I forgot to mention that some seeds need their outer coating damaged before water can get in. That is one reason why sowing on a gravel path often works. Rain rubs the seed against the gravel and abrades the coating.
Nut, you're so right about the gravel. I use a heavy sand and grit mixed with a little peat free compost for seeds topped with grit, it works so much better than anything else and I made a gravel bed for the base of my dry stone wall, it's been a great seed bed for the wall flowers.
Re the hornbeam, I don't know what they do naturally but if you think the tree really only needs to get one seed to germinate and grow to fruiting size to do its job. Squirrels, magpies and jays probably do the job for them though. I've had Alders come up in pots and I have no Alders that I've seen around my house.
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My verbena bonariensis seed into my gravel paths without any help from me, which may be a clue as to how to germinate them.
Parsley can be difficult to germinate... they do say that if your parsley germinates easily you are unlucky in love... and vice versa..
If there's anything you can't germinate just sling it at a gravel path WW.
I'm always banging on about leaving seeds outside over winter. But it works.
In the sticks near Peterborough
I get loads of really good agapanthus by the same method... benign neglect is often best...
I forgot to mention that some seeds need their outer coating damaged before water can get in. That is one reason why sowing on a gravel path often works. Rain rubs the seed against the gravel and abrades the coating.
Nut, you're so right about the gravel. I use a heavy sand and grit mixed with a little peat free compost for seeds topped with grit, it works so much better than anything else and I made a gravel bed for the base of my dry stone wall, it's been a great seed bed for the wall flowers.
Re the hornbeam, I don't know what they do naturally but if you think the tree really only needs to get one seed to germinate and grow to fruiting size to do its job. Squirrels, magpies and jays probably do the job for them though. I've had Alders come up in pots and I have no Alders that I've seen around my house.
Thanks Berg. and Jim... now makes sense....I must spend more time jumping up and down,,,