A handful of seed cast out with a wide sweep of the arm, then a second pass at right angles to the first: broadcast sowing is how lawns are sown and how almost all tray-grown seed is started. Check that the entire surface is covered, and the seedlings come up evenly.
Outdoor plants can occasionally be sown in growing beds in this manner, as can certain annuals, but it is rather rare.
Outdoors, on small surfaces, gardeners prefer using row-sowing or seed hole-sowing, especially for vegetables.
Pour the seeds into a bowl for easy grasping.
Grasp a handful of seeds. Spread the seeds along the ground in a regular, even manner, casting the seeds out with a wide sweep of your arm.
Verify that the entire surface is covered.
It helps to first stroll along one direction back and forth, and then to have a second pass at a right angle to the first one. Seeds spread out more evenly that way.
When you’re sowing in trays, to start seeds in spring for instance, you can use broadcast sowing to spread the seeds across the tray.
Outdoors, damping off isn’t often a problem, but in trays its very common. Best prevent it with a little charcoal.
Broadcast sowing is not always the right choice: the gesture changes indoors, and small vegetable plots are better served by other methods. Here is how the options described here line up.
| Method | Where it is used | Gesture | Point to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcast sowing outdoors | Lawns, growing beds, some annuals | Wide sweep of the whole arm | Check the entire surface is covered |
| Broadcast sowing in trays | Starting seeds in spring under cover | Wrist swept back and forth, seeds dropped from the palm | Damping off is very common; prevent it with a little charcoal |
| Row sowing or seed hole sowing | Small surfaces, especially vegetables | Seeds set in rows or in individual holes | Preferred to broadcasting on small outdoor plots |
| Seeder | When the hand gesture proves difficult | The tool spreads the seeds for you | Sold in some stores |
Match the method to the surface, and the seed lands where you want it.
If it seems difficult to get the right gesture, some stores sell seeders that can spread the seeds for you!
