Sowing seed thinly
 

I have arthritis of the spine/neck and getting down to soil level is
difficult. When I need to sow seed I tend to rush the job, because it
hurts to bend, and consequently the seed is sown thickly.

In the case of my carrots, they are twisted and small because of this,
and also because I cover them up with fleece to keep the carrot fly off
them and thinning and weeding is not possible.

So can anyone advise me if the garden hand held seed drills I have seen
advertised are any good?
I am reluctant to spend money on a solution that doesn't work.

I've looked in the garden shops here in Cornwall, and I haven't seen
anything in their stocks that would be suitable.

Peter

Sowing seed thinly
 

Peter James wrote:
I have arthritis of the spine/neck and getting down to soil level is
difficult. When I need to sow seed I tend to rush the job, because it
hurts to bend, and consequently the seed is sown thickly.

In the case of my carrots, they are twisted and small because of this,
and also because I cover them up with fleece to keep the carrot fly off
them and thinning and weeding is not possible.

So can anyone advise me if the garden hand held seed drills I have seen
advertised are any good?

I have to admit, I'm rubbish with carrots for the same reason, except mine
is due to being lazy rather than having a medical excuse.

I know you can buy carrot seed on tape, so they are spaced appoximately
correctly before laying the whole tape, which disintegrates, then the seeds
are in the right place. I suspect that this isn't economical.

But it sounds like a job which could be done whilst stood at a counter -
open a packet, spread out a length of tape, space the seeds out onto the
tape, then plant a strip. The question is - would it work on normal
'sellotape' plastic tape, or does it have to be something taht can
disintegrate? I remember using sticky paper tape in art class, was it
masking tape? Would that work, I wonder?

Time for me to experiment next spring, I think ...

Sowing seed thinly
 

On Sat, 29 Oct 2011 11:45:06 +0100, Peter James wrote:


I've looked in the garden shops here in Cornwall, and I haven't seen
anything in their stocks that would be suitable.

Peter

Use the Unwins seed tapes. Easier to plant and no need to thin. Ditto
parsnips, leeks etc. For salads use the seed mats.

Sowing seed thinly
 

On Sat, 29 Oct 2011 11:03:19 +0000, vicky wrote:

But it sounds like a job which could be done whilst stood at a counter -
open a packet, spread out a length of tape, space the seeds out onto the
tape, then plant a strip. The question is - would it work on normal
'sellotape' plastic tape, or does it have to be something taht can
disintegrate? I remember using sticky paper tape in art class, was it
masking tape? Would that work, I wonder?

Unlikely. The Unwins tapes are made of the same stuff as tea-bags (or
appear to be) the seeds are in pockets rather than stuck to anything
IYSWIM.

Sowing seed thinly
 

wrote in message
...
Peter James wrote:
I have arthritis of the spine/neck and getting down to soil level is
difficult. When I need to sow seed I tend to rush the job, because it
hurts to bend, and consequently the seed is sown thickly.

In the case of my carrots, they are twisted and small because of this,
and also because I cover them up with fleece to keep the carrot fly off
them and thinning and weeding is not possible.

So can anyone advise me if the garden hand held seed drills I have seen
advertised are any good?

I have to admit, I'm rubbish with carrots for the same reason, except mine
is due to being lazy rather than having a medical excuse.

I know you can buy carrot seed on tape, so they are spaced appoximately
correctly before laying the whole tape, which disintegrates, then the
seeds
are in the right place. I suspect that this isn't economical.

But it sounds like a job which could be done whilst stood at a counter -
open a packet, spread out a length of tape, space the seeds out onto the
tape, then plant a strip. The question is - would it work on normal
'sellotape' plastic tape, or does it have to be something taht can
disintegrate? I remember using sticky paper tape in art class, was it
masking tape? Would that work, I wonder?

Time for me to experiment next spring, I think ...

Don't use Masking Tape. We used to use it in Boatbuilding and it lasts for
ever. Certainly doesn't disintegrate over time in the open. I have seen
Masking Tape put down on a teak deck to mask the deck whilst painting the
cabin top and left for quite some time. When the tape was lifted, it was
still in perfect condition and started to lift the grain of the Teak!!

Mike


--

....................................

Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.

....................................

Sowing seed thinly
 

On Oct 29, 11:45*am, (Peter James) wrote:
I have arthritis of the spine/neck and getting down to soil level is
difficult. When I need to sow seed I tend to rush the job, because it
hurts to bend, and consequently the seed is sown thickly.

In the case of my carrots, they are twisted and small because of this,
and also because I cover them up with fleece to keep the carrot fly off
them and thinning and weeding is not possible.

So can anyone advise me if the garden hand held seed drills I have seen
advertised are any good?
I am reluctant to spend money on a solution that doesn't work.

I've looked in the garden shops here in Cornwall, and I haven't seen
anything in their stocks that would be suitable.

Peter

You could try mixing up some wallpaper paste, not to thick and mixing
the seed into it, then fill awashing up bottle with the mixture and
just squirt it along the row you want to plant.
Or you could mix the seed with dry sand and sow that as normal, the
sand will help to space the seed out.
David

Sowing seed thinly
 

On Oct 29, 12:03*pm, wrote:
Peter James wrote:
I have arthritis of the spine/neck and getting down to soil level is
difficult. When I need to sow seed I tend to rush the job, because it
hurts to bend, and consequently the seed is sown thickly.

