Seeds I have sown today

Misunderstood you Windy, I thought you had sown them in the cold frame, :rolleyes: they will be ok in a cold frame later but that still depends on the night temperatures, full sun means extremes of temps some shading will obviously help.

 

DAG my heavenly blue are pushing the lids of the propagator, as are Ipomea lobata, think I have just been a bit quick off the mark with both!

 

Thanks Strongy, maybe I'll move the plastic cold-frame when we finally get some decent weather??!! So I could have them go from the house to the brick and glass one, and then on to the plastic before going in the garden???
Dunno, what does everyone recommend???

Waco - my lobatas haven't done a thing :( I did what it said on the packet but alas, nothing. Not sure where I've gone wrong. I really like them too, so think I might buy some more seeds for them and try again! :D

 

I have some seeds from chiltern and they advise to use Levingtons soil free compost for seeds and to plant in 3" pots.

In the past I have used John Innes in seed trays and then potted on.

What do you all do?

 

Its March - so I have started. I have been very good in resisting so far. Christopher Lloyd wrote that there was no point in sowing seeds before March and nothing wrong with sowing in April.

Just sowed 43 small containers - several Salvias, S coccineum, S.patens, S. splendens, S. sclarea var turkestanica, S hormium, S darcyi and S.roemeriana. Old favorites such as Delphiniums, Hollyhocks, Foxgloves, Cosmos and Cleome, and a few less usual ones from the RHS, Amasonia tabernaemontana, Asclepias incarnata, Anthericum liliago, Francoa sonchifolia, Sutherlandia frutescens etc.

I just use two thirds Focus multipurpose compost and one third sharp sand. If I want a large number of plants I sow in a small seed tray, but for some of the more obscure items you really only want one or two plants, and sowing in a 3 inch pot gives far more than that and takes up less space. It seems to work, but I always get a small percentage of trays that don't germinate. In a small number of cases I think that the seed may be dead in the packet, sometimes I get it wrong, but more often I think it is lack of patience. Beth Chatto says that she keeps her problem trays for two years before she gives up on them.

 

Two" yrs!! The lady must have the patience of a Saint.I`m chewing my elbows after two weeks.

 

I tend to agree with you elainefiz, but looking through my germination guide there are a number of seeds such as Cotoneaster, Daphne, Hamamelis, Narcissus, Paeonia, Snowdrops, Trillium and others where the guide says may take more than a year to germinate. And there are a lot more rated as up to a year.

 

I think it depends on the seeds Stingo. Some plants hate root disturbance and so starting them in a pot means less disruption for them.

 

You guys are so good, I haven't started my seeds yet. Haven't had the time recently but MUST start very soon. Last year was my first gardening year and I started too late. We're looking to move house but I still want to make our present garden productive and beautiful.

 

Two thirds mpc + one third sharp sand.I`ve been hoping you would put that up again,(couldn`t remember quantities)Mr.fiz uses sharp sand at work so maybe i`ll save a few qiud.I`m gonna try it out with sweetcorn as they`ll go in 5 1/2" pots and they use up alot of soil. Those wee bags of seed compost don`t seem to last two minuites.I know it says to start them in 3" pots on the packet but i started them in the larger ones last yr in the coldframe and they did well, so i`m gonna stick to what worked for me.
PS.Can someone please put me out of my misery and tell me what Soil Free Compost is? :rolleyes:

 

Here's a direct quote from a forum on chrysanths, Elaine..... saves me writing it all out! :rolleyes:

"Q: Could you explain Soilless Compost? Is it just pure peat or do I have to add something to it?
A: Soilless compost is any compost that does not contain a soil component in it's makeup. It can be peat based, coir based, bark based etc. These materials are generally deficient in nutrient so they have to be added as fertilisers. When you buy Soilless compost from the garden centre or DIY shop it already has the nutrients added and is ready for use. Garden centre soilless composts don't usually have any grit or sand in the formula.

If you make it up a compost yourself the normal formula is 3 parts peat to 1 part sharp sand/grit to which is added either a soilless potting base or fertilisers to your own formula. There are a few formulae listed in the National Chrysanthemum Society 'Chrysanthemum Manual'. Most gardening books should give advice in this area."

This is a link to that forum, if anyone feels like checking it out.....

http://www.chrysanthemums.info/FAQs/faqs.htm#soilless

 

Just sown some dahlia dandy, will get on with the rest tomorrow. Sowing african and french marigolds. rudbeckias more dahlias plus all the veg im growing for the 1st time :eek:

 

It's exciting, isn't it Mowgley? I still find it amazing that plants grow from these seeds.... miraculous! :D

 

Do any of you use a sieve to sieve the top bit of soil in your sowing of seeds routine?

If that makes any sense!!

 

Sorry dendrobium,a belated thankyou.
I do have a seive,but i`m just lazy.It`s huge anyway and so are the holes so i`ve never used it.I know what you mean though.