Direct sowing

[GorseParticipant]

Hi, I’m intrigued if you use a seeder like an earthway to direct sow and if so how you get the compost mulch to a fine enough tilth to use a seeder in it? If you don’t use a seeder what techniques do you use for direct sowing?

Many thanks

[charlesModerator]

First I run a rake horizontally across the top of the bed, ever so lightly, to break the surface lumps and create a sowing tilth.
However it is often less fine than soil tilth.
Nonetheless, seeds grow! They like germinating in compost.
I draw drills with a small ridging too, or a draw hoe, then sow seeds by hand, rubbing them between thumb and forefinger over the drill. For broad beans I dib individual holes.

[GorseParticipant]

Many thanks Charles that’s good to know.

Btw just got a copy of your myths and misconceptions book, great idea for a book and very interesting. Have long been frustrated by gardening books as most tell you things to do but not always why they’re done or the exact reason or science behind it and a lot of things just aren’t questioned.

[charlesModerator]

Thanks that is good to know. Keep questioning!

[RhysParticipant]

Having worked in science professionally, I can tell you that a lot of ‘science how to books’ are exactly the same.

I remember reading in separate treatises how you could only precipitate DNA out of solution using ethanol if temperature was reduced to -70C, -20C or 4C and the times at that cold temperature varied betwen 5 minutes and overnight!

My experience was that if you were working with more than 20 microgrammes, you’d get it all precipitated within 5 minutes! If it was more than 200 microgrammes, all done in 5 seconds!! And that was true in both cases at room temperature. It was only if you were working with tiny amounts of material that you needed extended times below zero……

The quantitative aspects of precipitation from solution was something remarkably free from undergraduate practical lessons, despite it being one of the most widely used techniques in professional science, be that chemistry, biochemistry or molecular biology.

Strange that…….

[Author]

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