In the case of my carrots, they are twisted and small because of this,
and also because I cover them up with fleece to keep the carrot fly off
them and thinning and weeding is not possible.

So can anyone advise me if the garden hand held seed drills I have seen
advertised are any good?

I have to admit, I'm rubbish with carrots for the same reason, except mine
is due to being lazy rather than having a medical excuse.

I know you can buy carrot seed on tape, so they are spaced appoximately
correctly before laying the whole tape, which disintegrates, then the seeds
are in the right place. *I suspect that this isn't economical.

But it sounds like a job which could be done whilst stood at a counter -
open a packet, spread out a length of tape, space the seeds out onto the
tape, then plant a strip. *The question is - would it work on normal
'sellotape' plastic tape, or does it have to be something taht can
disintegrate? *I remember using sticky paper tape in art class, was it
masking tape? *Would that work, I wonder?

Time for me to experiment next spring, I think ...

If you are going to use a tape then try Micropore (The stuff they use
in hospital etc) Tesco do it at quite a good price, and it's more
likley yo break down.
David

Sowing seed thinly
 

Derek Turner wrote:
I've looked in the garden shops here in Cornwall, and I haven't seen
anything in their stocks that would be suitable.
Use the Unwins seed tapes. Easier to plant and no need to thin. Ditto
parsnips, leeks etc. For salads use the seed mats.

For leeks, I sow them into root trainers in little pinches, then when it's
time to plant them out I separate them by giving them a bit of a knock and
all the soil falls off and they can be put into individual holes.

Sowing seed thinly
 

"Peter James" wrote ...

I have arthritis of the spine/neck and getting down to soil level is
difficult. When I need to sow seed I tend to rush the job, because it
hurts to bend, and consequently the seed is sown thickly.

In the case of my carrots, they are twisted and small because of this,
and also because I cover them up with fleece to keep the carrot fly off
them and thinning and weeding is not possible.

So can anyone advise me if the garden hand held seed drills I have seen
advertised are any good?
I am reluctant to spend money on a solution that doesn't work.

I've looked in the garden shops here in Cornwall, and I haven't seen
anything in their stocks that would be suitable.


I know that Wolf Garten sell one because I have it myself although I have
never used it, long story. Anyway, why not mix the carrot seed with dry sand
and sprinkle that in the drills, you can use a piece of plastic drainpipe to
guide the sand/seed into the right place.
--
Regards Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup from the W. of London UK

Sowing seed thinly
 

On 29/10/2011 17:15, Bob Hobden wrote:
Anyway, why not mix the carrot seed with
dry sand and sprinkle that in the drills, you can use a piece of plastic
drainpipe to guide the sand/seed into the right place.

I was just about to suggest exactly the same thing. Carrots may
appreciate the sand in the drill too.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

Sowing seed thinly
 

wrote in
:

Peter James wrote:
I have arthritis of the spine/neck and getting down to soil level is
difficult. When I need to sow seed I tend to rush the job, because it
hurts to bend, and consequently the seed is sown thickly.

In the case of my carrots, they are twisted and small because of
this, and also because I cover them up with fleece to keep the carrot
fly off them and thinning and weeding is not possible.

So can anyone advise me if the garden hand held seed drills I have
seen advertised are any good?

I have to admit, I'm rubbish with carrots for the same reason, except
mine is due to being lazy rather than having a medical excuse.

I know you can buy carrot seed on tape, so they are spaced
appoximately correctly before laying the whole tape, which
disintegrates, then the seeds are in the right place. I suspect that
this isn't economical.

But it sounds like a job which could be done whilst stood at a counter
- open a packet, spread out a length of tape, space the seeds out onto
the tape, then plant a strip. The question is - would it work on
normal 'sellotape' plastic tape, or does it have to be something taht
can disintegrate? I remember using sticky paper tape in art class,
was it masking tape? Would that work, I wonder?

Time for me to experiment next spring, I think ...


That sounds like a great idea vicky, and I am sure this would work for
other small seeds too. Cabbage etc. parsnip(which blow away because of
their paperish shroud)

Masking tape sounds fine, it is after all just paper.

You know that sticky licky stuff that is around the shops at Christmas
would fit the task. It comes in rolls I think.

Going on to Peter James's origional question, I have seen somewhere on the
internet that disabled gardeners use plastic pipe to sow seeds. The pipe
can easily be bought from any D.I.Y store such as Wickes.
The gardener sits in their wheel chair and dibs a hole with a peice of
stick then puts the bottom end of the pipe into the hole and drops a seed
in from the top.
Of course this would only work for bigger seeds because unless the pipe is
completely dry, carrot seed for example would stick to the pipe, so the
tape idea is good.

Baz

Sowing seed thinly
 

In article ,
writes
The question is - would it work on normal
'sellotape' plastic tape, or does it have to be something taht can
disintegrate?

Maybe you could use a length of kitchen roll with some flour paste
(flour and water) painted onto it. Then add the seeds at intervals
along it. Kitched roll will rot away as well as most paper things.

--
regards andyw