On Sun, 30 Mar 2003 16:20:00 GMT, Nick Thudick
wrote:


One thing I've never understood is seeding. The directions are a little
confusing, but I'd like to have more success.

First, what is the "last heavy spring frost"?

Usually described as "last frost date." It's an average of the date of
last frost in a given area. It means, ON AVERAGE, there isn't freezing
weather after that date. Ususally. Sort of. It doesn't mean "plant
your tomatoes the following day." It's just a guideline that on, say,
April 15th, it's time to get out there and prepare the beds and look
for nighttime temperatures high enough to make plants happy within the
next few weeks. Or perhaps, if you put out tomatoes on a pleasantly
warm March 29th, there's a fair chance they're gonna get zapped.

Also, what is a "seed starting formula"? I've read about soil-less
mixtures. This boggles my mind. How the hell did these plants survive
if they need to be started in soil-less mixtures, and then fertilized
when their leaves emerge?

Seed-starting mixtures, frequently soil-less, give seeds relatively
ideal conditions to germinate and get started. They're meant to keep
seeds moist, but not soggy, not promote the growth of fungus or mold,
and be light enough for little new roots to take hold. They're for
'seed-starting', not 'whole life plant-growing.' The first hurdle in
growing plants from seeds is to get the seeds to sprout. One wants to
provide as much help as possible.

And instructions like, "Sow seeds 6" apart"....does that mean take one
seed and plant it 6" apart from the other one. I know that's probably
it, but some of these seeds are pretty tiny, and I was wondering if it
would be better to plant a few together.

I think these are suggestions, not commandments. If seedlings are
going to be transplanted to intermmediate or final homes, they can be
sown more closely than the recommendations. Carrot seeds are tiny, and
usually sown directly into the ground. You can place one seed every 3"
and hope all will grow, or deposit every 1/2" (or closer) and be
prepared to thin out for final spacing. There's a rhyme I can never
remember about planting corn -- "one for the something, one for the
crow, one for something else, and one to grow." That is, putting in 4
seeds with the expectation of one eventual plant. Squash and melon
seeds are often planted 2 or 3 per 'hill' with the idea that the less
promising seedlings will be sacrificed, but if only one grows, that
one's the most promising. :-)