Depending on the size and types of seeds you have the best time to sow them will depend totally upon you.  If you gathered seeds from annuals, then generally start sowing them in the spring, either inside in trays or pots and later transplant them outside after the danger of late frosts have passed.

If you harvested half-hardy or hardy  annuals then they can be sown in the fall of the previous year and in spring they will have a longer growing period  or sow them directly outside in early spring  again after the danger of frost have passed, while seeds from hardy or half-hardy perennials can be sown year around.

There is no right way or a wrong way to germinate or sow your seeds; you will have to find the right combination of moisture and temperature for your seed types.  Remember that when you start to sow your seeds you should always start with fresh new compost or potting soil, making sure that your pots and/or trays are clean. Label and stake your seeds as you plant them to prevent confusion and don’t allow your seeds to dry out.  Soak them for at least two hours  ( keeping them moist but not soaking wet ) while you prepare the pots and trays, and  as you ready your pots keep a sharp eye out for slugs and snails, ( they get everywhere ).

Experiment with your seeds by trying new methods that may make your plant grow faster, larger and healthier than the year before. Some seeds that you choose to plant will grow better after they are freshly harvested and can be sown any time of year, such as hardy perennials, while most seeds if kept in a cool dry place can be kept for many years and sown then. 

Special Note:  If you have small children, know what plants are poisonous, just like the plant is poisonous, so are its seeds.  Keep the little ones out of DANGER.

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If you lightly tilled the soil in the fall, a light digging will be needed to break up any hard clumps of dirt from the winter months will also be needed to loosen the soil and any hard stones.  After a good raking of the surface to make it smooth you are ready to begin planting.

Scattering your seeds sometimes called the Broadcast Method is just that, scattering the seeds over the area to be planted, then gently raking them to cover and gently watering so as not to wash them away.  This method is quick, simple and easy and works well if you have a lot of small seeds and you are trying for a uniform size, color or variety in a particular area.

Planting in rows is good when you want different sizes and colors in a particular spot, again prepare your soil, then making rows with a hoe and make a hole for your seeds.  Start planting from the back row with the taller plants going there, then work your way down to the first row where the shorter plants will be, this way each row has a different height and if you like a different color, adding beauty to your flower garden, with flowers going from short to tall.

To sow seeds in flats in a greenhouse, depending  on the size of your seeds, trays or pots, first fill them with rich compost and either scatter the seeds in trays or make holes and plant them in pots cover lightly with soil, water then cover with old newspaper or a glass covering to prevent the soil from drying out.

Individual pots are great for sowing larger seeds of different varieties, or you simply just don’t have enough space.  Another great plus is that you won’t have to move them  around while they are growing.  Fill your pot with compost, sow the seed, water then cover it if needed.

If you choose to sow seeds outside, remember to keep a sharp eye out for stray cats, birds and newly growing spring weeds.
[tags]  Methods of Garden Seeds[/tags

Having an ample supply of seeds for your garden can be invaluable when you start your garden the following year.  Harvesting seeds from your plants will guarantee you seeds for years to come.  The only things required are a little time, some small sharp scissors and  some paper bags or envelopes.

Begin by harvesting  the seeds in the mid morning or early afternoon after the morning dew has dried.  If the plant produces small seeds you will want to use an old stainless steel strainer with small holes to sift.  Crush the seed pods and shake the strainer to release the small seeds into a paper bag or container.

The strainer will also hold any mud clumps, debris and small spiders, things you don’t wish to collect. If the plant produces large hard pods which contain the seeds you will need to break the pod open before removing the seed ( if they are hard to remove, use an old pair of tweezers ).

After removing all the seeds you want you must store them properly.  Label your envelopes or paper bags as you harvest the seeds to reduce confusion, many seeds seem the same.  Make sure your seeds are completely dry before you store them (wet seeds will rot).  Keep your seeds in a cool dry place for a few days before you package them in the envelopes or bags.

Store smaller seeds in an envelope then store them inside a container that is NOT air tight, but will allow enough air to circulate to prevent the seeds from severely drying out.  DO NOT store your seeds wet and always allow ripe seed (still green) pods to dry out sufficiently before packaging.  When you are all done harvesting and packaging the seeds in their individual containers, you will have a ready supply for the beginning of the new planting season come spring.

