Sowing seeds: Part 1

Posted:8 April 2010

Simple, affordable and productive now is the time to get seed sowing! The only successful means of propagating annual plants is from seed.  Most perennials also grow well from seed, however cuttings or division are usually quicker methods of growing these plants.

At The Garden House our favourite annuals are those we come back to time and time again that we love for their special colour or variety, and that are good easy performers.

Hardy annuals amongst others consider Ammi majus, Cornflower Black Ball, Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’, Eschscholzia californica, Marigold Indian Prince, Nigella damascena ‘Miss Jekyll’ and Sweet Pea Matucana these do not need heat, so a cold greenhouse is fine.

You can also sow Verbena bonariensis and Nicotiana mutabilis Marshmallow now, but only if you have a propagator or heated greenhouse as these need heat to germinate.

Half hardy annuals like Cleome Helen Campbell, Sunflower Earthwalker, Cosmos Sensation Mixed, Erigeron karvinskianus and Zinnia Envy can also be sown now until early May.

And don’t forget salad seeds – fast growing and ideal for sowing every fortnight are Lettuce Freckles, Lettuce Marvel of Four Seasons, Lettuce Red Salad Bowl…

Raise seedlings indoors:

By sowing under cover in a cold greenhouse or on a warm window-sill, plants can be brought to flower a few weeks earlier.

• Scrub out your pots and seed trays and rinse thoroughly
• Use specially formulated seed compost (never use potting composts which contain fertilizer that might burn delicate seedling roots
• Sow seeds thinly over the surface generally sow seeds at a depth equal to their thickness – very small seeds need only a fine covering of soil, larger seeds can be planted deeper
• Very small seeds can be mixed with a little sand before sowing – this makes them easier to see and spread evenly
• Sweet peas prefer minimal disturbance so we sow seeds singly in cardboard toilet roll ‘pots’ – once germinated and 4-5” tall, they can be planted outdoors in their toilet rolls  – these soon disintegrate
• Water the compost from below, standing the tray in water until the surface of the compost appears wet, then remove the tray
• Don’t forget to label your seeds!
• Cover with glass or polythene (wipe daily to remove condensation), or newspaper (for warmth without the condensation)
• Stand container in a warm place (possibly an airing cupboard) checking daily until the first seed leaves appear, then remove the cover and move container into the light, maybe on a bright window-sill
• As soon as the first true leaves have developed, the seedlings are ready for pricking out

In a few days time, look out for our Sowing Seeds: Part 2 – pricking out seedlings, hardening off and sowing outdoors.

For certainty, buy your seeds from reputable suppliers for fun, swop seeds with friends or use the seeds you salvaged dry from your plants last autumn.

The Garden House sells packets of all the above seeds, and many more – see SHOP on this website for more details.  Our seed packets are beautifully illustrated by Brighton illustrator and Garden House friend Vicky Sharman – see PICTURES on this website to view the individual seed packets.