Ini's Moestuin #275:Verschil licht- en donkerkiemers & Alle verschillen tussen bonen en erwten.

From my French vegetable garden, I share new, inspiring tips almost weekly for the - beginner - vegetable garden enthusiast. The weather is still beautiful in the South of France, and the greenhouse and vegetable garden are filling up with new seeds. Sowing can sometimes be tricky, especially if you don't know whether a crop is a light-selector or a thunder-germinator. I explain. Legumes are incredibly healthy, and according to the Nutrition Centre, we should eat them more often. So, it is a very topical subject. They are also very fun and easy to grow. But what exactly is the difference between all those different beans and peas, and what should you look out for if you want to grow them? Furthermore, I show how a cabbage white butterfly lays its eggs on a cabbage plant. Fascinating, but also how you can ensure they don't turn into caterpillars. And many more handy and fun vegetable garden tips in this jam-packed episode. LIST OF LIGHT AND DARK GERMERS LIGHT GERMERS These seeds need light to germinate. You sow them on top of the soil and press them down very lightly at most, without covering them with a layer of soil. Sometimes I put a thin layer of vermiculite over them to prevent the soil from drying out. VEGETABLES Lettuce, Carrot, Celery, Endive, Spinach, Lamb's lettuce, Fennel, Winter purslane, Strawberry HERBS Parsley, Chervil, Basil, Oregano, Dill, Tarragon, Garden cress FLOWERS Marigolds, Snapdragon, Petunia, Begonia, Poppy, Foxglove, Catnip, Lobelia, Impatiens DARK GERMERS These seeds, on the other hand, only germinate when it is dark. You must therefore cover them with a layer of soil. A good rule of thumb is to sow them about 2 to 3 times as deep as the seed is thick. VEGETABLES/HERBS Pumpkin, Courgette, Tomato, Bell Peppers and Chili Peppers, Beans, Peas, Corn, Coriander FLOWERS Sunflower (Helianthus), Marigold (Calendula), Sweet Pea (Lathyrus) Nasturtium (Tropaeolum), Phlox, Verbena, Violets TIP: Are you unsure about a specific type of seed? Then look at the size. In general, the smaller and finer the seed (such as lettuce or celery), the greater the chance that it is a light germinator. Large, sturdy seeds (such as those of beans or sunflowers) are almost always dark germinators.