Seed Sowing Techniques for Mulched Beds

[@toddsimme1562]

I hate to simply be repetitive, but like many others who commented, these are terrific ideas! Thanks a bunch!

[@maritimegardening4887]

Always nice to hear no matter how many times sir!

[@eldonelder7254]

One of your better videos. Clear, simple, and to the point. Good camera work too.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Thanks. I've enjoyed learning this art form, but it's definitely a work in progress :)

[@b.5191]

You're like the Norm Macdonald of gardening. Thanks for this!

[@maritimegardening4887]

I try

[@arleneoconnor8474]

Your video helped me decide how to approach planting a small flower bed with weeds that are already poking through my mulch from last year. I will try the mulch over mulch trick. Thanks for the confidence boost.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Wonderful!

[@teresajeffrey6165]

I appreciate the refined details you have given here. I believe now I am ready to plant some October seeds with a little more confidence. I have many of the kinds of things on hand you were expressing. Thank you immensely for every single tip.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Glad it was helpful!

[@naturalspirit3884]

Awesome ideas!

[@lindasands1433]

I learned that cardboard in rows technique from you. You have some really useful ideas. Thanks Greg

[@maritimegardening4887]

Cool, thanks!

[@barbaraperry2796]

Omg, you have no idea how useful this video is to me! No one I know mulches with straw except me, lol. And I LOVE it. Thanks for sharing all the other useful tips, as well. Hope you had an 🥚 cellent Easter. I now look forward to looking through your videos. So glad I found you. Happy trails! Port Charlotte, FL Zone 10a

[@maritimegardening4887]

Glad it was helpful - and welcome to my channel thanks for watching!

[@bihakuma3877]

Me too!! Just bought some straw mulch and perusing videos on planting in straw beds

[@katieanneozarkhollowhomestead]

Very helpful. I need to try the cardboard strip method. I mulch heavily in the fall with shredded (mowed) leaves and then straw. Probably almost a foot total in fall and 4-5 inches in spring. I think I will try to skip the straw next year though as those are all the weeds I am pulling. Leaves do tend to, at times stop even larger seeds in my experience, because they are so light and blow. So this year I cut the bottom out of some clear plastic cups, planted my cucumber seeds then topped with an upside down cup and moved the mulch up against the cup. The mulch goes almost to the top of the cup and has held them in place even with tremendous winds we have been having with these storms. It creates a mini greenhouse for the seedling to come up in and has been working great.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Good ideas!

[@carbrock.2854]

I may have to try your plastic cup approach. For the upside down cup, do you cut out of the bottom or put any holes in it, or just leave it whole?

[@katieanneozarkhollowhomestead]

carb rock. I cut the whole bottom off, so there is plenty of airflow.

[@lweddle5]

This is my 2nd time watching your videos. I must say I'm learning an easier way to have a garden. I like the idea of doing everything in the bed and cost saving tips are wonderful. Keep the videos coming, I'm newish to gardening, I just bought 1.2 acres, so any video of setting up new beds. This land was a Christmas tree farm not to long ago, so planning raised beds. Thanks for helping me!

[@maritimegardening4887]

I've got over 460 videos and make a couple every week so welcome to my channel!

[@jackicomber8534]

It’s always good to see you in the garden and I usually get a sprout of new information! Keep on sharing!

[@maritimegardening4887]

Thanks

[@fammail4622]

Thank you! I was just wondering how to do this!

[@nancygould6789]

I like the rows with cardboard.

[@laurabartoli5909]

Thanks for your video, following from Sydney, Australia!

[@maritimegardening4887]

Thanks for watching!

[@2200chuck]

Your timing is perfect. I'm getting ready to plant my new beds and I was wondering how to start this. Mulch will be a huge part of what I do but for a new garden with no mulch yet, what do I do? Along comes Greg with pieces of plastic. So that's what I'll do. After my seeds are in between strips of cardboard I'll cover with plastic until they are up. Then I'll take the plastic off and put chopped straw a few inches deep on the cardboard, leaving the seedlings uncovered until they are bigger, higher than the mulch rows. Then I'll spread the mulch into and around the plants. When I put the beds away in the fall I'll heavily mulch them and in the spring I'll replant the way you just showed us. You're awesome Greg! Thanks!

[@maritimegardening4887]

Thanks man! Hope you have a great garden :)

[@ccityshep]

Another great video, I like your low cost no BS approach.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Thanks!

[@carolynclark588]

Thank you ......I'll use this in my garden..... have a good day!

