Sow 3/8th's of an inch deep.

[Oliver Buckle]

You must have seen it on a seed packet sometime, or something similar, what did you do? Go fetch the tape measure? It's a bit ridiculous really, is that before you press the soil down or after? My approach is to scatter seed over the surface and then stir it into a thin top layer of the soil, some of it is going to be the right depth. What's your approach?

 

[YumYum]

I use one of these:

Hehe. I thought you guys across the pond went by millimeters.

What kind of seed said that? Turnips I bet.

 

[Meadowlark]

Good topic...and very timely.

I pretty much ignore those seed packets and rely on experience. In my climate, I find the larger the seed, the deeper I plant it and vice versa. For example, carrots would hardly ever germinate planted that deep here. Radish, turnips, lettuce, etc. all planted at minimum depth.

Corn is unique in the garden veggies I grow. Not only is the depth very important, but seed direction is also critical. The really important thing for the home gardener growing corn is to get maximum seed germination at the same time. You can only achieve that at ideal soil temps, uniform planting depth, and consistent seed direction planting...always plant the tip down. Failure to do so will make several days difference in germination and breakthrough time.

Why is that important? Because corn is monoecious, producing separate male(tassels) and female(silks/ears) flowers on the same plant. Corn is wind pollinated and it is critical to pollination that tassels begin releasing pollen all about the same time. There are just a few days in which pollination can happen. Seeds planted at different depths and different direction can vary in breakthrough time by several days, significantly reducing odds of successful pollination.

Fascinating stuff and part of why growing corn at home is such a challenge but also tremendous reward. Speaking of which, time in the next few days to get my first corn crop of the season planted. It's always an adventure.

 

[redback]

25mm in an inch - let's see - hum - 9mm! Hey that's deep. Carrots at about 6mm are always difficult because pro growers run the roller over them and I wack them down with the back of the rake for good seed/soil connection. Then water them in without washing them away.
I often use a fine-grained coir seed-raising mix to cover seed. But as for measuring - ha.

 

[NewLeafTX]

No measuring here, as if! LOL

This year, I am experimenting with 2 different methods with my mixed Brassica greens seeds (turnip, mustard, collard, kale, etc).

Method 1 (experimental method, trying it for the 1st time this year): scatter seed over the surface and then stir it into a thin top layer of the soil.

Method 2 (control method, the only method I used last year): Use a stick to draw a line, 5mm deep, in the garden soil. In this groove, sow mixed Brassica seeds. Then, cover seeds with soil displaced by the groove the stick made, and/or a little bit of coir seed starter mix, if needed. This buries seeds to an average depth of 6-6.5mm.

3/8" (9mm) is much too deep for my neck o' the woods, possibly due to clay content in my soil. Most Brassica seeds and other small seeds like lettuce won't come up, under that specified depth.

 

[Mr_Yan]

I'll have to watch corn planting. Thanks @Meadowlark

Otherwise I generally sow seeds to be transplanted so depth is merely a suggestion. But what if @DirtMechanic's seeding gun got going then it could be nice and easy...

 

[Sheal]

Hehe. I thought you guys across the pond went by millimeters.

The younger folk do but us more mature sorts tend to stick with Imperial measurement - feet and inches.

I would sow the seed in a similar way to planting bulbs. Smaller close to the soil surface, larger further down.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I'll have to watch corn planting. Thanks @Meadowlark

Otherwise I generally sow seeds to be transplanted so depth is merely a suggestion. But what if @DirtMechanic's seeding gun got going then it could be nice and easy...

Guess what came on the amazon truck?

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Had some courgette seeds today, you plant them on their side, so do you measure from the bottom or the top of the seed? They are quite wide It was some ridiculous measure like 1.5 cm and the seed is about 0.5 cm. A seed that size will make it from any depth from just covered to about an inch down to the top of it. I didn't measure anything, filled the propagator tray loosely, pressed it flat with another tray, stuck six seed in edgewise and filled to the top again with loose soil, water from below, job done.

 

[Mr_Yan]

Had some courgette seeds today, you plant them on their side, so do you measure from the bottom or the top of the seed? They are quite wide It was some ridiculous measure like 1.5 cm and the seed is about 0.5 cm. A seed that size will make it from any depth from just covered to about an inch down to the top of it. I didn't measure anything, filled the propagator tray loosely, pressed it flat with another tray, stuck six seed in edgewise and filled to the top again with loose soil, water from below, job done.

Well @Oliver Buckle you have to measure from the center of gravity of each seed and precisely bury it 15 mm +/- three grains of sand. And because you choose to do this on the solstice you must be dressed as a druid. If you fail at any of these things the plants will never emerge and you will be taken away by the internet-gardening police.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Hmmm. That might require some sort of device to determine the centre of gravity of each seed, they are quite irregular when observed closely. I am an atheist, so will it matter that the solstice falls on a sabbath? I am not sure whose, but there are enough religions it must be someone's. Any particular order of druids, or is a pointy hat, Auntie's old shawl and a long stick good enough? "plants will never emerge", not even in an alternate universe? "and you will be taken away by the internet-gardening police." that might be fun, it takes all sorts, you would be amazed what people will pay good money for.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

How do you reckon this worked in evolutionary terms? I am guessing some sort of small seed eating dinosaur that made stashes like a squirrel by scratching with its 3/8th inch claw and dropping the seed held between its toes on edge into the groove just made, then treading the earth over as it walked away.
Nature is wonderful.