Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Sowing seeds not worth it for me

M33R4M33R4 Posts: 291
in Problem solving
For 3 years in a row now I have sown packets and packets of seeds in potting compost for summer plants (Rudbeckia, Salvia, Lavatera, sunflowers, etc). I have bought all sorts of seed brands which have made no difference. I have kept the trays and pots on a warm shelf and even in the unheated shed. The majority (90%) haven't even sprouted.

So, each year I end up having to spend good money buying potted plants from supermarkets and garden centres (Facebook market place sometimes).

Perhaps I ought to give up on sowing seeds  :/
I wish I could garden all year round!
«13

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's a question of doing them at the right time, and having suitable conditions for them. Not all need warmth either - some need the opposite, so checking the right growing conditions for each plant is necessary.  :)
    Sowing too early is one of the most common reason for seed not germinating well - often because of lack of light, but also being consistently wet. Sowing later when temps are better means there's less chance of them sitting too long in wet soil. 
    A shed isn't usually ideal unless it's proper potting shed with good light. Most sheds are too dank and dark. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Heated propagators made a big difference for us. Our house is a bit too cold and the temperature fluctuates too much outside.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • M33R4M33R4 Posts: 291
    wild edges said:
    Heated propagators made a big difference for us. Our house is a bit too cold and the temperature fluctuates too much outside.
    I wasn't sure if they do work - I will certainly consider that. 

    Any particular types, depth, height etc please?
    I wish I could garden all year round!
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    I did really well a couple of years back, with lots of Verbascums, Dianthus and Lychnis which I started on my windowsill (over a radiator) with supplemental growlights positioned inside the room. They rocketed up. 

    However it's a pain, when you prick them out and pot them up the space required increases a lot. I pricked out clumps rather than individual seedlings, otherwise I'd not have had space for them all. Then you have to be on top of watering and checking for slugs, who can undo weeks of work in a few hours.

    For me it made me appreciate what I am paying for when I buy nursery plants so I am not going to be in a rush to do it again! 

    That said, there are sometimes plants I can't find or want to try without spending much money, which I'll raise from seed. I couldn't resist trying Lotus hirsutus from seed which I picked up at Sissinghurst. Didn't cost me anything so I sowed a seed tray and popped it outside in an out of the way spot at Xmas. They've germinated well and are now growing.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    Other than vegetables I haven't really sown much yet as like @Fairygirl mentions, it's to early. I'll sow rudbeckia in the next month and it will catch up and flower well if we have a decent summer. I have a few sunflowers up but they haven't grown much in the last two weeks as it's still not prime time for them here.
    I tend to sow a little bit of everything at the same time and then repeat. It means all your eggs aren't in one basket and if it's to wet or cold for germination, you still have seed for later on. It's the same if slugs and snails take everything out.  
  • McRazzMcRazz Posts: 440
    edited April 2023
    Fairygirl said:
    Not all need warmth either - some need the opposite, so checking the right growing conditions for each plant is necessary.  :)
    This ^

    After no germination for what seemed like an age I decided to stratify a seed tray of red hot pokers by shoving them into the freezer for a couple of days. Once moved back to the garden they germinated within a couple of weeks. 

    Its been so cold and damp this spring in the E-Sussex that i won't be sowing any of this seasons seeds for a week or two yet.
  • CrazybeeladyCrazybeelady Posts: 778
    I use an unheated propagator on a sunny windowsill and am very slapdash! Just plonk various seeds in cells and water probably every other day. Pretty much everything germinates so I don't know if I've just been lucky. They are a pain when you pot on though.
    A good reason to grow from seed is to be sure that no insect killing pesticide has been used on the plant - I bet the shop bought ones have. Apparently it's in the plant for a very long time, so you think you're providing for bees but probably still harming them 😣
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    McRazz said:
    Fairygirl said:
    Not all need warmth either - some need the opposite, so checking the right growing conditions for each plant is necessary.  :)
    This ^

    Its been so cold and damp this spring in the E-Sussex that i won't be sowing any of this seasons seeds for a week or two yet.
    This is why I don't sow too early- cold and wet is the norm here in early spring, and mid spring too usually!  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    For the quantities we need it's never worth trying to produce them ourselves.  Far more practical to go to our local nurseries and get them there.
Sign In or Register to comment.