Mechanical planters used for vegetable production may be used in large operations. For hand planting, use a tightly stretched string or a stick to draw straight lines into the soil as a planting guide. Planting in a grid makes it easier to hoe between plants. Seeds are planted at a spacing that will accommodate the size of the mature plants. Plants with a narrow upright habit, like gladiolas, only need to be planted 3" apart. Depending on the width of the row, draw 3 to 6 lines down the row to space them. Most herbaceous plants are larger than bulbs and will require a spacing of 6" to 8". Draw 2 to 3 lines down the row. All but the very tiniest seeds are covered with soil. Take care not to plant them too deeply. Small seeds may be left uncovered and will be covered by the rain. Very tiny seeds like snapdragon seed are better planted in flats of soil and grown until they have 4 true leaves (not counting the tiny seed leaves that first break the soil), then transplanted into the rows. If direct-seeded plants are sown thickly it is important to thin them to the desired spacing after they are up. Plants spaced too closely produce thin, weak stems and have small, unsaleable flowers.
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| Rice straw used as a mulch |
eds are the growers’ greatest challenge. Once weeds get established and drop their seeds, a thousand will germinate every time the soil is turned. Don't allow them to get a foothold to begin with. Mulches are invaluable for weed control as well as soil moisture retention. A good method is to mulch winter annual plantings with an inch or two of composted manure as soon as plants emerge. When the row is turned under later, the manure is turned in also. Preemergence herbicides like simizine may be used in beds where transplants are to be planted. Be sure to follow label rates, since an over-application may stunt plants. Permanent mulches (Typlar fabric, plastic) may be used on plantings. Cloth is better than plastic on perennial crops, as it lets rainwater in and is cooler than plastic. Black plastic (use two color black/white for summer) works well on large annual plantings. The surfaces of plastics and fabrics must be kept as free of soil as possible or weeds will root on the surface and dig through.