Growing from seed for beginners...
SparklesJD
Posts: 344
Hi all,
I've had a great time lurking and reading some of the great threads this week!
I've decided this year to make the most of the large, slightly neglected new garden and want to grow some plants from seed, as this seems to be the cheapest way to get the plants that I'm interested in (or is this a false economy?!).
I have some of those compost discs that you soak and can be planted straight out, some unheated propagators and some seeds.
Do I need to invest in a heated propagator, or can I make do without (or does it depend what I want to grow?)
With seeds (perennials), is it best to try and germinate all the seeds in a pack or save some for the following year?
I have various geranium, lemon eucalyptus, passiflora and French / dwarf lavender that can be sowed this month (according to the packets). My plan was to grow the gum and geraniums in containers, plant the passiflora on the patio for our trellises and create a lavender hedge.
Thank you.
Posts
Hi Sparkles, and welcome to the board. Be prepared to fail with some seeds - everyone does, even though they may not admit it!
Getting a couple of books out of your local library, and reading the instructions on the seed packet are the starting points for you, as well as coming here. You will notice that the instructions on a lot of different seed packets are more or less the same, e.g 'sow in a fertile, well-drained soil' (you may think this is a statement of the obvious, but think about it), watering instructions, and planting depth, which you should take literally - to a seed, a quarter of an inch is not the same as an inch. RHS website is good for info about growing all sorts of flowers.
By 'geraniums' do you mean the sort that have large heads of red or pink flowers? We always have to ask, because those are not actually geraniums, but pelargoniums, and the seed catalogues persist in calling them by the wrong name, and don't even usually mention the right name, so it's not your fault
Pelargoniums are probably easier to raise from seed than hardy geraniums but they need different treatment. When we know, we can help
As above advice , also you might find it interesting to google and read up on the 'winter sowing ' method. I've done this for years and always get very good results...just need a place to store all the used milk containers ( but well worth it ,they make brilliant mini greenhouses!).
With regards to sowing a whole pkt of seed or not will depend on (a) space available and (b) how many seeds in the pkt!
I just love growing all my plants from seed, some however can take a while to either germinate or reach the flowering stage....lots of patience is required!
When they do I'm like a proud Mum with a newborn!
Thanks Joe.
Buttercup, I've got Geranium pratense 'Purple Haze' (HP); Geranium bohemicum 'Orchid Blue' (HP); Geranium 'Reflections' (HP) and Geranium 'Maverick Mixed' F1 Hybrid (HHA).
Are pelargoniums the ones with the larger variegated leaves?
Flowers, that's really interesting - I will start saving up milk bottles immediately!
Do you have any particular compost that you use?
No, just normal multi-purpose Sparkles
Sparkles, tried to get back to you last night, but pages taking forever to load. Much quicker in the early mornings!
The true geraniums are the hardy perennial ones and they can be sown in good compost, just covered to their own depth with either compost or fine grit. Then put in a cold greenhouse if you have one, or in a warm sheltered spot outside, or in a propagator at 15-20 degrees, which may speed up germination a bit, it can take a while.
I grow the blue pratense in my daffodil meadow, it takes over in the summer and the clumps of leaves help to hide the dying leaves of the bulbs. I let the grasses grow tall around it and it has seeded itself into lovely drifts of blue. I cut the lot to the ground in autumn. I have geraniums all over the garden as they generally accept sun or shade, though some prefer one or the other. Just been reading about them in Carol Klein's 'Wild flowers', my Christmas treat to me
The pelargonium you have is the 'Maverick', the clue is the 'tender' bit. These do need heat to germinate, but they pop up quite fast and I love watching them as their first true leaf already has that round shape and that distinctive 'geranium' smell (if you get your nose right up to it!). The seeds are large enough to space well out and they can soon be pricked out into separate pots to grow on, but you will need to keep them in the warmth. Later in the spring you could put them out into the greenhouse or a cold frame, but make sure they don't get caught by a late frost, and by early summer they should be ready for your containers. You will have to throw them out at the end of the season unless you live somewhere very warm (some people have had theirs survive this winter, but it is not usual), but if you have somewhere to keep them you could lift them and pot them up. Even a cold frame, with some fleece might give them a chance, then if they do make it, in the spring you could take some cuttings and get a bigger show for free - the seed is always expensive, so worth a try
Thank you Buttercup, that's lovely of you to take the time
Is gardening not confusing enough for a beginner without calling things by different names?!
Hollie, that's good to hear! I thought it was simple, then I started reading lots of (sometimes contradictory) advice and got in a muddle. Thank you
Sparkles, you can ask about only one packet of seeds and you will get at least 20 different answers on here. It's all trial and error when you start.
if you want a garden planted up for flowering this year, you may end up buying a few annual plants. Not sure Passion flower will reach a trellis this year.
your geraniums wil grow quickly, not sure they will flower this year.
i sow a couple of pinches of each seed in a rice or yoghurt pot, that way you can sow a hundred different varieties and have just a few of each. What you don't want to do is grow the whole packet and have 200 of one type.
you could put a request for plants on the seed swap, someone may have some roots to send you. They will definitely flower this year. Most people are happy to swap or share, for 2.80 you can send a big box of plants.