How to choose the right amount of seeds
• Water: Seeds need enough water around them to soften and begin respiration. Once respiration starts, germination begins.
• Air: Seeds require oxygen and a certain amount of carbon dioxide to germinate. Adequate oxygen and carbon dioxide can be ensured by planting seeds in loose soil and keeping it moist. However, be careful not to overwater, as this can block soil pores.
• Temperature: Cool-season crops such as lettuce and broccoli germinate best at cooler temperatures (10˚–24˚C). Warm-season crops such as peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants germinate best at higher temperatures (24˚–32˚C). If it is difficult to regulate the temperature throughout the greenhouse, you can place a heating mat under selected plants to create ideal germination conditions.
• Light: Depending on the species, light can stimulate or inhibit germination. Most vegetables require similar light conditions, but it is important to check the seed packet for specific light requirements.
• Soil conditions: Soil used for germinating most seeds should retain water well while also draining effectively. It should also be free of pests, diseases, and weeds. Such soil can be prepared by mixing different materials or purchased pre-mixed and ready to use.
How many seeds should you sow to achieve the desired yield?
First, decide the desired yield for each vegetable – for example, 45 kg of tomatoes. Then calculate the number of seeds needed to achieve that yield. You need to determine the expected yield per plant. This can be expressed as yield per plant, per row, per bed, or in some cases per square meter. Expected yield figures can be found in some seed catalogs depending on the crop, or sometimes on the seed packet itself. This information can also be obtained from previous harvest records. Keeping a harvest journal is always useful.
Tomato seedlings already germinated.
Desired yield and plant productivity data can be used to calculate the required number of plants. Divide the desired yield (kg) by the yield per plant to get the number of plants needed. In the example above, at least 20 tomato plants are required to produce 45 kg of tomatoes. However, actual yields may differ due to external factors such as weather or moisture, so yields may be lower than expected. To reduce this risk, it is recommended to plant about 10–15% more plants than planned.
The next step is to determine how many seeds to germinate. It is recommended to sow more seeds than needed to compensate for germination losses. Add about 20% more seeds to the calculated total. Any surplus plants can be sold or given away.
• Water: There should be enough water around the seed to soften the seed and help it breathe. As soon as the seed begins to breathe, seed germination begins.
• Weather: Seeds need oxygen and a certain amount of carbon dioxide to germinate. Sufficient oxygen and carbon dioxide for germinating seeds can be ensured by planting the seeds in loose soil and keeping the soil moist. However, you should be careful not to overwater so as not to clog the pores of the soil.
• Temperature: Cool-season crops such as lettuce and broccoli grow best in cooler temperatures (10˚ to 24˚C). On the other hand, warm season crops such as peppers, tomatoes and eggplants grow best in very warm temperatures (24˚ to 32˚C). If it is difficult to regulate the temperature throughout the greenhouse, you can place a heat mat under the selected plants to create ideal conditions for seed germination.
• Light: depending on the species, light can stimulate or inhibit seed germination. Most vegetables need the same amount of light as others. However, it is important to check the seed packet to see if there are specific light requirements for the plant.
• Soil conditions: The soil intended for the germination of most types of seeds should have good water retention and good water release to the plants. The soil should also be free of pests, diseases and weeds. Such soil can be prepared by mixing various materials and soils, or pre-mixed and ready-to-use soil can be purchased.
How many seeds to sow to get the appropriate yield?
First of all, you should decide the desired amount of harvest for each vegetable - for example, 45 kg. tomatoes. Then you can calculate the number of seeds you need to get the yield you want. Thus, it is necessary to determine the expected yield from one plant. This can be expressed as yield per plant, yield per meter furrow or bed and in some cases yield per square meter or acre. Estimated yields can be found in some seed catalogs, depending on the type of plant, or in some cases it is indicated on the seed packet. This information can also be obtained from the previous year's harvest results. You only need to record the yield per plant. So keeping a harvest journal is always useful.
Tomatoes have already sprouted.
Desired yield and plant yield data can be used to calculate the number of plants required. After dividing the desired yield (kg) by the yield brought by one plant, you will get the amount of plants needed to obtain such a yield. In the above example, you will need at least 20 tomato plants to get 45kg. tomato harvest. However, there may be discrepancies between the calculations and the actual yield due to external factors such as weather, humidity, etc., so the yield may be lower than expected. To reduce this risk, it is recommended to plant about 10-15% more plants than intended.
The next step is to figure out how many seeds should be germinated. It is recommended to sow more seeds than necessary to compensate for germination losses. 20% should be added to the estimated total number of plants. Any excess plants can be sold or given to relatives.
In total, you would need to plant thirty seeds to get 56 kg. tomato harvest. With this information, you now know how many seeds will be needed to produce the desired yield. In addition, it is also possible to calculate the required area in the greenhouse by knowing the exact amount of plants.