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Continue to add leaves to your bag and when full add water enough to only saturate them ( not soak ) them. If you used a compost bin cover it with a heavy tarp or heavy plastic in the winter and mix it in early spring.  If you used a heavy plastic bag, turn it occasionally during the winter.  In the spring simply add your leaf mulch to your garden soil.  If you notice white spots on the leaves, don’t worry, it’s a leaf fungus that adds a nutrient to the mulch.  Leaf mulch is very light in weight and easy to apply and your garden soil will have the added benefits of carbon rich leaves and high nitrogen compost when mixed right into your garden in the spring.

Shredded leaves decompose faster and always be careful of the type of leaves that you plan to use as compost.  Leaves such as walnut, camphor laurel or eucalyptus contain substances that will inhibit plant growth.  These types of leaves should be thoroughly composted before they are added to your garden soil. Shredded leaves can also be added directly to your soil, but add a slow releasing nitrogen  fertilizer to help the leaves decompose as it helps to make sure the natural soil microbes won’t use all the nitrogen.

Keep in mind that when whole un- shredded leaves are added to your soil they can form a barrier and water cannot penetrate through them, so shredding is always best.

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These added nutrients help to build strong healthy plant roots.  As your soil is turned it allows for better air circulation and helps with the decomposition of any added organic matters.

Fall temperatures and the soil moisture are more favorable to tilling because they too help with the decomposition of added composts.  Fall tilling also helps to prevent the growth of new weeds in the spring and prevent garden pests and insects and their nests from over wintering in the soil.

In the fall when the soil is roughly tilled it will hold more snow which in turn will improve the soils moisture levels which and will improve the soils drainage conditions.

Good garden soil will release nutrients, retain water and drain well.  Pine bark or chips, straw and peat moss make excellent soil additions in the fall.  Remember also that you should not till your ground more than twice a year tilling more often can cause damage to the soils structure and its balance of needed microorganisms.

Over tilling can and will ruin well established garden soil by burying some organic matters that need to be near the top to break down properly.  Tilling once a year is still recommended, fall tilling simply allows your organic matters to break down right into the soil over the winter enriching it for the spring planting.

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Begin the winterization by pruning back your roses as soon as they have gone dormant, usually a week or two after the first hard frost in your area but before any hard freezing begins. Cut the long stems back by at least half their length and the shorter ones by at least a third, this will reduce the bulk and make them easier to cover and tie with rose cones, which will protect them from the cold winter winds.  After pruning them back spray the pruned stem with a sealant to prevent moisture loss, and the thawing and re freezing which occurs during the winter months.

After you have cut your roses back hilling (piling dirt around the base) is another way to give them protection. When hilling be sure to take dirt from another part of the garden and not from around the rose itself, you don’t want to leave any roots exposed.  The addition of mulch such as hay, straw, bark chips pine needles or shredded leaves will add to the winterization protection.  Do this just before the ground freezes solid and it should be piled from 6 to 8 inches high or in colder climates as high as 12 inches high.  The heat from the dirt and mulches draws heat from the ground to the lower branches of the bush giving some protection to the crown of the plant from the cold.

In the spring be very careful when removing the winterization dirt and mulch, being sure that the ground is good and unthawed and no damage to new growth can occur.  Keep some of the mulch put aside just in case of a sudden frost.  When danger of frost is completely passed give your roses an  early spring fertilization and another about every six weeks until July, and watch them bloom profusely.

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1. Sandy: the soil is coarse and grainy and dries out quickly
2. Clay: is very thick dries to be hard, solid and clumpy, holding water
3. Silty: is a mixture of both sand and clay
4. Loam: considered to be the ideal soil mixture, it is rich and fertile and it drains well

Loam is the type of soil that every gardener should try and work to achieve.  When the right amount of amendments is added over time, your soil can become an ideal soil also.

