How many seeds should you plant per hole?

Author: Precious Larkin DDS  |  Last update: Tuesday, April 8, 2025

A pencil is a handy tool to make a hole and determine the correct depth. You can measure the point of the pencil ahead of time to denote a quarter or half inch. Place your seeds in the hole and bury them. Usually, you want to plant two or three seeds per hole because not every seed will germinate.

How many seeds do you plant in a hole?

Like most things in gardening, there are always exceptions to this rule of 2-3 seeds per hole. If you're planting large seeds like cucumbers, melons, or pumpkins, you should only use one seed per hole. However, you can still plant seeds close together and then thin them out once they've established themselves.

How many seeds do I need to plant in one spot?

Check the individual seed instructions, but keep in mind that usually, seeds should be planted two-to-three times deep as the seed is wide. Depending on the seed, it's usually a good plan to plant more than one seed (but not too many!) Some seeds just aren't viable, so it's good to plant two or three just in case.

Can I just scatter flower seeds?

Yes, flowers can indeed grow if you throw seeds on the ground, but the success of this method depends on a few factors: 1> Seed Viability: The seeds need to be viable, meaning they should be mature and capable of germinating.

Do I plant the whole packet of seeds?

A full packet of seeds might be too much for planting at one time in a home garden. Seed packets vary in the number of seeds they contain. A packet of watermelon seeds might contain only 4 to 6 seeds, whereas a packet of carrot seeds might have 200.

Maximize Radish Harvests by Planting 2 or 3 Seeds Per Planting Hole: Harvesting & Growth Examples

Should seeds always be soaked before planting?

Almost all seeds can be pre-soaked, but it is large seeds, seeds with thick coats and wrinkled seeds that will benefit most. Small seeds benefit less and are difficult to handle when wet. Examples of seeds that benefit from soaking include peas, beets, cucumber, corn, squash, pumpkin and beans.

Should you pack down soil when planting seeds?

Fill the containers and pack the soil firmly to eliminate gaps. Remember that most mixes contain few, if any, nutrients, so you'll need to feed the seedlings with liquid fertilizer a few weeks after they germinate, and continue until you transplant them into the garden.

Can you just throw seeds in soil?

you stick vegetable seeds in the soil. However, with wildflower seeds, a lot of them are really small. and they need sunlight to germinate. So you don't actually bury wildflower seeds, you can just sprinkle them on top of the soil.

Which seeds can you just scatter?

Annual flowers like cosmos, California poppy, columbine, love-in-a-mist and forget-me-not are often given that treatment. If you scatter lots of them it's likely that some will germinate. You can get mixes like that, sometimes called a wildflower mix. And with luck they will self-seed in following years.

Can I just throw zinnia seeds on the ground?

Zinnias are easy to grow directly-seeded into the garden. For sooner blooms, start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost date.

How do you plant 5 spot seeds?

How to Plant Five Spot
  1. Once temperatures are warming in the spring work the soil and remove weeds.
  2. Add compost and work it in to improve the soil.
  3. Rake the soil smooth and scatter Five Spot flower seeds on the surface.
  4. Lightly rake the seed into the soil - covering 1/8 inch.
  5. Keep the soil moist for germination.

Should seeds be sown at right spacing?

If they are crowded at one place then they will not be able to get sufficient sunshine minerals and water required for growth.

How many zinnia seeds do you put in one hole?

Place watering tray underneath. Moisten the soil by watering from beneath, in the tray (damp but not soaked) Poke holes ¼” deep (one per cell or space 1” apart in trays) Insert seeds (one per hole)

How many strawberry seeds per hole?

Use a lightweight seed starting mix/medium (sterile, and lighter than potting mix), and barely cover seeds. Sow 8-10 seeds per pot, thinning to the strongest plant once two sets of leaves appear (clip extra plants at the soil level using scissors).

How many seeds to plant per hole on Reddit?

when you are starting out, try 2-3 seeds . as you get more experience in germinating and know which seeds or brand of seeds are more reliable, you can reduce that amount per cell. also, you'll get more experience as also be able to separate out seedlings better in the future as well.

How deep should seeds be planted?

How deep should you plant your seeds? Seeds should be planted at a depth of two times the width, or diameter, of the seed. For example, if you have a seed that's about 1/16 inch thick, it should be planted about 1/8 inch deep. Large bean seeds, which can be up to 1/2 inch wide, may need to be planted an inch deep.

What is the hardest seed to germinate?

Some seeds like Allium 'Purple Sensation' and Eryngium giganteum need a long period of cold-moist stratification with alternating temperatures. These are the most difficult seeds to germinate.

What seeds should not be transplanted?

Unfortunately, some crops respond poorly to transplanting. Beans and peas for example, often succumb to transplant shock and even those that survive will be weak and poor-yielding. Crops that we grow for their roots, like carrots, beets and turnips also don't transplant well.

Can I just scatter zinnia seeds?

#2 Keep It Simple. Y'all are going to think I am crazy but I do not dig holes for my zinnias. I just rake the soil back, scatter seeds and then sling the soil back over the top of them with my rake. The typically sprout in 3-6 days.

Will seeds grow on top of soil?

Will grass seed germinate on top of the soil? Yes; in fact, germination will suffer if too much soil is placed on top of the seeds. The experts at Jonathan Green recommend placing a thin layer of mulch or topsoil over them to help keep them moist and warm and promote growth.

What is chaos gardening?

Chaos gardening is a gardening technique that involves tossing seeds and seeing what happens. “Chaos gardening is all about breaking the rules of traditional gardening. It's about letting plants grow however they want, without symmetry or strict order,” says meadow designer Kori Kasper.

What is the best flower seed to just throw down?

Poppies are the best fling-and-forget flowers, especially as one packet may contain several thousand seeds.

Should I wet my soil before planting seeds?

The goal is to water the soil well to saturate it into the planting root zone. And give the soil plenty of time to drain slightly but not dry out completely before you plant.

Should I rake dirt before seeding?

Here is a step-by-step approach to handle bare spots: Loosen the soil in the bare area with a rake. Spread a thin layer of compost or topsoil. Sow grass seed evenly over the area.

Should you pat down soil when planting?

Do not pat the soil down, this is unnecessary and will actually negatively affect your plants. Once you fill the planter simply wet it down, gently with water to settle the soil and add a bit more if necessary.

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