We haven't had a substantial amount of rain in weeks. My co-worker and I text each other rain gauge reports. The last comment I had was 1.4 inches on July 24. Before that, it was July 4.
Not much moisture in the ground to help get seeds sprouted. Here's my strategy:
1. Prep the furrows. I'm going with snow peas (already planted, the darker area running the length of the bed), beets and kohlrabi. This bed is one that is in shade by mid November so I need veggies that will mature quickly. I'm doing another bed the same day with carrots and parsnips.
2. Pre-water the furrows. Seed germination is dependent (among other things) of the seed being in contact with a sufficient amount of moisture so the embryo can do its thing. But if I water the seeds directly (especially little ones like kohlrabi and carrots) the large water drops could move them around and mess up the spacing. Better to wet the soil first.
3. Plant seeds and cover with soil. Sorry, forgot to take a picture of that, but you know the process.
4. Water again. Actually, I'll end up making several passes over this area for the next hour. My goal is to apply enough water so that it soaks all the way down to the seeds. And repeat every day or every other day until seedlings emerge. Its so hot and dry right now that the moisture is evaporating out of the soil.
With any luck, I should have little sprouts starting to poke through within two weeks.
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