[@maritimegardening4887]

My pleasure, and thanks for watching! :)

[@raizosgoldandtravel]

This was very helpful. Thanks Greg! Paul from Brisbane, Australia

[@maritimegardening4887]

My pleasure man :)

[@soniasia5558]

Thank you for sharing Mr Greg! Can't wait to use some of your gardening tips.God bless!

[@maritimegardening4887]

Thanks :)

[@gwenbuchanan1]

very useful and informative.. you just inspired me to get planting my early crops.. Thanks so much!!

[@maritimegardening4887]

Great. I was just out int he garden myself planting onions

[@KevinLossner]

This is so helpful! Thank you very much for all you've done to help me understand permaculture better.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Glad to help :)

[@heathermcreynolds5878]

Thank you I like your method for germinating smaller seeds, I'm going to give this a try.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Good luck!

[@marie-claudejohnson1290]

Loved it ! You nailed it ! We tried sowing seeds under mulch and hadn't great results with small seeds. Now I know ! Thanks so much !

[@samasonedderman]

Hey Greg you know that comment about not telling people anything they didn't know? Yeah,You were! Until you said it I didn't think about shower curtains. Come to think about it there is a bed store round where I live, I'm going to go bat my eyelashes at them see if they can dig up some of that stuff they use to wrap mattresses in. I've been calculating and recalculating ways of buying that plastic from eBay. Cheers mate!

[@maritimegardening4887]

That mattress plastic works great - good luck I hope they give it to you :)

[@zpoedog]

Just planted my potatoes the way you suggested. Really look forward to your videos. Hi from Pacific Northwest.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Mine just arrived from Vesey seeds yesterday! Can't wait to get them in the ground!

[@nendrianendria2706]

Thank you, this has been very useful! also great idea to co-plant dill and cucumbers!

[@maritimegardening4887]

You are so welcome!

[@janicecarey3592]

Thank you for another great video! I have been watching you for a while now. I live in zone 9b so I do not have to do cold frames but it is still fun to watch what you do and how you do it. I planted seeds this week-beans and beets (late, I know, for my season but I was busy with other stuff-haha). I am glad to see that I planted them like you did in this video. I have really learned a lot about gardening from you even though we are in really different zones.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Thanks that's so nice to hear :)

[@JohnathanProphet]

Great techniques!

[@UrbanHomesteadMomma]

Good video Greg, thanks

[@kristenarmstrong6650]

Great info, thank you so much for sharing!

[@maritimegardening4887]

You are so welcome!

[@josegerrygladwin346]

Thanks for the enthusiasm!

[@soutpilaar]

Ducks get excited for snails. Maybe other bugs also

[@Rodrigues-xg3ln]

Grandes ideias, muito útil para mim. Obrigado

[@maritimegardening4887]

de nada :) feliz jardinagem!

[@amazegenalo2]

Hi Greg, I discovered your channel beginning of this year. Before I was very much in doubt how to start my new garden. So great I found maritime gardening. You inspired me in many ways and a lot is prepared (not digged, mulched, etc) now and I'm curious how everything is "just caring for itself" as you often say. In this video I especially liked the part where you show how you sow "small" seeds. I was struggling to keep the carrot rows free from the leaves and the straw. Cardboard is a great idea! Do you have concerns about the printing ink in it that gets into the soil? Keep going and cheers from Berlin!

[@maritimegardening4887]

Hi Jan, and thanks for your kind words! Regading the ink, it's my understanding that many of these inks are made from food products, but honestly I don't worry about it. We're talking about trace amounts here. Anyway, I'll have a podcast up very soon that's literally about chemicals and toxins, so stay tuned for that :)

[@Whistlewalk]

Thanks Greg.

[@foodiesworldUSA]

I needed this video so we don’t have to remove mulch to plant seeds?

[@maritimegardening4887]

Just push it aside

[@Thegonepotties]

I'm trying the mulching way and compared to my raised beds with no mulch the mulched plants look loads healthier ☺💥 Do you ever have to add additional soil ?

[@maritimegardening4887]

Not yet. The mulch seems to gradually break down and replenish the soil. if anything, you get more soil over time.

[@carbrock.2854]

Thanks for sharing. I had been curious how you started your carrots and what if anything you did to ensure germination. I'm going to try that with carrots and probably also spinach once we get back to cooler weather. I was wondering, if you were to start carrots during the warm months, would you still use the plastic, or something else for fear of overheating the seeds/seedlings? I've seen folks use a piece of wood like a 2x4. Thanks again!

