I've probably started a lot of mine a bit early, indoors on a north facing window sill but will go outside to a coldframe later. Trying Aconitum, Malva 'Mystic Merlin' Asters, Francoa, knautia 'Melton Pastels Catananche and Dianthus. I find perennials much harder than annuals but if I get a few it saves a lot of money.The only annuals I've started are Lobelia, because I've heard they're quite slow growing and Coleus because I want to have time to take and grow cuttings from any particularly gorgeous ones before our church summer fair. The rest of the annuals I'll sow in a couple of weeks.
I've already gone for broad beans, cabbage and swiss chard all inside on a windowsill. Despite the winsowsill being south facing the lack of light has made the broad beans grow rather taller and less bushy than I would of liked. They will still be going out into the patch next week though. This was about three weeks ago and I'll be sowing more of the same plus lettuce this week.
I put the Asters in the fridge for two weeks, the Aconitum (Spatlese) packet said room temperature for two weeks then fridge for six weeks and then outside, is there a better way? My fridge is colder than outside at the moment at least during the day. I would like to grow Aconitum Spark's Variety but does anyone know if you can grow that from seed?
You can collect and grow seed from Spark's V but strictly speaking it's not SV. That can only be increase by splitting/cutting.
I never use the fridge method but this year I wonder if I should have. There's been very little cold outside. Usually I consider outside and cold GH a better way. It's less faffing around.
Do you have them sown in pots in the fridge or in polybags of compost. I have a spare fridge in the shed and I'm wondering about putting some of the pots in there for a while. But they won't all go in.
Don't have a greenhouse so no sowing here till spuds in mid March. Everywhere is flooded anyway so no hope of doing anything except forcing a bit of rhubarb.
I sowed some 'Prarie Fire' chillies yesterday, into my heated window ledge propagator. Every year I say I wont grow them again, 'cos I have hundreds of chillies in my freezer from previous years.
I mean, how many chillies can anyone get through in 12 months?
I have just planted my Sweet Peas and Aquilegia and they are now sitting quite comfortably on the kitchen windowsill. I will have to have a look through my seeds to see what else I need to sow. May need to pot up my dahlia tubers soon too. I know what you mean Lancashire Lass, I too have loads of chillies still in the freezer but will be planting more!
I have seed trays that easily split into sections of ten cells, I just put the whole thing in a carrier bag and stick it at the bottom/back of the fridge where it's coldest. I have some pots outside I sowed geraniums and Sidalcea in last spring which never germinated but I thought I'd leave them through this winter to see if that did the trick but as it's so mild they might be better off in the fridge. Are we going to get lower temperatures do you think? I'm in the southeast. What kind of Aquilegia did you sow alllium?
Posts
I've probably started a lot of mine a bit early, indoors on a north facing window sill but will go outside to a coldframe later. Trying Aconitum, Malva 'Mystic Merlin' Asters, Francoa, knautia 'Melton Pastels Catananche and Dianthus. I find perennials much harder than annuals but if I get a few it saves a lot of money.The only annuals I've started are Lobelia, because I've heard they're quite slow growing and Coleus because I want to have time to take and grow cuttings from any particularly gorgeous ones before our church summer fair. The rest of the annuals I'll sow in a couple of weeks.
Aconitum likes a chill Ashleigh. Get it outside, unprotected
In the sticks near Peterborough
I've already gone for broad beans, cabbage and swiss chard all inside on a windowsill. Despite the winsowsill being south facing the lack of light has made the broad beans grow rather taller and less bushy than I would of liked. They will still be going out into the patch next week though. This was about three weeks ago and I'll be sowing more of the same plus lettuce this week.
I put the Asters in the fridge for two weeks, the Aconitum (Spatlese) packet said room temperature for two weeks then fridge for six weeks and then outside, is there a better way? My fridge is colder than outside at the moment at least during the day. I would like to grow Aconitum Spark's Variety but does anyone know if you can grow that from seed?
You can collect and grow seed from Spark's V but strictly speaking it's not SV. That can only be increase by splitting/cutting.
I never use the fridge method but this year I wonder if I should have. There's been very little cold outside. Usually I consider outside and cold GH a better way. It's less faffing around.
Do you have them sown in pots in the fridge or in polybags of compost. I have a spare fridge in the shed and I'm wondering about putting some of the pots in there for a while. But they won't all go in.
In the sticks near Peterborough
I never use the fridge method either, the Oh would go mad. I have usually found that 6 weeks in the greenhouse [ unheated ] does the trick.
I have sown some Calendula and cornflowers in modules today. They tend to germinate at low temperature and will get planted out in March.
Inside sowing will start in about 2 weeks, particularly the HHAs as they need some time to get ready for flowering.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Don't have a greenhouse so no sowing here till spuds in mid March. Everywhere is flooded anyway so no hope of doing anything except forcing a bit of rhubarb.
I sowed some 'Prarie Fire' chillies yesterday, into my heated window ledge propagator. Every year I say I wont grow them again, 'cos I have hundreds of chillies in my freezer from previous years.
I mean, how many chillies can anyone get through in 12 months?
I have just planted my Sweet Peas and Aquilegia and they are now sitting quite comfortably on the kitchen windowsill. I will have to have a look through my seeds to see what else I need to sow. May need to pot up my dahlia tubers soon too. I know what you mean Lancashire Lass, I too have loads of chillies still in the freezer but will be planting more!
I have seed trays that easily split into sections of ten cells, I just put the whole thing in a carrier bag and stick it at the bottom/back of the fridge where it's coldest. I have some pots outside I sowed geraniums and Sidalcea in last spring which never germinated but I thought I'd leave them through this winter to see if that did the trick but as it's so mild they might be better off in the fridge. Are we going to get lower temperatures do you think? I'm in the southeast. What kind of Aquilegia did you sow alllium?