seeds

when sowing seeds of black eye susan & dalia
do you need to cover the trays with brown paper
as i have read this but new to gardenig & not sure any advice please

 

I don't know about brown paper but I give my seeds lots of light, planted thinly in 2.5 to 3" of compost. If you need a lot of plants, sow them fairley close and prick out later on into more trays. I grow mine in one tray and discard any I dont like or are sharing the same spot. I always grow far too many. And use a good compost.

 

Grinch - I have never heard of using brown paper of sown seeds, however, it is quite common to cover the pot with a clear plastic bag, or use a propogator with a clear plastic lid - keeps things moist without excluding the light. Needs removal as soon as the seeds germinate though.

 

Grinch there are some seeds that like to be kept in the dark to germinate. This might explain the paper bag. I have an RHS seed germination guide, but it only names a few such as Allium, Armeria, Delphinium, Oenothera, Verbena, Viola etc that like that. Mind you I have grown Armeria and Verbena without darkness.

For Dahlias it says barely cover and sow in pots to avoid root disturbance. The guide lists several hundred genera, but does not mention Rudbeckia, (black eyed susans) - which is most surprising. But Mr Fothergill says lightly cover and keep between 10C and 18C. And as Fran says it's worth using a propagator lid or clear plastic cover to keep the moisture in.