Some vegetables are reproducedby seed and others throughvegetative plant parts.

1- Seed: Most vegetables arereproduced by seeds. That is whyit is very important to learn touse only good seeds.

2- Vegetable propagation:Although some vegetables canbe reproduced by seed, theyreproduce more easily throughgrafts, bulbs, tubers, stems oro t he r pa r t s o f t he p l an t .

They reproduceus by seed.

They reproduceus by vegetativemeans.

A seed is like a smallplant that.....

Upon receiving the suitableconditions of moisture andtemperature.

Germinates toproduce an adultplant like the onefrom where it came.

If the seeds comefrom infected ordefective plants.....

They will produceinfected or defectiveplants, and you will notget a healthy vegetable.

If the seeds come fromhealthy and vigorousplants....

They will producehealthy, vigorous andproductive plants.

All seeds must be of thesame type.

Pure variety

They must be clean,without foreign particles,rubbish or weeds.

Physically pure

Free of contamination,pests and diseases.

Health

Most seeds shouldgerminate when theyhave suitabletemperature andmoisture.

Germination ability

The seeds mustgerminate quickly andthe plants should bevigorous.

Vigor

You can consult with your areatechnicians and their institutions;they can usually provide small amountsof vegetable seeds.

It is also possible to interchange seedswith the neighbors.

I f there is a vegetab le researchstation in your area visit it! The peoplewho work there wil l help youobtain the seeds that you need.

You can also produceseeds bu t spec ia lprecautions are needed!

Yes, but it is necessary toknow the plants very well.When they bloom, how and whent h e s e ed s a r e h a r v e s t e d .

It is easier to obtain seeds fromsome vegetables, for example:pumpkin, zucchini, watermelon,and beans.

You should always obtain seedsfrom the best p lants! Theseshould be large, vigorous and freeof disease.

If you are going to buy seeds, choose thosethat come in labeled, sealed packages; theseare a lmost a lways of better qual i ty.The package label should specify:- Species- Variety name- Production year: The seeds should not

be more than one year old.- G e r m i n a t i o n a b i l i t y : % o f

germination.- Date of the germination analysis.- Brand name or company

Warning! If you have any doubts on thequality of the seeds that will be used, youcan run some tests.

Next we will see howto pe r f o rm somegerminat ion tes ts .

Species:

Variety name:

Production year:

Brand name

Germination ability:

Date of the germination:

Materials:- 50 seeds- Cotton- Paper towels or newspaper

Procedure

Place a t ight layer ofcotton on a plate andcover it with bathroomt issue. Add water todampen it and removeany excess water.

P lace the seeds in anorderly fashion on the wetpaper.Mo is ten i t every day.Keep the plate inside thehouse in a warm place.

After 6 or 7 days countall the seeds that aregerminating.

If 40 or more of the 50 seeds that wereplanted, are germinating, it means that theyhave very good germinating power (morethan 80 %).

If less than half have germinated and theplants are weak and are growing unevenly,the seeds are week and should not be used.

Test 14Match the following phrases that go togetherwith lines:

In order to germinate, seedsneed....

A seed is......

A good quality seed.....

Germinates quickly.

Moisture and suitabletemperature.

The smallest plant.

Answers fortest 14

There are two ways to sow vegetables:

Direct sowing: The seeds are placed directlyin the soil where they will grow. This methodis used for vegetables with large seeds thatare resistant to weather changes.

Seedlings and transplants: This method isused when the seed is very small and needsspecial care to germinate.

In order to germinate, seedsneed....

A seed is......

A good quality seed.....

Germinates quickly.

Moisture and suitabletemperature.

The smallest plant.

Direct sowing can be:

- Broadcas t : t h e s eeds a r escattered through out the surfaceof the bed.

- In line: the seeds are placed atr egu l a r d i s t an ce s i n r ows .

- Drilling: 2 to 3 seeds are placedin small separate holes.

Now you will learn how to sowdirectly in line!:

Materials:stakesstringweeding hoelabels

Procedure:

1- Mark the sowing lines with a stringline, attach a stake at each end tostretch it across the bed.

2- Trace the furrows using the string lineas a guide. The depth of the furrowdepends the size of the seeds (see thefollowing chart)

3- F ind ou t how many seeds a renecessa ry fo r each vege tab l e .

