Smart & simpel Gemüse auf wenig Platz anbauen!
At the beginning of the new gardening year, many of you face the question again: buy young plants or grow them yourself? I personally can never get enough of that magical moment when, after days or weeks of waiting, the seedling finally pokes its little head out of the ground.
Whereas for some cultivars one of the two sowing methods is already ruled out, most crops can either be directly sown or pre-grown indoors. So the choice is entirely up to you.
Advantages and disadvantages of direct sowing and pre-grow indoors are:
The cold stimulus needed by cold germinators is a protective mechanism of nature that prevents the seeds from germinating already in autumn and then freezing in winter. You can simulate the cold stimulus by placing the seeds in a plastic bag wrapped in a damp kitchen paper and placing it in the refrigerator for 4 weeks before sowing.
If you are a fan of Easy Gardening, direct seeding is definitely the way to go. Direct seeding also goes well with the permaculture principles of gardening within the natural cycle and reducing your own workload. Only heat-loving plants whose long growing period requires early planting are better pre-grown indoors. Cultivars with long taproots (e.g. dill, carrots, beet) should be better sown directly, and also legumes (e.g. beans, peas) thrive better outdoors. Sow in loosened, weed-free soil. Push mulch aside, since it prevents the seeds from germinating. Sow the seeds in the predefined depth and cover them with soil (dark germinators) or press them well (light germinators). Moisten the soil with a fine spray, which you repeat regularly, especially during the germination phase. Before the month of May, you should cover your plants with a fleece to protect them from night frosts. Using a fleece also keeps the soil temperature constant and improves germination. Depending on the sowing method, you may need to thin out the seedlings. If you plant the seeds individually, it is best to put 1-2 seeds extra in the seed hole in order to have „spare“ in case something goes wrong. You can simply remove them later.
According to these methods, you can sow:
If you use horst sowing (for example, for beans), sow 4-6 seeds with a distance of about 40-50 cm to the next group.
Heat-loving crops such as tomatoes, eggplants, or peppers require a high germination temperature, which in our climate is only given after the Ice Saints (mid to late May). Due to their long growth period of several months, sowing is therefore done indoors in early to mid-March. After the Ice Saints, the heat-loving plants are then transplanted outside. For the cultivation indoors you need nutrient-poor growing substrate, e.g. coir, which promotes the root growth of the seedlings. Fill the substrate in growing pots and put 1 seed in each growing pot. Plan preferably
Heat-loving crops such as tomatoes, eggplants or peppers require a high germination temperature, which in our climate is only given after the Ice Saints (mid to late May). Due to their long growth period of several months, sowing is therefore done indoors in early to mid-March. After the Ice Saints, the heat-loving plants are then transplanted outside. For
the cultivation indoors you need nutrient-poor growing substrate, e.g. coir, which promotes the root growth of the seedlings. Fill the substrate in growing pots and put 1 seed in each growing pot. Plan preferably an extra 1-2 seeds. You can add a layer of vermiculite on top of the soil to prevent evaporation. Vegetables with sensitive roots that do not like to be transplanted (e.g. cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin) should be sown in the wider pricking pots. Gently water the soil with a ball spray and keep the soil moist at all times, especially during the germination phase. For warm germinators, a plastic film or greenhouse cover is a necessity, otherwise the desired germination temperature will not be reached. Generally, a cover helps prevent dehydration and is therefore recommended for the germination phase. Air daily to prevent mold from forming and the damping off disease from spreading. After germination, it is important to place the plants somewhere cooler, otherwise they will etiolate.
Heat-loving crops such as tomatoes, eggplants or peppers require a high germination temperature, which in our climate is only given after the Ice Saints (mid to late May). Due to their long growth period of several months, sowing is therefore done indoors in early to mid-March. After the Ice Saints, the heat-loving plants are then transplanted outside. For the cultivation indoors you need nutrient-poor growing substrate, e.g. coir, which promotes the root growth of the seedlings. Fill the substrate in growing pots and put 1 seed in each growing pot. Plan preferably an extra 1-2 seeds. You can add a layer of vermiculite on top of the soil to prevent evaporation. Vegetables with sensitive roots that do not like to be transplanted (e.g. cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin) should be sown in the wider pricking pots. Gently water the soil with a ball spray and keep the soil moist at all times, especially during the germination phase. For warm germinators, a plastic film or greenhouse cover is a necessity, otherwise the desired germination temperature will not be reached. Generally, a cover helps prevent dehydration and is therefore recommended for the germination phase. Air daily to prevent mold from forming and the damping off disease from spreading. After germination, it is important to place the plants somewhere cooler, otherwise they will etiolate.
an extra 1-2 seeds. You can add a layer of vermiculite on top of the soil to prevent evaporation. Vegetables with sensitive roots that do not like to be transplanted (e.g. cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin) should be sown in the wider pricking pots. Gently water the soil with a ball spray and keep the soil moist at all times, especially during the germination phase. For warm germinators, a plastic film or greenhouse cover is a necessity, otherwise the desired germination temperature will not be reached. Generally, a cover helps prevent dehydration and is therefore recommended for the germination phase. Air daily to prevent mold from forming and the damping off disease from spreading. After germination, it is important to place the plants somewhere cooler, otherwise they will etiolate.
„Substrate“: Usually industrially produced mixture of various mineral and organic starting materials used for growing and cultivating plants.
„Damping off disease“: Fungal infection in which seedlings hang their heads and fall over from one day to the next. Often they have a constricted and brown discolored root neck. The fungi develop especially in a humid and warm environment.
„Etiolating“: In search of light seedlings form long, weak shoots. As a result, they are vulnerable and quickly bend. Etiolating is favored by lack of light and overly high temperatures during the growing period of the seedlings.
When the first pair of leaves has formed next to the two cotyledons, the seedling is now 5-8 cm high, transplant your seedling into a wider pot. Since the roots of the seedlings have already been well established, add mature compost, bokashi or worm humus to the meager growing soil. Pricking out is important to prevent the plants from having to compete for light, nutrients and space and to grow into strong seedlings. Using a pricking rod (or a skewer), lever the seedling out of the growing soil with as many hair roots as possible and without damaging the main root. Carefully place the seedling up to the cotyledons in the prepared hole in the pricking substrate. Lightly press the soil around the seedling to ensure good contact with the root and water the soil with a fine spray.
Is my seed not germinating?
Is my seedling dying?
Is my seedling etiolating?
Are there fungus gnats everywhere?
Is mold on substrate or growing pot?
„Germination test“: Method to check germination of seeds. Seeds (e.g. 10) are spread on a damp kitchen paper and placed in a zip bag (as for pre-germination). The bag must be aired regularly and the kitchen paper must be re-moistened every few days. The germination sample is placed in a warm, bright place by the window (for dark germinators covered with paper). If more than half of the seeds have germinated, the seed can still be used.
Pre-germination is particularly worthwhile for slow germinators, but also for other cultivars, as the germination period is shortened. Plants with very small seeds (e.g. light germinators) should not be pre-germinated, as the seeds may start to mold and thus lose their ability to germinate.
Nature has covered each seed with a protective layer that defends it from environmental influences. This layer is designed differently in the cultivars, which is why the time it takes for the seeds to germinate varies.
You can pre-germinate in these ways:
Now you are almost there. Before you place your plants in the bed, you should first toughen them up. In other words, you accustom your plants to the harsher climate, the wind and the sun. This is best done 1 week before transplanting. First, leave the plants in a protected place for 1-2 hours and increase the number of hours each day.
And after 1 week your young plants can finally move into their new home!
Want specific information and step-by-step instructions on direct seeding and cultivating indoors?