@Liriodendron posted at the same time as me, and said many of the same things as me, but she was saying the other thing to remember is that's it's different actively sowing seed, compared with a plant seeding naturally, and that's why lots of plants produce so much seed. The aforementioned poppies and cornflowers, and foxgloves are great examples. As she also said- the reason for that is down to sheer numbers - many will land in unsuitable sites, many will get eaten, and many will just rot or dry out depending on conditions. Those that self seed and thrive will be quite a small amount. Bit like tadpoles
It's why we often get queries from posters along the lines of 'how come when I planted XYZ, it didn't grow, but the same plant seeded into a crack in the wall from elsewhere and is perfectly happy'. It's because it's easier for it to find the right spot naturally than it is for us to place it, especially as a plant rather than a seed. Even with seed, it isn't always straightforward.
Light is also the reason I don't sow early up here - darker for longer over winter than the south. Some seeds need the opposite conditions too - ie cold, so that's also important to check. Of course, sometimes plants are just bl**dy thrawn and won't do what we want no matter what we do....
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
That is something to remember when broadcasting seeds @Fairygirl, I think anytime I may have done it I’ve been a bit stingy. It’s good to realise the conditions between the ground and a seed tray are very different, I’ll remember that.
i remember reading that yellow rattle needs that cold over the winter in order to germinate in the spring.
I think with regards to light I also need to remember that it’s still early in the season, that the start of summer is really a good couple of months away and that they really highlight of the year in terms of the garden will usually be late July and August (correct???)
This year I have started
off all the seeds I have sown so far in heated propagators in an unheated, glass-roofed covered area (the 'lean to') down the side of the house, then
taken them out as soon as they germinated.
You could probably not bother to read the rest as
too much detail. But...
After germination, tomatoes, zinnias and other things that (I thought) need higher
temperatures were moved to the kitchen windowsill and the sitting room, the
rest stayed in the lean to, where it never really gets below 4C.
I grew some hardy annuals (and early peas and broad beans) in the autumn (sown under the same conditions as above which then went into an unheated greenhouse when
they were big enough to have a fighting chance, in the winter. (They were in
bubble wrap tents for a few nights but not during the very cold spell.) They were planted out a fortnight ago
apart from the calendula, which developed mildew quite early on. Those are
still alive and have been outside, still in pots, for months, but not great.
I did the same with sweet peas but the plants are
less good. (Sweet peas are my Achilles’ heel, it seems.) I planted most of
those out two weeks ago. Broad beans and peas did really well and are in the garden now.
I set up some grow lights in the lean to few weeks
ago. Not sure how much this helps or if it's necessary - or if I am doing it
'properly' (the right distance from the plants). I probably should have done it
earlier. My cosmos, while not exactly leggy, are certainly not stocky.
Everything seems to have doubled in size in the last week while I was away but that might just be the time of year and temperature rather than grow lights.
I have never attempted direct sowing properly, but
will this year, as I said. I might broadcast some seed, but will also do some
in a more controlled manner.
I was lucky to get lot of self-seeded poppies last
year, but added soil conditioner a few weeks ago, so if there are seeds any, they may be too
deeply buried, but we shall see!
I am also going to attempt to sow a few things
outside in pots, I think, such as morning glory. They are a beast to sort out
if they get tangled up when sown in small pots and not pricked out soon enough.
I do try to be methodical and write down what I have
done.
In other years I germinated in propagators in the house, and probably didn't take things out soon enough. I have better seedlings this year, but that may be a coincidence. I have also grown things in propagators with grow lights until ready to be hardened off/too big to stay in there, which was ok.
light levels should be fine everywhere by now. Though very overcast weather can always cause problems if you are trying to grow on windowledges.
I sow plants indoors because..
Need a long growing season (leeks)
Need high temperatures to germinate (peppers)
Seeds are expensive (any special plant)
Particularly loved by pests (lettuces etc)
Have roots that are easy to damage. (Carrots/parsnips)
Others are sown outdoors because
Sown in bulk (spinach, beetroot, dill)
Fast growing (radishes)
Need winter stratification, (a period of cold weather before they will germinate)
As you can see I only really grow vegetables, I also have a pretty short season with the last frost coming somewhere in late May. it's cold damp and dark up until mid April. To give an idea some people on here have been picking and eating rhubarb since February, mine isn't even big enough to pick yet.