4- Neatly distribute the seeds in thefurrow by hand.

5- Place a stake with the name of theeach vegetable sown on the furrow.

Larger seeds are buried deeper,smaller ones are nearer thesurface.

You can consult the sowingdepth of each vegetableand the amount of seedsin the chart at the end ofthe manual.

cm.

Celery

Tomato

Onion

Swiss chard

Pumpkin

Beans

Garlic

Now you have to cover the seeds withmulch!

Mulch is made with organic compost, ordecomposed manure, and sand or soil inequal parts.

Once the sowed furrow has been coveredwith mulch you need to tamp it softly withthe back of the hoe.

Final ly! You have to water i t . The soi lmust always be moist and therefore it isnecessary to water i t cont inua l ly butwithout overdoing it.

At first you can water with a sprayhose or watering can to ensure thatthe water reaches the seeds .

When the plants start to grow, theycan be watered by irrigation channel,sprinklers or with a drip system asyou will see in chapter 6.

Great! The first plants have alreadyappeared.

You have to pay attention to when theplants have 3 or 4 leaves because thenyou have to thin them.

Thinning means to eliminate surplus plantsleaving only those at f ixed distances.

To learn how to thinthe seedl ings seethe following page.

Test 15

Complete each sentence using the following words: depth, mulch, beans.

1- ..................... are direct sowing vegetables.

2- Sowing ..................... depends on the size of the seed.

3- ........................ is used to cover just sowed seeds.

1- Loosen the soil between thefurrows with the hoe.

2- With the weeding hoe eliminateplants between the small groupsleaving those at the desireddistance.

3- Manually remove small or weakplants leaving only one.

If the seeds that you want to sow arevery small, or if they take a long timeto germinate and need special care,it is advisable to sow them in seedlingbeds or seed trays.

1- Beans2- Depth3- Mulch

Answersfor test 15

With seedlings there arefewer losses and lessseeds are needed thanwith direct sowing.

When you plant seedlings:you use the land better,because the plants spend partof their life in a small space. Itis easier to take care of smallplants. (weeding, fert i l iz ing,watering)

The plants can be protectedfrom the cold, the sun and therain.

Check the chart at the end ofth i s manua l to see i f thevegetable that you are plantingis for direct sowing or seedling.

For example, the following are

s t a r t e d f r o m s e e d l i n g s :

- Cabbage

- Broccoli

- Cauliflower

- Tomato

- Pepper

- Onion

- Celery

- Lettuce

Seedlings can be started in fruitboxes, plastic containers, used tins,flowerpots, etc.

Seedlings can also be started in bedsin the soil if you have a lot of landand when you need many plants.

But it is easier to do it inconta iners or seed t rays !

Let us see howto make them!

First you should prepare the soilmixture to f i l l the conta iners.T h e m i x t u r e i s m a d e o f :- Soil- Sand- Organic compost

In a clean section of the garden, poura wheelbarrow full of soil, one of sandand one of organic compost. Turneverything over with a shovel and breakup any lumps in the mixture so that itis fine and loose.

Fill the containers with a layer of sandon the bottom and the rest with theprepared mixture.

Do not use containers that were usedlast year. These can store diseases.

The boxes or cans will end up like this!

Note! Thecontainer musthave holes at thebottom.

Mark small furrows on thesurface with a stick.

Place the seeds on the furrows. Manually cover the seeds withthe soil around the furrows.

Tamp down the soil lightly witha piece of board.

Finally add a layer of mulch and label it to identify the seeds thatyou planted.

1 2 3

4 5

I s t h e p l a n t i n g f i n i s h e d ?You should water immediately.Water with a very fine sprinkle soas to not disturb the seeds or thenew shoots. The mixture shouldalways be kept damp.

Water it daily.It is best to water it in the morningso tha t the excess mo i s tu ree va p o ra t e s d u r i n g t h e d a y.

Test 16Complete the sentences with the following words: label, sown, land, holes.

1- With seedlings you take better advantage of……………….

2- Not all vegetables can be…………..as seedlings.

3- It is important to………….the seeds you planted.

4- The bottom of the containers must have …………….

After a few days the seeds wil l startto germinate.

