Making a Seed Bed



Seed bed containing Purple Sprouting Brocolli



So, what's a seed bed? It's a small area of land that's used for sowing slow growing veg such as cabbage, purple sprouting brocolli etc., directly into the soil before moving them on to their final growing positions.

Why bother? Quicker cropping veg such as lettuce or radish can be planted and harvested, giving you a more productive use of space.  Alternatively you may have something growing in the bed that you're ultimately planning to plant your cabbages into (such as peas).

It doesn’t need to be very big – about a metre square is sufficient.  It does need to be in an open, sunny position though to give the seedlings the best start in life.

The soil should be well prepared – light, well drained, free of weeds and stones. Check the pH – neutral is best between 6.5 and 7.  It doesn’t need to be too fertile either as seeds contain everything they need to germinate.

To get a fine tilth suitable for sowing seeds, rake the soil gently backwards and forth when it’s neither too wet nor too dry.  Tiny seeds will need a finer tilth than larger ones.

Cats seem to love rolling in seedbeds so consider enclosing the area with wire netting until the seedlings are larger, or string black cotton over the bed to deter birds.

Sow the seeds in drills (see picture above) and as they start to grow either move them to a ‘holding bed’ (like a seedbed only larger) or transplant them (move) to their final positions.

Before moving them, water both the seedbed and the soil into which the plants will move to.  “You’d never move house before having a cup of tea.”

Note: Avoid planting calabrise in a seed bed as it does not like to be transplanted.