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All you experts I need help - germination techniques

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  • I haven't no but am planning to this year. I have a garden that hasn't been touched in 30 years so there were no plants at all in it. I have had to start from scratch so have done loads of sowing this year image

    Im doing a kinda cottage style as I have always been in the country. Now im in a little village surrounded by the elderly (Im 35) 

    They are unable to keep their gardens now but they all pop over to have a look and comment on the difference of mine image They are all very helpful and full of ideas too so they say they feel as they are part of it by helping which is lovely I think

  • Sam - we are the same moved into a little village where the avg age is prob 65-70!!!! I'm 31 and trying to. Improve the garden. The back was heavily landscaped with just a lawn abs some pots on the wall sour rounding this then a dog kennel and a hot tub!!!! Hot tub in an excouncil village house!!!! The front had a silly statue lawns and standard plants in pots lining the drive. All looked pretentious.



    We are making beds and trying to soften. I made boarders in the small back garden and really want the cottage look. Going to widen the boarders from 1 ft to poss 2 this year. My other half in not enamoured as its cutting down the lawn!!!! But I will wait till he is out!!!



    We still have a smaller dog run but swapped the ugly dog run concrete for a raised veg bed. I have photos on here if you want to take a look. It's a thread called photos of my garden (I think!!!) it's just 1 year on and not much but I'm working on it when money and time permits!!
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    What works for me with echinacea is growing them quite large in 5" pots before planting out.  If they're not big enough, I overwinter in a coldframe rather than plant out, pinching out any flower shoots that may develop.  All of the larger ones I planted out last spring went on to flower (mostly just one flower) and are now showing several shoots.  There are about a dozen overwintered ones in the CF which will go out as soon as I can find the time.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • I may try that but unfortunately don't have a perminant greenhouse or cold frame and struggle for space. Lets see if they come first before I start thinking about where to overwinter.



    So would you advise sow and prick out or sow in modules and leave for as long as poss!



    Any yes I can't sleep, thinking about when to water the lawn with a weed killer!!!!!
  • Do men have a fixation with mowing? My OH is the same! He says he'd mow the borders if he could.

    I'm taking note of the idea of leaving them in the pot until they get quite large. I can quite see that this works best.

    Aquilegias like to germinate in cooler conditions  and heat does not help, I have found. Planted and more-or-less ignored, I get a good germination rate. I have some geranium pratense which have not germinated yet and I am wondering if it is the same for them - they'd be better off in cooler conditions.

    I'd always plant larger seeds in modules. Smaller ones are difficult to control, so I usually prick them out after germination.

  • Im the same GG. I am hoping to do the same to my boarders Red. Im lucky as OH hates the garden side. I do everything which suits me just fine lol
  • My OH always left it to me but has recently had a gardening spurt!!!



    I think I will get my plastic greenhouse up then see what I can move around!!
  • Thanks verdun, bought it 3 years ago now, so decided thus is the year!!!!!! You know what they say if you want something doing...
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,034

    Interestingly I have just come in from my unheated greenhouse where the Verbena Rigida seeds I sowed in the winter have just germinated.

    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
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