once the weather starts to cool off, small seedlings struggle to get along so if you plan to grow vegetables from seed it makes sense to get started now. Where the weather is already too cool, a simple cloche of plastic or glass will help these babies along. Always use a proper seed raising mix as ordinary potting mix is too coarse and contains some nutrients that can be detrimental to successful germination.
1.Use a block of wood to firm a 3-4 cm layer of seed raising mix into a seed tray.
2.Sprinkle seed evenly.
3.Cover with a fine layer of mix. very fine seed is best left uncovered.
4.Apply water via a fine nozzle spray to settle the seed into the mix.
5.Cover the tray with newspaper and, ideally, a piece of glass to retain moisture and keep seedlings warm.
6.Place the seed in a warm sheltered outdoor area, greenhouse or cloche.
7.Keep the mix evenly moist as you check each day for germination.
8.Remove glass and paper at the first sign of germination.
9.Seedlings are ready to be transplanted into larger containers once they have one to two sets of true leaves.
10.Transplant seedlings into the garden once they are strongly growing with ample roots.