For seeds that need light. I do one of 2 things. 1-I always add a little substrate on top of seeds, VERY little, but remember light is getting thru a thin layer of substrate. Then I water them in well. 2-For seeds that may be put outside, I put my soilless mix in a container, add a layer of coarse grit, and deposit seeds on top of grit. I then water in. Thats it. I have not started any of the seeds you mentioned, so someone else will have to chime in on that note. Couple of other notes. Get those seed pots under lights (light isn't going to burn seeds), and I would keep the plastic over them. Why are you adding extra perlite? I just use a good soilless mix, like Metro or Fafards. Many others out there as well. Also, when I water initially after sowing the seed and covering with plastic...I never have to water again before seeing germination....even on a heat mat.

Hi Lrae, I am so worried. My dirt is expletive deleted and it has taken R.J. like almost an hour (I think) to dig each hole. Then I have to mix the good dirt with the best I can find of my sandy stuff, mix in the black cow and make the little mound. It's been at least an hour or more on each plant. This week we've had fires all over our area and and his father have been busy. One day the air quality was not good enough, one day he had finals and a retirment party. So today was the first day since Saturday morning that we could plant. We got about four in the ground. I have two more in the back to plant and ten in the front! I am so worried about my daylily puppies. We were planting in the dark (could not start til seven pm tonight. He was so exhausted he had to stop. I am so worried that I am planting wrong. The holes do not look completely even with the bed, but I guess we can work on that. Because of magnolia roots, there are places that I would have liked to plant to make a nice design that we have not been able to. He's been digging out big pieces of concrete (??) and weird hard white soil that is like rocks. Now we have big piles of dirt that has to go in the woods and the bed looks disgusting. waaaaa. Sorry to be a whiner. does anyone else have such problems. I have been told daylilies do not like ANY roots around. I am afraid even in the front yard bed there will be roots from the ligustrum tree, and juniper but we're digging out as best as we can. I need encouragement. I also thought we could plant all the fans in back, so took two out prematurely from their littel mound. I had to remake the temporary mounds and water them. Although I was told not to water more than once a week, I think, when I took them off their mounds it was bone day. I guess due to our windy conditions late last week and during the weekends. You may have read about our Palm Bay and Malabar, Florida fires. Thanks for listening. Lin

I just got back in from direct sowing a bunch of things because I was very inspired by how much can be direct sown yet! I'm sure I'm taking chances on some of these but time will tell. On the other hand some had self sown but I wanted MORE (go figure!!! LOL) I did Painted Sage (Salvia horminum), Red Spider Zinnia, Scarlet Flax, 4 types of Poppies, various Marigolds, Xeranthemum, Helichrysum, Gypsophila (annual variety), Nigella and Platycodon. Ang

Mairin, no wonder I loved the width of your floors. The 4" width is my favorite board width and if I ever meet someone and buy a new home, I want solid 4" width boards. Right now I have 5" wide Engineered BR-111 Brazilian Cherry floors that I love but I still prefer the 4" width the best. I love Teak but I could not find any in the engineered wood when I was looking and I needed that due to living on a concrete slab since my home was built in the preserved wetlands so there can be no basements here. Surprisingly my slab was very dry. I just LOVE your backsplash so much! You have exquisite taste. Thanks for sharing.