Always try and use winter mulch on the bare ground spots of your garden, winter mulching will help to prevent soil erosion.  The use of pine bark, wood chips or pine needles will help with the soil temperature and water loss while reducing the freezing and thawing of the soil.  Adding fertilizers (only after all your plants have died or gone dormant) and tilling it under along with a compost pile or manures will also add to the soils improvement.

To improve the potassium levels for the soil add manufacturers suggested amount of granite meal, cottonseed meal, kelp meal or other synthetic fertilizers.  Remember soil amendments such as organic matters and fertilizers are added to the soil to improve it conditions.  In the spring your ground will need to be tilled again and you winter compost added before you begin your spring planting.

tags] Winter Soil Protection[/tags]

Cleaning away old plants and plant matter will also help to prevent organisms such as fungi, bacteria, viruses and insect eggs from wintering in during the winter months spoiling your soil for next years spring garden.  If some of your plants became infected over the summer months, remember you will need to remove the old mulch as well; it too may be infected with disease spores and insect eggs.  if you have plants that did not do as well as you expected, or multiplied to more than you want, now is a good time to either discard them or thin them out and replant them somewhere else in  the garden.

If you have a fall garden be it flowers or vegetables, after the last harvest or blossom, pull up the entire plant and discard (this is an excellent way to harvest seeds for next year). Make sure you remove any weeds at this time also; they too drop seeds and will sprout up at first spring.

Once your garden is all cleaned out, now is a good time to feed your soil, by adding fertilizer, compost, mulch and compost manure and some organic topsoil, then tilling it under and lastly covering it with pine straw or pine bark on top preparing it for next spring.  Now that you have cleaned your garden for the winter, it can take a rest and so can you, because before you know it, it will be spring and time to start all over.

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1. Clean around the base of your plants (especially the roses) diseased debris can hold spores and insect eggs.

2. If you are planning on planting new shrubs, now is the time, the weather is still warm enough for them to get their roots established before winter arrives.
3. Water your shrubs and trees well, remember that winter is coming
4. Once you have cleaned out the garden and flower beds start amending the soil in them, adding fertilizer, compost and manure to them, then tilling it under into the soil
5.  Get your spring bulbs ready for their fall planting

As the weather becomes cooler and cooler your summer garden will fade more and more so you should be prepared to cut back and divide multiplied flowers or clean out ones that didn’t do well.

Leaves will be falling more and more so:

1. As you rake them shred them and use for mulch (if the are not diseased)
2. Clean out your vegetable garden bed
3. Plant and lightly fertilize your spring bulbs now

Following these simply rules for easy garden care will help to make spring gardening easier when spring arrives again.

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Asters can be started from seeds directly into the ground or indoors and later transplanted into your garden when the warmer weather arrives..  If you start them indoors and, start them in pots and then transplant the young plants outdoors in spring when all danger of frosts have passed,  If you choose to plant them outdoors, plant them early in the season ( after danger of frost ) covering them lightly with soil and water them well.

Since asters germinate quickly and grow easily you will almost assuredly have a continual display by mid summer. Asters do well in average soil, but like anything else, plants will grow well when properly fed and watered, therefore giving you healthy plants and lots of blossoms.  Before planting mix a little compost into the soil and feed them with a general purpose  fertilizer once a month. Keep the soil moist, but not wet and water well during hot dry spells, at least once or twice a week, this will keep them vibrant.  Adding a little mulch around them will not only keep the weeds down but will enhance and beautify their appearance,

In mid summer they will begin to blossom and do so until frost.  There is no need to cut back or remove the dead flower blooms, but by doing so it will improve the plant.  If you chose to plant the large variety, you will need trim back any stalks that have become long and gawky.  After they have become well established they will grow well for years to come.  Usually resistant to disease and insects, if they do become so treat with an organic or chemical insect repellent and a fungicide.

Since asters grow on sturdy stalks this makes the good candidates for cut flowers for floral arrangements.  When cutting, cut the stems low, checking for insects (you don’t want them inside), then immediately placing them into water.  Asters will also make beautiful decorative plants on your patio or deck when planted in container pots.

When you plant, try planting small to large with small ones in the front, then the medium sizes then the tall ones using different arrays of color for an absolutely gorgeous blend of color and height enhancing the beauty of your home and garden.

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