Be careful! Weeds wi l l a lso start togrow.

These need to be removed becausethey consume nutrients and water fromthe seedlings.

Run a weeding tool between thefurrows about two centimeters. Thesoi l loosens and then you canremove new weeds.

It is better to weed when thesurface is dry because the crustbreaks more easily.

I f the seedl ings are too c losetogether you can thin them out.

1- Land2- Sown3- Label4- Holes

Answersfor test 16

Seedlings must be protected from:

-Heavy rain

-Frost

-Strong sunshine

-Heat

You can protect the seedlings by placingglass or transparent plastic over thecontainers, taking care that they are notin direct sunlight. You can also protectt h em b y p l a c i n g t h em i n doo r s .

Remember thatseedl ings needair!

If, 30 to 40 days after sowing, theseedlings have 4 to 5 leaves and aref i r m t h e y a r e r e a d y t o b etransplanted.Transplanting means removing theseedlings from the containers andplanting them in the spot where theywill continue to grow until harvest.

Before transplanting you needto prepare the seed l ings !

Water the day you transplant.

When you transplant,the soil should be dampbut not too wet.

Do not water 2 to 3 days beforetransplanting.

1- Remove the seedlings with a small troweltaking up as much soi l as possible.

2- Carefully separate them one by one on awet cloth or paper.Now is a good time to remove any small orweak plants.

3- Do not take out more seedlings than youplan to plant on that day.Keep the seedlings in the shade and undera wet c lo th wh i le you t ransp lant .

You should transplantin the morning or oncloudy days.

If the seedlings are too closetogether in the seed beds youcan take many clusters out atthe same time.

Shake them lightly to separatethe soil from the roots. Theroots are then bare.

Remember!You should prepare the soi l beforetransplanting as shown in Chapter 4.

And now we plant!

If the seedlings come in soil plugs…

Make holes in a line onraised beds.The distance betweenholes depends on thevegetable to be panted.Check the chart at theend o f t he manua l .

Place the seedling withthe whole plug into thehole.

Press the soil with yourhands so that the rootsmake contact with theearth below.

1 2 3

Make holes along the furrows witha d ibber (made with a st ick) .

The seedling should be planted alittle bit deeper than it was in thecontainer.

1

3

Holding the outer leaves place theseedling in the hole. The roots shouldbe spread out.

Press the soil around the seedlingw i t hou t damag ing t he r oo t s .

2

4

You can water by furrows.

You can also use a watering can,but without wetting the leaves.We will see watering in Chapter 6

Check every hole, covering anyseedlings that may have comeuncovered and after a few daysreplacing any that may have diedwith new seedlings.

S o m e v e g e t a b l e s c a n b ereproduced by planting livingparts of the same plant:

Asparagus: Is reproducedby roots orcrowns.

Garlic: Is reproduced bycloves or withbulbs.

Artichoke: Is reproduced bysuckers.

Strawberry: By runners.

Sweet potato: By stem cuttingsand tuber pieces.

When you have the vegetablesin the garden, check them andpick the best plants.

The mother plants wi l l be thelargest and strongest plants. Fromthese you will obtain propagationmaterial.

If you notice that the plants are weakor yellow it is better to renew yourvegetables. Get the top qual i tymaterial.

Test 17Place a “T” if the sentence is true andan “F” if it is false.1- For healthy plants you should use

good quality seeds.2- Direct sowing is used for plants that

do not to le ra te t ransp lant ing .3- Soil moisture is not important at

planting time.4- If the seed is slow to germinate, you

shou ld s tar t i t as a seed l ing.5- It is important to air the seedlings to

avoid diseases.6- To start seedlings you use more seeds

than in direct sowing.7- You should water seedlings 2 days

before transplanting.8- For vegetative propagation you choose

the healthiest and strongest motherplants.

In this chapter we have seen:P ropaga t i on and vege tab l eplanting.

1-Seed:Seed qualityDirect sowingSeedlingsTransplanting

2-Vegetative propagation

Answersfor test 17

1

2

3

4

5

6

71- T2- T3- F4- T5- T6- F7- F8- TIf two or more answerswe re i n co r r e c t yous h o u l d r e v i e w t h ematerial in Chapter 5.