[Elswhere]

Please forgive what are no doubt a couple of very stupid questions, I'm desperately new to the gardening thing have thus far mostly not killed a couple of Cacti plants! 

I've thrown a lot of soil and compost mix (thanks earlier posts for the proportions) into my new raised beds and this morning am headed off to get some seeds and check out plug plants for the things that will stand transplanting in a few weeks.  My plan is to give myself a bit of a head start first time out.

My questions are to do with watering and sowing into the new beds, I'm assuming that I should give them a pretty good drenching now that the soil is in so that the ground is moist when I come to sow? then water the seeds in once they're sown.  And, should I be doing any thing clever to the soil before I sow?  I mixed compost into the lower layer where the raised bed met the old bed and then have put a good layer of top soil over that, should I be putting another sprinkling of compost on the top of that for example?

Thanks for any advice, and wish me luck!


 

[Yorkie]

It seems a little wasteful to water the entire bed unless it's necessary.

If sowing seed, I make the trench for the seed, water the trench, and then sow into the trench.  The regularly water the trench afterwards.

If planting out plants, I'd probably water a bit more heavily at the start, then puddle theplants in afterwards.  Don't do lots of little watering as this makes the plants more liable to suffer from drought.  Do less frequent, but heavier watering.

I wouldn't put a final layer of compost on top of the soil, I don't see the need and it may dry out more than the soil.  Plus it will lose its nutrients quicker than the soil.

[Elswhere]

Thanks Yorkie

[mumofstig]

ask two gardeners........... and you get different answers 

I would give the beds a really thorough soaking, if you've only just made them. We've had no rain in the last week or so, and the bed will be completely dry.
The watering will help it settle a bit and give it a reservoir of water a few inches down, for the roots to aim for. Leave it a day or so, then buy the time you plant it will be dry on the top and damp underneath......just as it should be

Plant your transplant with just a gentle watering to settle them in 

[sarajane]

Yep.  Ensure you water the ground a couple of days before you plant if it is a new bed to settle the ground and keep it damp.

Also make sure you water the plants well the day before you transplant so they are damp but not soaking wet.

I make a drill for seeds and water before I sow the seeds and then again lightly afterwards so the seed is in contact top and bottom with damp soil.

[operabunny]

I'm with MOS! I always like my new plants/seedlings to be reaching for water so they develop a good root system and grow up big and strong. Also means I don't need to do so much watering in the summer 

[Elswhere]

Thanks guys