Novice: Best way to plant ( Flower ) seeds for good results.?

Please don't get too technical i'm a garden idiot.

Novice: Best way to plant ( Flower ) seeds for good results.?
If you are planting straight in the garden you need 2 main things 1 get rid of weeds 2 make sure soild is warm enough. To gat rid of weeds put clear plastic over the site NOW. this will make weed seeds germinate and you can pull them up or chop them off. Keep the plastic on for about a month. Then don't put the seeds in until the soil is warm enough to sit on with a bare bum. You don't have to do this, although the old farmers did, just lay your hand flat on it for a few minutes and think, would I sit on that naked? if so, it is warm enough to sow your seeds. After that, check every day to see that they have not got dry if it has not rained. Also when you are pulling weeds earlier, have a good look at them, so if there are any still coming up you know what they look like. If you don't know what your flower seedlings will look like, put just a few in a flowerpot on the windowsill so you can recognise them when they come up in the garden. Also, choose easy flowers. Godetia and lobelia are easy and give loads of flowers. Good luck!
Reply:To every seed there is a rhyme and reason. If you dont have good planting instructions for each kind of seed, go to the internet search and plug in "How to plant-----whatever seed it is you have. Seeds are very particular. Some seeds require a period of temperature extremes; some will only germinate in cold; some will only germinate after a period of cold but not in light; some want cold and then light. The back of your package should have specific instructions. If not, use the old How to search. I havent found a seed yet that didnt have instructions. As for the back of the package, I have been gardening for years. I just got a major order of seeds and planted about four flats BEFORE I read the instructions. Did at least four flats wrong. So much for thinking after years of gardening that you dont need directions. Who would have thought that snapdragon seeds had to be refrigerated for three weeks before planting?
Reply:Usually the best way is to pick the method to suit the type/size of the seed.


If the seed is small to very small, sprinkle evenly on top of compost in a seed tray then just lightly cover with compost so that the seed is only as deep as it is big, i.e. if the seed is 1mm in diameter then it should be no deeper than 1mm.


If the seed is medium to small, draw a groove in the surface of the compost then sow the seed along this row then cover by pulling the compost inwards, making a slight ridge then flatten it.


If the seed is large enough to be handled individually then that is what you do: sow singly about 25mm apart.


Water enough to moisten the compost and allow to almost dry out before watering again. When they seeds have formed two proper leaves (i.e. not the seedling leaves), thin to allow proper growth, pot on and then harden off when they are big enough.


Note if you have very fine seed, it helps to mix the seed with dry silver sand before sprinkling on the compost.


If you are sowing using the row method you can reduce the amount of thinning out if you first germinate the seeds in a jar by adding water, shaking slightly to ensure the seeds are wet, drain off the water, repeat evening and morning until the seeds begin to sprout. Mix germinated seed with a non-fungicidal wallpaper paste and pipe (like icing) along the row.





Good luck and enjoy your new hobby.
Reply:What I have done in the past is to plant them shallowly in seed compost in a tray, when they have grown a little I pot them, as they get bigger I either pot on or olant in the garden, hope this helps.