Why are my Self Sown Annuals so big?

So ... last year I grew 4 or 5 different varieties of Amaranthus. They grew to knee high or a bit taller, and put on a good display, and I was happy with them. I grew them lovingly, started off early in a propagator, pricked out to small cells and then 9cm pots before them being planted out 1st week of June.

I didn't bother with any this year, but several self-sown planted started appearing - the seedlings during June and "plants" weren't really apparent until July. They are MONSTERS ... comfortably waist high, some chest high.

Why did I bother to grow them lovingly, rather than just "chuck seed on the deck"?

and conversely "What did I do wrong, not do right, last year that would have got me nice big plants?"

I wondered if the roots were constrained in the pots, and the planting hole [or the pseudo-barrier between border's-clay and pot's-MPC] didn't encourage them to spread their roots?

Or they got a check on planting out which, growing in-situ, they didn't suffer?

Perhaps more fertiliser on greenhouse-raised planted is necessary (to encourage roots to venture-forth)?

 

Do you think we can sometimes nurture our plants too much? I'm always in trouble from my Dad as he tells me to "leave well alone , you're making them lazy,let them struggle and they'll prove their worth".I am slowly coming round to the fact that he does have a point,obviously some plants do need a helping hand but to quote my old Dad again " when was the last time you saw a parent plant potting on it's seedlings into different sized pots ?" just a thought

 

Next time he tries you on that one tell him that nature doesn't do the ""Modified Lorette" method of pruning Apples, but that definitely makes a difference!

 

Surely you are not complaining, are you? Enjoy it while it lasts! There's plenty that will do nothing without endless, labour-intensive cossetting.

I think it's down to the perfect opportunities available for root growth to self-seeders, from the moment of germination.

Also, no transplanting shock.

Plus, optimum timing with relation to temperature, as they are picking their own moment.

 

Mother Nature always does it better than us!!! which can be just a little bit annoying at times!!

Val

 

Only in the sense that I would like to reliably emulate & repeat it in future years

 

If I knew what that meant I'd probably agree Kristen

 

Kristen, are the plants you have this year exactly the same as last year regarding flower leaf colour etc.
Is it just a matter of size.
I was once told when growing mixed flower seeds to always look after the weaker seedlings as they will most likely have the better flower colour.

Yes the stronger ones look good also, and these are the ones most likely to naturalise, so over a few generations the plant reverts to the species, but grows much better than the highly bred seed from the packet.

Also very often we do tend to grow HHAs too early, so they do suffer a check when planting out as you say.

 

Unless your three metres tall they're tiddlers!!! I grew them a few times. Sown in pots in April and planted out mid to late June once the Tulips had died back. I only watered them in situ when the foliage wilted.

The best and strongest Cerinthe germinate in the autumn from dropped seed and bloom in the spring. The colour of these ones is out of this world!

Yup! Learnt that the hard way.

 

The self-sowing has been a revelation here! Ricinus that I used to cosset does perfectly well from fallen seed. Likewise Mirabilis jalapa and Amaranthus. The proof of the 'undisturbed roots ' theory was self-sown tomatoes....tried to yank out some self-sets on the veggie plot and simply couldn't! Yet at the end of the season, planted-out plants come out with hardly a root to resist. Don't get me started on Cerinthe

 

Care to expand!!??

 

I'll take a photo of the drive bed tomorrow, just for you! It's a good job that they're easy to pull out!!

 

Ah...........summer grown ones!