[@maritimegardening4887]

In warm weather I'd put a little (like 1/4") mowed up hay over it - keeps the soil somewhat cool and moist, but will let the seedlings through.

[@maritimegardening4887]

I've done this successfully in august with lettuce seeds -

[@carbrock.2854]

Nice. I just had the idea of maybe using a white garbage bag. It might reflect enough light to not let it heat up underneath.

[@maritimegardening4887]

@@carbrock.2854 Worth a try I guess. Let me know how it goes

[@clarepotter6736]

What about lettuce and greens? They’re fly away seeds. Same as how you treat carrots? Thanks.

[@maritimegardening4887]

You got it - same as carrots.

[@lauranolte3360]

THANK YOU

[@leegarner4111]

Great video,thanks for sharing.I have been told to keep wood chips on top of your soil until they break down.They will steal nutrients from your soil.Is that true?

[@maritimegardening4887]

Yes, woodchips require nitrogen to break down, and if you till them in, they will take it from your soil in the short term. Think I'll hit this question in more detail in my next Q&A. Good Q thanks

[@bigal7713]

In "seeding small seeds" segment @8:38 did you have to remove the mulch and pile it by the side of the bed for a month until the seedlings become large enough so the mulch could be returned? We are mulching with loose 6"-8" of fall leaves this fall. Should be great ground insulation and worm food at the bottom layer, but wondering how much will actually decompose over winter or will it be too much hustle at planting time to move around.

[@maritimegardening4887]

Yes that's what I did in that bed. Sometimes I just move it aside and make "mounds" between the rows, and sometimes I take it off temporarily and use cardboard.

[@shadyacrefarm1005]

Great job Greg. Did you ever use wood chips to cover potatoes? I followed your Ruth stout easy potato planting with success last year, but now I lucked into multiple loads of wood chips. Just wondered about using them instead of hay. Thanks

[@maritimegardening4887]

Gonna hit this one in the Q&A next week. Short answer is that I used to, but now I don't.

[@smhollanshead]

I would not use wood chips. I’d use hay, cut grass, or straw.

[@vmcshannon]

Here I sit with long boxes that plants came in. Each side is 4-5 inches wide, 4 ft long? I could use this for mulch! I will cut them apart and use it when I plant carrots. I always use grass clippings and leaves but the cardboard can get me started sooner. Thanks!

[@maritimegardening4887]

A perfect way to re-purpose thing isn't it!

[@grantraynard]

How are the parsnips doing you planted last fall?

[@maritimegardening4887]

Growing!!! :) Will reveal in next garden tour - will film today if weather permits :)

[@ClintL63]

Deer; how do you keep them out?

[@maritimegardening4887]

I have a fence around my garden enclosure.

[@kevindwyer5163]

I tried straw mulch last fall and this spring it was growing in my raised beds. Does that happen to you? Is it good or bad?

[@maritimegardening4887]

I don't understand the question. As you asking me if it's good that you have hay growing in your veg garden?

[@kevindwyer5163]

@@maritimegardening4887um yes. Can I just till it in?

[@maritimegardening4887]

@@kevindwyer5163 It would not be "no-till" gardening if you did :) How bad is it? I just pull weds when they happen and lay them on top of the mulch. Haven't tilled my garden in years. Maybe send me a pic? [e-mail]

[@kevindwyer5163]

@@maritimegardening4887 thanks Greg. Not too much, I'll just pull it up.

[@maritimegardening4887]

@@kevindwyer5163 OK cool - remember - all weeds are potential mulch :)

[@miramirez3574]

❤️‍🔥

[@ingekaivola4685]

Do you plant your onions outside from seed? Do you get bulbs? I started mine inside, and just planting outside would be easier. I guess I could experiment and get some seeds planted.

[@maritimegardening4887]

I do both - direct seed with seeds, and put out onion sets.

[@clivewinbow2150]

the guy keeps wandering off the subject!

[@shelly5596]

What's wrong with borage ? You'd be surprised how many people will find all of your information helpful since your reaching people worldwide. No need to assume everyone knows what your talking about.

[@maritimegardening4887]

I'm not sure what I mentioned in the video, and don't have the time to review it - but my guess is that I didn't want borage in that particular garden - I wanted beets/carrots/etc.

[@maritimegardening4887]

I try to speak to all the questions that I can anticipate when making a video, but to do that completely, every video would be hours long :) Since this was the 1st borage related question in 64 comments after 3,400 views on this video, I think I made the right call in not going into a diatribe about borage. I hope that makes sense. :)