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Has anyone grown Phacelia campanularia from seed?

paul_in_surreypaul_in_surrey Posts: 239
in Plants
I sowed some Phacelia campanularia seeds - I got mine from Wilko but Sarah Raven gives a good write up on her site - https://www.sarahraven.com/flowers/seeds/annuals/phacelia_campanularia.htm.

The things is that while all the other seedlings I've got on the windowsill with it are getting nice and chunky (Convulvulus and Catananche) the Phacelia ones are very tall and thin. I was wondering if this is normal and if anyone has any experience with these 'desert bluebells'?
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill

Posts

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I've only ever sown Phacelia direct outside, which is what Sarah Raven says to do. It is a hardy annual. Maybe it doesn't like being inside on a windowsill.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • paul_in_surreypaul_in_surrey Posts: 239
    Good point BL. The Wilko seed packet does say you can indoor sow from Feb-Apr or outdoors Apr-May. I've been trying to start seedlings indoors as with little experience I struggle to tell what I've deliberately planted from weeds at this time of year.
    “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    If you sow them in straight lines or a recognisable pattern then it is easier to see which are the ones you have sown and which are the weeds. Don't weed them until the true leaves appear, then you know what t look for. Bit of a fiddle though but then weeding often is.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
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  • Mark56Mark56 Posts: 1,653
    edited April 2018
    Only two of my Phacelia campanularia seeds have germinated and are weak/small too. I was planning on growing them in pots as they would not tolerate my heavier soil. Important to note they are different from p. tanacetifolia.. needing drier conditions with the sharpest of drainage
  • paul_in_surreypaul_in_surrey Posts: 239
    We've got monster slugs around here too Hollie. Last year I did beer traps and evening search and destroy missions but I don't think I had any impact on their population. The most depressing thing was going out in the morning to replace the hedgehog food and finding the slugs happily all over the inside of the feeding station. I think the hedgehog ran scared of them in the end.

    I was planning to grow Phacelia camp in pots too Mark. I bought lots of the "good for pollinators" seeds and am hoping to be able to dot them around the allotment to help the bees and hoverflies as well as my Borage / Cerinthe / Lavender bed. I was thinking that being the 'Desert' Bluebell this would probably need sandy or gritty soil. Hopefully, only needs a couple of them to come to maturity to fill a pot.
    “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
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  • paul_in_surreypaul_in_surrey Posts: 239
    Just to let you know I did persist and potted on my Phacelia campanularia. They still looked rather leggy but a couple did fill out quite nicely. Planted them out last Wednesday and today the first blue flower has appeared.
    “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
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