Grow Your Own Magazine

Please any help would be great!

How can I stop my soil capping after I have sown my seeds.

Why does it do this!

Its driving me mad!

mad

mad

mad

mad!!!! heeeeeeeelp pleeeeeeease!

I have a real problem with capping mainly because the solil is quite sandy, my remedy is to bulk up with as much organic material as I can

Silt particles in the soil float up with the water. Add more organic matter to improve the texture of the soil.

It is a problem I some times encounter on the carrot beds. A good trick is to make a drill, water, then put a little multipurpose up the drill, sow, cover with more multi purpose water again with fine rose. It helps mark the row and there is less annual weed germination as well.

Keep the seed bed constantly and consistantly moist- watering a little everyday until after germination.

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Advertising is the rattling of a stick in a swill bucket. George Orwell
Paul

Have you tried backfilling or topping off with compost rather than soil? I tend to take handfuls of compost and rub it between my hands, letting it fall onto the sown area. Slow going, but it could help your problem. Obviously try to avoid tamping it down too much, and shelter the surface if you can. Slow, gentle watering from a rose (a pain, I know) may keep the compaction down. What about a thin/ light mulch to protect the surface?

The only time I have had serious problems was when I sowed too many cut-and-come-again salad seeds and watered them too much. When the seeds germinated simultaneously it was like a scene from an earthquake disaster movie in miniature!

compost- backfilling....doh, why did I not think of that....must be the blonde hair!!!
Thanks folks

Why not use a mulch of some description?? Manure,straw,compost,peat or coir are all useful mulches! There are loads of others as well of course!

De-ja vou??????????

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

whats capping?

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Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull

Heavy rainfall following sowing can result in collapse of surface soil structure. Following drying, a hard cap can form that prevents seedling emergence through the surface.

Geo..

Yeah, that happens on our silty soil too. I have started to sow my seed into a top-dressing of compost. Either that or sow indoors in pots/trays then plant out. Watering with a fine rose is meant to help too.

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Sow seeds into drills, water well, then cover with soil or compost. Do not water afterwards unless you really have to. Leaving the surface loose really helps seeds to push through. Having said that, why is it always our precious seeds that have problems? Weeds will push up through tarmac drives!!!

We've had a problem with this too, but thanks to the advice on here we're now trying the covering with compost (instead of soil) method, will let you know how we get on!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 26th November2008 - more new piccies!

Are you a botony teacher then geo?...Tell me you drew that! Illustration of the month in my book

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Advertising is the rattling of a stick in a swill bucket. George Orwell
Paul