Planting Vegetable Starts

Buying or seeding your own vegetable starts can give you a head start on your garden. Gently turn your plant case upside down and squeeze from the bottom, ready to catch your plant as it comes out. With a pair of scissors, cut off a 1/4" of the bottom of the soil where the roots are bound. This will free the roots to spread and develop in your garden soil. Have a can of water nearby and put your start in it to soak. While it soaks, make a hole in your garden soil deep enough for your start. Fill the hole with water then place your start in it. Fill in the soil around it and make a depression with your fingers like a saucer around the base of the plant. This will catch and keep water for your plant.

Planting seeds in your square foot garden

Before planting seeds in your square foot garden, moisten the soil. Use a spray nozzle on a hose and soak it well. Soaking larger seeds overnight before planting will also help to hasten sprouting. Using a pencil or your finger make holes about 2 inches deep in your 12" square. Pour seeds into the palm of your hand and drop 2-3 seeds in each hole. You will have used very few of the seeds from your packet so you can now save the rest air tight in a cool dry place for next year. Be sure to keep your newly planted garden soil moist for the next two weeks. The sprouting of your seeds will depend on the weather. It needs to be somewhat warm and sunny for a period of time for your plants to sprout.