Definitely needs to be fresh seed. Also much of the seed is not viable in the first place. You need to look carefully at the actual seed n the end of the 'feather' Viable seed is plump, non-viable flat.
Some people remove the 'feather' before sowing as they can rot and damage the seed, but I never have.
I just gently poke the seed into the compost so it is stood upright as it would be if self sown, then trickle grit between them. No heat required, just a safe place where the pots do not get disturbed by humans, weather or animals.
I also tend to prick them out as soon as they are big enough to handle. They do not like root disturbance so be very careful when doing this. If, like some of mine this year did, they do not germinate until autumn then leave them in the seed pot until they begin to regrow in Spring.
Most of the time these days I just dig up self sown seedlings from around the parent plant, makes it a lot easier, but then they like my rock garden and are almost seed weeds.
They like a very well drained soil with a certain amount of lime in it. Their natural home is in the thin turf over the chalk of the South Downs.
You could try packeted seeds. They may just take a lot longer to germinate if they do at all. I have had some grow from Seed from Seed exchanges. Never tried commercial seeds.
They are not the easiest of plants for pot culture. JI soil based compost with added limestone grit would suit them.
Possibly, never had to do that myself though so cannot give any advice on length of time etc. You can certainly store the seeds in the fridge for later sowing (or so I am led to believe).
We did not harvest any seeds this year. I already have over 100 babies coming up to be ready to sell in Spring so we did not need any new ones.
The seeds are normally ready in July so make a note of it in your Diary and PM around the middle of the month and I will send you some of each colour form which we have. I am hopeless at remembering things like that so you would need to ask.
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Definitely needs to be fresh seed. Also much of the seed is not viable in the first place. You need to look carefully at the actual seed n the end of the 'feather' Viable seed is plump, non-viable flat.
Some people remove the 'feather' before sowing as they can rot and damage the seed, but I never have.
I just gently poke the seed into the compost so it is stood upright as it would be if self sown, then trickle grit between them. No heat required, just a safe place where the pots do not get disturbed by humans, weather or animals.
I also tend to prick them out as soon as they are big enough to handle. They do not like root disturbance so be very careful when doing this. If, like some of mine this year did, they do not germinate until autumn then leave them in the seed pot until they begin to regrow in Spring.
Most of the time these days I just dig up self sown seedlings from around the parent plant, makes it a lot easier, but then they like my rock garden and are almost seed weeds.
They grow very happily in the wild just up the road from you Nut http://fbhh.org.uk/
One of our absolute favourite places to go in the spring
Last edited: 16 December 2016 09:20:14
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
That will explain the ones on my link then Pansy - it's an old (Roman/mediaeval) limestone quarry.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Yes, I'd love to have the Barnack soil Dove. It's stodgy stuff over gravel over clay here. Plus the years of dumping of anything and everything.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Maybe you'll have to turn your place back into a quarry Nut?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
They like a very well drained soil with a certain amount of lime in it. Their natural home is in the thin turf over the chalk of the South Downs.
You could try packeted seeds. They may just take a lot longer to germinate if they do at all. I have had some grow from Seed from Seed exchanges. Never tried commercial seeds.
They are not the easiest of plants for pot culture. JI soil based compost with added limestone grit would suit them.
Possibly, never had to do that myself though so cannot give any advice on length of time etc. You can certainly store the seeds in the fridge for later sowing (or so I am led to believe).
We did not harvest any seeds this year. I already have over 100 babies coming up to be ready to sell in Spring so we did not need any new ones.
The seeds are normally ready in July so make a note of it in your Diary and PM around the middle of the month and I will send you some of each colour form which we have. I am hopeless at remembering things like that so you would need to ask.
I think I sent some to someone on here a few years back. Wonder if they grew for them. Cannot remember if they ever reported back to me.
And payment is not an option.
Last edited: 16 December 2016 20:37:28