What Is Multisowing?

If you want to grow more food in less space while making your gardening life easier, multisowing is a technique worth knowing. This simple yet effective method involves planting multiple seeds in the same module or hole, allowing seedlings to grow together in small clusters. It’s a fantastic way to maximise yields, reduce waste, and create a more natural growing environment—especially when working with heirloom and heritage varieties.

Why Multisow?

Traditional sowing methods often focus on spacing plants out individually, but nature doesn’t work that way. In the wild, seeds germinate in clusters, competing and cooperating to grow strong. Multisowing embraces this concept, resulting in healthier plants that thrive together rather than struggling alone.

Perfect for Heirloom and Heritage Crops

Many heirloom and heritage vegetables, such as onions, leeks, beetroot, and radishes, are ideal for multisowing. Because these varieties have been naturally adapted over generations, they tend to be more resilient and flexible in different growing conditions. By multisowing, you can take full advantage of their hardy nature, allowing them to establish strong root systems while making the most of your available space.

The Benefits of Multisowing

• Higher Yields: Growing plants in small groups means you can fit more into a given area, leading to bigger harvests.
• Less Weeding: The close spacing of multisown crops helps to shade out weeds, reducing maintenance time.
• Healthier Soil: Leaving soil undisturbed as much as possible is key to a thriving garden. Multisowing minimises disruption, allowing beneficial microbes and fungi to flourish.
• Stronger Plants: Seedlings grown in groups tend to support each other, developing more robust root systems and greater resistance to pests and diseases.

How to Multisow

• Choose Your Seeds: Heritage and heirloom varieties work particularly well, as they’re adapted to natural growing conditions.
• Sow in Clusters: Instead of planting a single seed per cell or hole, sow 3–5 seeds together.
• Transplant Carefully: When it’s time to plant out, handle seedlings gently and plant them in their clusters.
• Let Them Grow Together: Unlike traditional thinning methods, multisown crops thrive in groups, growing around each other naturally.

A Natural, Sustainable Approach

Multisowing is a game-changer for anyone looking to grow food in an efficient and eco-friendly way. By working with, rather than against, nature, this method helps preserve biodiversity while making gardening more productive and enjoyable. And when combined with heirloom and heritage seeds, it’s a powerful way to keep traditional varieties thriving for generations to come.

So why not give multisowing a try? Your garden, your soil, and your dinner plate will thank you for it!