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closed on a late spring or summer day, may result in slow, erratic germination or in poor development of the seedlings.
The home gardener who wishes to get off to an early and vigorous start has several options at hand. Seed may be pregerminated indoors to overcome the soil temperature problem, then planted outside as long as the air temperature remains high enough to avoid frost or cold damage.
Raise Soil Temperature by Using
Black and Clear Plastic
The outdoor soil temperature may be manipulated by covering the ground first with black plastic, then clear plastic with an air layer between formed by a series of thin strips of wood. The clear plastic traps solar heat, the black plastic absorbs it, and the air layer insulates and reduces loss due to convection and radiation. A good soil thermometer is important so you can see when the soil has warmed sufficiently to allow planting of the seed.
Dr. Diane Relf is a horticulture specialist with Virginia Cooperative Extension and is a member of the faculty of Virginia Tech.
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