Sowing Seed

Question 1

Drills

Answer 1

Carrots, peas, beetroot etc.
Make drill with a hoe or edge of rake
Depth will depend on seed
Sprinkle seed thinly in drill or for larger seed spaces evenly 
Drawer soil over seed with back of rake

Question 2

Individual sowing

Answer 2

Suitable for large seed such as courgette or runner bean

Question 3

Station sowing

Answer 3

Useful for seed that don’t always germinate eg. Pastinaca sativa (Parsnip)
2 - 3seeds sown together at intervals
Strongest seedling kept, others weeded out

Question 4

Sowing seed under cover

Answer 4

Some plants eg. Cucumbers or tomatoes are grown under cover for the whole of their life.
Tender plants eg. Runner beans, are started undercover and planted out once the danger of frost has passed.
Growing under cover can give a longer growing season and/or an earlier crop.

Question 5

Sowing seed in situ

Answer 5

Large, easily handled seed eg. Peas and broad beans can be sown in situ.
Root crops, which do not like to be transplanted, should be grown in situ.

Question 6

Sowing seed in a seed bed

Answer 6

Seed beds are used for initial growth while the bed they will eventually grow in is full.
Plants grown in seed beds are easier to care for during critical growing period.

Question 7

Thinning out

Answer 7

When seedlings have their first set of leaves thin out to about 10cm apart.
Final thinning out to about 15 - 20 cm apart will depend on type of plant

Question 8

Growing in modules.

Answer 8

Plant examples: Courgette( Curcurbita pepo) and French Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris).
Suitable for tender vegetables and vegetables that do not like root disturbance.
2 to 3 seeds per module to advised depth.
Prick out when first true seeds develop, into trays or pots.
Harden off
Plant out.