Low Cost Garden Insurance Starts by Treating Seeds

All untreated seeds carry on or within them microscopic fungi and bacteria. Hundreds of kinds of seed-borne organisms, capable of causing plant diseases exist. These fungi and bacteria may cause seeds to decay in the soil and young seedlings, bulbs, corms or rhizomes to rot before or after shoots emerge from the soil.

Organisms carried on the seed may also be the source of certain types of dwarfing or stunting, root rots, smuts, wilts, mildews, leaf spot and blights, stripe diseases, etc., which later appear on the growing plant.

Practically all vegetable and flower seeds benefit from seed treatment. Seed protectants, properly applied at the recommended dosage, destroy seed-borne organisms on and in the seed, check seed-rotting fungi in the soil, help establish a higher percentage of more vigorous seedlings, plus producing bigger yields of higher quality vegetables and flowers.

No other garden practice produces such benefits for so little money and time. Seed treatment is cheap garden insurance.

Influencing Factors

Certain factors influence the infection of seed and young seedlings by micro-organisms.

1 – Climatic conditions during the latter part of the growing season of the seed-producing mother plant. Some organisms may enter seed about the time of pollination, particularly if the period is humid. or wet.

2 – State of maturity when seed is harvested.

3 – Climatic conditions just before and during harvest. If the seed is too dry at harvest it is easily damaged. Organisms then enter through the cracks in the seed coat. If seeds harvested too wet it may mold and not even germinate later. Seed which is harvested with a high moisture content should be carefully dried.

4 – The method used and rapidity of artificial drying may greatly change the numbers of organisms on and in the seed.

5 – Conditions of seed storage and duration of storage. Seeds stored with a high moisture content may “spoil” or “heat,” killing the germ in the seed. Each kind of seed` should be stored under carefully regulated conditions and be checked periodically. Older seed becomes weak and should be discarded.

The above factors are good reasons why you should buy- seed, only from established, reputable seed dealers. Check with your county agent or extension horticulturist if you are not sure of the seed source or distributor. Ask the salesman what the germination percentage is of the seed you buy. Frequently it is stamped right on the package.

Most vegetable seed, especially that sold by the better seedsmen, has a high germination percentage (85 per cent or more), excellent beauty insurance and is free from seed borne diseases and garden weed seeds. Some of this seed has already been treated by the time you purchase it.

It is not too uncommon to find packets of flower seeds which have a zero germination. Is it any wonder sometimes that the seed doesn’t sprout?

Reputable seedsmen call in all unsold seed each year to be sure you buy only fresh, high-quality seed.

The overall recommendation suggest buying certified, disease-free seeds of bean, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, pea, etc. grown in Western states. This seed is carefully grown in irrigated regions where the humidity is low and many seed borne diseases are unknown. Such seed often benefits from a treatment to protect it against soil-borne micro-organisms capable of causing seed rot and damping-off. Tomato and other seedlings which are frequently shipped across state borders are carefully inspected by state officials before and during shipment to ensure as far as possible that the plants you buy are free of disease.

How to Grow a Healthy Lawn

It can be hard to grow a thick, dark green lawn, but there are a few tips to follow. When seeding a lawn, fall is undoubtedly the best time. September is the perfect time to begin your lawn, because the hottest weather will be over. You could also start in early spring, but there needs to be good root growth before the hot summer weather arrives. However, they will be competing with crab grass, which grows quickly in the summer months, as well as high heat and inadequate water.

When planting your grass seeds, keep in mind that the seeds are relatively small, so they should not be planted deeply into the ground. As long as the ground is relatively moist, the seeds only need partial covering with soil. You should use about 4 pounds of seeds for 1,000 square feet of lawn. Don’t try to make up for low-quality seeds by using more of them; this will just increase competition between them.

When planting your seeds, use a mechanical spreader if you can. To ensure even coverage, you should spread half the seeds in one direction, the rest in the other direction. That way, you will not miss any spots. When you’re done, rake the seeds lightly. You may also want to cover the seeds with 1/8 inch of soil or compost, but this is not absolutely necessary.

If you’re trying to plant a lawn on a slope, this will need special treatment. If it rains, the seeds are likely to be washed away. You can cover them with straw to keep them in place, but remove the straw as soon as they sprout. Or you can cover the new seedlings with an open mesh burlap, cheesecloth, or garden mesh. These will keep the soil intact and protect the new grass. It should be removed by the time the grass is half an inch long.

Rainfall is best for new grass, but if you have decided on sowing grass seeds during dry weather, you’ll need to water for the seeds to germinate. Be sure to use a fine mist so that you won’t create puddles. Water in the morning, before the hottest part of the day. Especially once the grass seeds sprout, be sure to adequately water them. You can use a sprinkler, but don’t leave it on the lawn until the soil becomes too wet. After you water, the water should reach down about 5 inches into the soil.

As your grass begins to grow, you may wonder when it’s time to begin the chore of mowing. You can start moving when the tallest blades of grass are 2 inches long, but don’t cut the grass shorter than an inch and a half.

If you’re considering tearing out an old lawn to replace it with a new and healthy lawn, this may be a wise decision. However, there are also some things you should do before planting the lawn. If your lawn is growing poorly because the soil is too hard, plow it and add compost. You can also try aerating the top layer of soil, or adding 4 pounds of plant food for every 100 square feet of lawn. If your lawn is mossy, you should improve the drainage before planting your new lawn.