KEEPING SEEDS WET

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barbaraparm Harwich Port, MA Jun 01, 2014

I am the landscaping person for my condo association. I have planted a lot of seeds throughout the complex, coneflower, zinnias, morning glory, just to name a few.
I'm going crazy trying to keep these beds wet so the seeds will sprout!! I know if they dry out at all, the seeds will die!
I give them a good soaking every morning & by late afternoon, the beds are dry again. Anybody have any suggestions on how to keep
these beds moist at least for the day until i go out the next day to water!

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Diana_K Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b) Jun 01, 2014

Irrigation system with a drip-mist attachment and on a separate valve and a timer so it can come on several times per day.

Mulch with a fine organic matter. Not so deep the seeds cannot grow through it, but hopefully deep enough to retain a bit more moisture.

Shade the beds by propping some fabric up on short sticks. Remove it when the seeds are showing, which means they have sent their roots into the soil.

Next time sprout the seeds under more controlled conditions where you can monitor them often then plant the seedlings out when they can handle the drier conditions. You can get a head start this way, too, starting them while it is still too cool to plant them out.

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1lisac Liberty Hill, TX(Zone 8a) Jun 01, 2014

I direct sow almost everything and I try to keep the area damp but I don't stress about it and the seeds always seem to germinate. I find it much easier then transplanting seedlings that then need to be acclimated to their new surroundings. Remember if Mother Nature sowed the seeds they wouldnt have a watering schedule at all. Lol Some seeds ie Morning Glorys germinate better if soaked overnight, and just bc the soil doesn't look damp on the surface doesn't mean the seeds arent getting enough water under the soil.

I just don't have the time or energy to water my seeds many times but I always have great germination.

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1lisac Liberty Hill, TX(Zone 8a) Jun 02, 2014

How many different areas are you sowing seeds in, how are you prepping the soil and how big are the areas?

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