Plant Propagation Seeds and Transplants

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Plant Propagation/ Seeds and Transplants

• September 14 15

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Pre-Season Thinking

• Site selection
• Sunlight
• Irrigation
• Gardens can be year round
• What to plant and when to plant it ?
• Seasonal thinking
• Warm vs. Cool Season

www.math.hmc.edu
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Plot Preparation

• Soil Preparation
• Turn the soil about 3 weeks before planting
• Do not work wet soil
• Work the soil about 6-8 inches deep
• Turn the soil completely over
• Amendments may be worked in (lime, manure,
  compost, etc.)
• Smooth the surface with a rake after turning
• Start with a Clean Bed!

theworldofjenotopia.com
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Planting Density
http//www.ksre.k-state.edu/mil/PlantPopulation.ht
m
In-row spacing

• Plant spacing
• In-row vs. between-row spacing
• Deciding factors Crop? Use?
• Plant spacing Population density
• Water and nutrient requirements
• High Density
• Adv lower weed population
• Disadv more fertilizer, increase pathogen/pest
  pop.
• How to decide?
• Consider available resources
• What is ideal density?

Between-row spacing
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Seeding the Garden
cropwatch.unl.edu

• Direct seeding vs. transplants
• Start with good seed
• Buy quality seed
• Good germination, rapid emergence, vigorous
  growth
• Do not save seed from hybrids
• Plant varieties adapted to your area
• Achieve optimum population (best stand)
• Temperature and soil moisture
• Differing depths
• Seed treatment and seed priming may be helpful

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Seeding the Garden

• Small seeds (like carrots and lettuce) should be
  planted shallow and close together
• Large seeds (like beans and corn) are planted
  deeper and farther apart
• Avoid two planting extremes
• Planting so deep that seedlings cant reach the
  surface
• Planting so shallow that seed is washed away by
  rain

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Seeding the Garden

• Plant in straight rows
• Looks better
• Easier to weed
• May want to plant on hills or beds
• Keep the garden watered until
• seedlings emerge

Stephens, 1999.
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Seed not germinating?

• What is germination?
• the ability of a plant to sprout
• and is typically noted by the
• formation of a root and a shoot
• Factors affecting poor germination
• Weak seeds (low vigor)
• Unfavorable conditions
• Pathogens, insects, birds, animals
• Hard seed coats or dormancy breaks
• Allelopathy (lettuce and celery)

bio1903.nicerweb.com
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Seed Storage

• Varied lifespan of seeds
• Weeks to hundreds of years
• Vegetables 3-15 years with proper storage
• Best storage conditions
• Outside the seed
• Cool and dry
• 35-50 F
• 50-70 RH
• Inside the seed
• Low moisture 10-14 good, 5-10 best
• Moisture content within the seed is relative to
  RH outside seed

Stephens, 1999.
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Transplants

• When might you want to use transplants instead of
  seed?
• When its difficult to start vegetable from seed
• To avoid unfavorable weather /
• extend growing season
• For earlier harvest
• For reduced seedling decay
• To eliminate weaker plants
• When seed is expensive

www.localharvest.org
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Transplants

• Grown in greenhouse or covered structure
• Start 4 to 6 weeks early
• Use clean containers
• Trays of plastic or polystyrene with
• proper drainage
• If previously used, soak in bleach water before
  using (5-10)
• Use a coarse, sterile potting mix
• Do not let soil dry out
• Before planting, harden plants by reducing water
  and gradually exposing them to the sun and wind

www.usask.ca
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Transplants

• Tips for transplanting
• Set out the healthiest plants
• Avoid disturbing the roots when transplanting
• Cut soil with knife if seedlings are in boxes or
  flats
• Moisten soil and remove container if in
  individual containers
• When planting in the soil, do not pack soil too
  tightly around plant roots
• Bury cotyledons why?

blog.al.com
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Transplants

• Tips for transplanting (continued)
• If plants are leggy, plant slightly deeper
  and/or use a stake for support
• Water in the seedlings following transplanting
• A starter solution may help start plants off
  quickly
• Homemade starter Dissolve 1-2 Tbs of 6-8-8 in 1
  gal. water
• Pour ½ pint into hole when
  transplanting

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For Future Reference

• If the same garden spot is used each year
• Try to group vegetables by families when planting
• Rotate families through different locations each
  year
• Remove plant debris as vegetables finish producing

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Presentation References

• Cushman, K. 2007a. Seed Quality and Seedling
  Technology p. 19-22. In Olson, S.M. and E.
  Simonne (eds.) Vegetable production handbook for
  Florida. University of Florida, IFAS Extension.
• Cushman, K. 2007b. Transplant Production p.23-25.
  In Olson, S.M. and E. Simonne (eds.) Vegetable
  production handbook for Florida. University of
  Florida, IFAS Extension.
• Schroeder,C.B. Seagle, E.D.Felton, L.M. Ruter,
  J.M. Kelley, W.T. and G. Krewer. 2004.
  Olericulture-Vegetable Production, p.512-541. In
  Introduction to Horticulture. 4th ed. Pearson
  Education by Prentice Hall Interstate Publishing
  Company, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
• Stephens, J.M. 1999. Vegetable Gardening in
  Florida, University Press of Florida,
  Gainesville, Fl.

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Todays Field Questions for Garden Notebook

• Name at least one reason why tilling land is good
  and at least one reason why it can be bad.
• When do you direct seed and when do you use
  transplants?
• Why do we need to irrigate the garden plots
  frequently? (hint- think soil)
• When transplanting seedlings, why did you bury
  the cotyledons (seed leaves)?
• When direct seeding, why do you plant more seeds
  than plants needed?