I've never had nuch success with direct sowing summer annuals, we have heavy clay, this year I thought i'd rake to as fine as poss, then use sieved seed compost over the top to sow into, is this a good idea?
You have to look at the conditions the plant likes to grow in first. Whether you have a dry climate, or a wet one, a nice, friable medium is best for most annual flowers.
I'm on clay too, but if I want to sow direct, which I tend to do, although I don't use a lot of annuals, I make sure the ground the seeds are going in is suitably prepped, and that usually means creating some reasonably free draining soil when you're on clay.
Get the ground worked over a bit with some compost, and some grit worked in as well, and then you'll have a better medium for the seeds, whatever you're sowing
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I've chucked a bit of mp compost on already, should I add bit of sand? grit? I know where most sun is and plant stuff that needs good drainage right at the edge next to dry stone wall
I'd dig the compost in and if you have sand, make sure it's the coarse stuff, not the soft builder's sand as that compounds the problem. Ideally you want to create a decent enough depth of good soil for the seeds to root into. A few inches is usually enough for most things
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I've had no luck direct sowing annuals either Rosemummy, my soils clay also like yours. I've tried sowing annual poppies, the big opium ones in autumn and spring, not one made it, nor candy tuft. I now sow in pots and then plant out. Nigella and many perennials seed themselves around ok though.
Did your clematis perk up ok l sent you? Mine are getting nice and bushy now. Hopefully get a flower this year.
It's about experimenting too. Plants can sometimes surprise us, but if you start with the optimum conditions, you're more likely to get success. One of the most common mistakes with seed sowing is to cover too thickly. In nature, that doesn't really happen, and most plants need light for good germination, so take that into account
I agree with you about Nigella, scroggin - they don't care where they are - one of the easiest of all!
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
thanks all, yes I've had just a few Nigella make it! OK, I'll start working on the soil this week,got some 'fairy wings ' poppies that I really want to grow, they do say direct sow so will try v hard! Also want to sow larkspur, giant poppies,sunflowers, cosmos,and nigella,fingers crossed ( also using nematodes for the 1st time this year, I think loads got eaten last year) Lilly, both clematis looking really halthy and growing well, thankyou so much!
oh gosh... i did my sowing on the weekend. I hope it works out well!! I scattered them in nice lines across some of the borders covered them in a little bit of MP compost.. I scattered hundreds of seeds..and so if only 10% take hold then I will have a good flourish of flowers..
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You have to look at the conditions the plant likes to grow in first. Whether you have a dry climate, or a wet one, a nice, friable medium is best for most annual flowers.
I'm on clay too, but if I want to sow direct, which I tend to do, although I don't use a lot of annuals, I make sure the ground the seeds are going in is suitably prepped, and that usually means creating some reasonably free draining soil when you're on clay.
Get the ground worked over a bit with some compost, and some grit worked in as well, and then you'll have a better medium for the seeds, whatever you're sowing
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I've chucked a bit of mp compost on already, should I add bit of sand? grit? I know where most sun is and plant stuff that needs good drainage right at the edge next to dry stone wall
I'd dig the compost in and if you have sand, make sure it's the coarse stuff, not the soft builder's sand as that compounds the problem. Ideally you want to create a decent enough depth of good soil for the seeds to root into. A few inches is usually enough for most things
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I've had no luck direct sowing annuals either Rosemummy, my soils clay also like yours. I've tried sowing annual poppies, the big opium ones in autumn and spring, not one made it, nor candy tuft. I now sow in pots and then plant out. Nigella and many perennials seed themselves around ok though.
Did your clematis perk up ok l sent you? Mine are getting nice and bushy now. Hopefully get a flower this year.
It's about experimenting too. Plants can sometimes surprise us, but if you start with the optimum conditions, you're more likely to get success. One of the most common mistakes with seed sowing is to cover too thickly. In nature, that doesn't really happen, and most plants need light for good germination, so take that into account
I agree with you about Nigella, scroggin - they don't care where they are - one of the easiest of all!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
thanks all, yes I've had just a few Nigella make it! OK, I'll start working on the soil this week,got some 'fairy wings ' poppies that I really want to grow, they do say direct sow so will try v hard! Also want to sow larkspur, giant poppies,sunflowers, cosmos,and nigella,fingers crossed ( also using nematodes for the 1st time this year, I think loads got eaten last year) Lilly, both clematis looking really halthy and growing well, thankyou so much!
oh gosh... i did my sowing on the weekend. I hope it works out well!! I scattered them in nice lines across some of the borders covered them in a little bit of MP compost.. I scattered hundreds of seeds..and so if only 10% take hold then I will have a good flourish of flowers..