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Later sowing = later flowering?

Robert WestRobert West Posts: 241
in Plants
Hello

I grew some nicotiana from seed last year and they were fantastic for months. Looking on the packet it says to sow them from Feb to May. I was just wondering whether sewing them in Feb for example would mean they'd flower earlier, and finish earlier than sewing a month later in March, or whether they just sort of 'catch up' and finish around that time anyway.

I'm keen to get sewing stuff now as I have the space on my window sill but I don't want them to finish flowering earlier. Last time they started to go over end of August. I can't remember which month I sowed  them last year. 

Thanks in advance


Posts

  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    There is no substitute for suck-it-and-see.  And remembering for the next years.

    You could try a range od timings.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    The problem with Nicotiniana, is they are not hardy, so sowing early, will mean you have to keep them indoors for longer..
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I agree with @punkdoc - it's only worthwhile if you don't get colder weather in later spring, so that they can be hardened off to go outdoors.
    Otherwise, you have that problem many people have of loads and loads of 'potted on' plants that need to be inside, and are taking up lots of room.  :)
    Sowing in February is ok if you live in a milder area, not further north or in colder parts of the country. It's just not worthwhile. As is so often the case, location and climate are the main factors.  :)
    You may have also had the problem last year that many people experienced, with drought conditions shortening the length of flowering time of many plants. That may not always be the case, but if you got several months out of them, that's pretty good. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
     I've just got some variegated nicotiana seeds, and was planning to sow them around mid March at the earliest. Never grown them before - experts, is it worth staggering the timings, seeing as they're long flowering?
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    They are fairly slow growing in my experience, though your conditions may be more to their taste than mine are. Don't leave it too late or you won't get to see much of them!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Buttercupdays said:
    They are fairly slow growing in my experience, though your conditions may be more to their taste than mine are. Don't leave it too late or you won't get to see much of them!
    Indeed.  :)
    I've not grown them for donkey's years, but it would be around mid March for sowing here, so that conditions are ok for them to gout and actually thrive. Our season is shorter anyway, so anything that you can get into flower, and continues doing that for a couple of months is great. Anything more is a bonus. 
    I also don't go out in the garden much at night in summer, which is when they're most useful. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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