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Growing from seed, advice please

blameitonthedogblameitonthedog Posts: 122
edited May 2018 in Plants
My experience of growing from seed is pretty much limited to easy annuals.  I do have a large cold frame and a heated propagator if necessary... does anyone please have any tips to offer on growing the following from seed - verbena bonariensis; cephalaria leucantha; lysimachia atropurpurea 'Beaujolais".

Thanks :)

Posts

  • UpNorthUpNorth Posts: 376
    No experience of those.  Recommend you just get stuck in.  Follow instructions from where you bought them.  Just don't use all the seeds so if they don't germinate then you can try a new strategy.

    For any seeds, use good seed compost, add vermiculite to help keep moist, ensure lots of light and steady temps...most people use a window cill at this time of year.
     Finally...keep an eye every single day...don't take your eye off them.

    Oh and get cracking...some seeds need weeks in the fridge, you do need patience 😀
  • PurplerainPurplerain Posts: 1,053
    edited May 2018
    Verbena Bonariensis is temperamental. I collect seeds and grow them over Winter at various times and expect a 20% germination. I have used heat until they germinate and then take them off. I have no experience of the others I'm afraid.
    SW Scotland
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Read the seed packet or go to a good seed site such as Plantworld and read the growing instructions there. Then follow them :)
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    They should be quite easy - they're all quite hardy and best not to molly-coddle them.
    Verbena bon self seeds everywhere in my garden and I'm hoeing off hundreds of little'uns atm. It's a welcome weed and I just pull up/hoe the ones I don't want.
    I've bought similar seeds as you have from Chiltern Seeds where you will find sowing instructions for the ones you have.
    Don't be in too much of hurry with some perennial seeds - sometimes they take a while to appear.
    I sowed some seeds I saved from astrantia Shaggy last year. Around August last year I sowed them on the top of a small pot of mpc, covered them with grit and left the pot in a shady corner behind a water butt. The seedlings appeared in March this year and are about 1" high now. I also notice that there are plenty of seedlings the same size around the parent plant - so I needn't have bothered sowing... 


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • blameitonthedogblameitonthedog Posts: 122
    Thanks, everyone :)
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