

What’s The Best Soil To Use?

When you’re growing seeds, you’ll want a nice mix of soil. Any gardening store will have soil mixes available for purchase. Some of the common ones are:

• Peat moss mix
• Vermiculite
• Perlite
• Compost mix

Some of the more experienced growers also like to make their own mixes for growing seeds.

If I’m Growing Seeds In The House, Do I Need Heat Mats?

Seeds tend to germinate more successfully when the temperature is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If the room you’re growing in isn’t that temperature, sometimes purchasing a heat mat can bring things up to that temperature and make the germination process work better.

What About A Grow Light For Indoor Gardening?

If you’re going to be growing plants in an area that receives a lot of sunlight through the window, then you don’t need to worry about purchasing a grow light. If you don’t have the option of growing your plants near a window that gives lots of natural sunlight, then a grow light can come in handy.