seed planting

why do seeds have to be started in small pots or trays rather than in the final container.

 

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Hi!

Nothing says you cannot sow in final containers "BUT" you do not have the same control as you would in seed trays!

With small seeds being sown in fine compost and kept in a warm spot, gets them away quickly, unlike being sown in large containers and rough compost or soil where watering may flush the seeds into one spot and they would all germinate in a clump!

Whereas from a seed tray, you can transplant the correct amount of seedlings to where you want them.

Cheers!:gnthb:

 

Welcome Wurzel.

I would agre with Makka-Bakka; that you can sow seeds directly into a container or into the garden, but many people prefer to sow in seed trays and small pots because that puts you in control. Outside you have birds that eat the seed and slugs that eat the seedlings. The soil is often too wet or too dry. And you can have stray seeds blown in that grow like cuckoos in the nest.

Also, if you grow in trays inside, the temperatures are likely to be higher and you often get earlier germination and bigger seedlings at an early stage.

But ..... there is a downside. My house is currently filled with a number of plants that I have grown from seed this year, with some already over 12 inches high and even starting to flower - but its too cold to put them outside yet, and I have run out of space. :D