Water before and after when planting

By John Warrington

Most gardeners use ‘space sowing’ to get their seeds into the ground, because it is so economical. Long gone are the days when a small tear was made in top of the packet and the seed gently shaken out in the hope that you could sow it carefully enough. It is particularly difficult to sow seed of orchids, ferns, begonias, and petunias because they are so small and the slightest of breezes will blow the whole lot away. These require special treatment. This involves sowing them away from the possibility of being affected by even the lightest of winds. Moreover, they must not be covered at all otherwise they will not germinate.
Nowadays, seed trays are so designed that gardeners can sow economically into small containers, built into the seed tray. Just a few seeds can be sown into each little container.
Sowing outside in the garden is made easier because seeds are coated with an inert substance so that they are easily seen. Many can be sown by just picking them up and placing them into the seed row when the weather is right and the ground has been properly prepared.
One of the most versatile flowering plants for the garden, especially in the tropics, is the African marigold. And the top of my list of popular marigolds for over forty years is a tall variety called ‘Crackerjack’ which produces hundreds of orange and lemon flowers in profusion over many months. …..