A cold greenhouse doesn't give much if any protection from temperature, but it does give protection from wind and rain and those are the real killers when overwintering half hardy plants.
If you look at light levels - ie hours of decent daylight, by the time we have the clock change, that's quite a good indicator. That's when it's more suitable here for seed sowing. In contrast, August is quite autumnal. Up until the last couple of years, you could feel the change in the air right at the start of August. That's when temps become noticeably different for us - especially overnight, hence the shorter season. I noticed the difference in 2021 and last year though - it was the end of the first week in August before it felt different, and last year was even later because we had such a hot summer. Whether that will make any considerable difference long term remains to be seen. We get more daylight hours through summer though, but as far as seed sowing's concerned it makes less of a difference. It does mean that many plants can go on longer as they don't get so stressed - but that's mainly due to generally cooler damper conditions which suits a lot of them better. The east side is much sunnier/drier than the west.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks @REMF33 and @Skandi for those amazingly detailed replies! They both give me plenty to think about.
@Fairygirl it just goes to show how much of a difference location makes and how it’s hard to generalise gardening. I do think I’m going to have to be a bit more diligent regarding notes if I’m going to make strides forward 😊
I’m going to have to be a bit more diligent regarding notes
Reading, trying and learning. Followed by remembering (= notes if you have a poor memory. There is no short cut. It's not green fingers, but a green mind you need.
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."
Posts
It's why we often get queries from posters along the lines of 'how come when I planted XYZ, it didn't grow, but the same plant seeded into a crack in the wall from elsewhere and is perfectly happy'. It's because it's easier for it to find the right spot naturally than it is for us to place it, especially as a plant rather than a seed. Even with seed, it isn't always straightforward.
Light is also the reason I don't sow early up here - darker for longer over winter than the south.
Some seeds need the opposite conditions too - ie cold, so that's also important to check.
Of course, sometimes plants are just bl**dy thrawn and won't do what we want no matter what we do....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
This year I have started off all the seeds I have sown so far in heated propagators in an unheated, glass-roofed covered area (the 'lean to') down the side of the house, then taken them out as soon as they germinated.
You could probably not bother to read the rest as too much detail. But...
After germination, tomatoes, zinnias and other things that (I thought) need higher temperatures were moved to the kitchen windowsill and the sitting room, the rest stayed in the lean to, where it never really gets below 4C.
I grew some hardy annuals (and early peas and broad beans) in the autumn (sown under the same conditions as above which then went into an unheated greenhouse when they were big enough to have a fighting chance, in the winter. (They were in bubble wrap tents for a few nights but not during the very cold spell.) They were planted out a fortnight ago apart from the calendula, which developed mildew quite early on. Those are still alive and have been outside, still in pots, for months, but not great.
I did the same with sweet peas but the plants are less good. (Sweet peas are my Achilles’ heel, it seems.) I planted most of those out two weeks ago. Broad beans and peas did really well and are in the garden now.
I set up some grow lights in the lean to few weeks ago. Not sure how much this helps or if it's necessary - or if I am doing it 'properly' (the right distance from the plants). I probably should have done it earlier. My cosmos, while not exactly leggy, are certainly not stocky. Everything seems to have doubled in size in the last week while I was away but that might just be the time of year and temperature rather than grow lights.
I have never attempted direct sowing properly, but will this year, as I said. I might broadcast some seed, but will also do some in a more controlled manner.
I was lucky to get lot of self-seeded poppies last year, but added soil conditioner a few weeks ago, so if there are seeds any, they may be too deeply buried, but we shall see!
I am also going to attempt to sow a few things outside in pots, I think, such as morning glory. They are a beast to sort out if they get tangled up when sown in small pots and not pricked out soon enough.
I do try to be methodical and write down what I have done.
In other years I germinated in propagators in the house, and probably didn't take things out soon enough. I have better seedlings this year, but that may be a coincidence. I have also grown things in propagators with grow lights until ready to be hardened off/too big to stay in there, which was ok.
I noticed the difference in 2021 and last year though - it was the end of the first week in August before it felt different, and last year was even later because we had such a hot summer. Whether that will make any considerable difference long term remains to be seen.
We get more daylight hours through summer though, but as far as seed sowing's concerned it makes less of a difference. It does mean that many plants can go on longer as they don't get so stressed - but that's mainly due to generally cooler damper conditions which suits a lot of them better. The east side is much sunnier/drier than the west.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."