The flower seed sowing thread 2020

[burnie]

Post your seed sowing stories here

Last years thread here
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...9-a_98362.html

[Martin H]

I sowed some Cleome in a pot yesterday. Last year I failed to get them to germinate, so I'm going to try giving them a few nights in the fridge and days on the kitchen windowsill. They like the fluctuations, apparently.

[bramble]

Forgot to post.
Sowed my sweet pea seed on Mondsy.
Some of them have germinated today.
They were soaked for 24 hours.

[Martin H]

I sowed sweet peas yesterday - 15 varieties in rootrainers. I didn't save seed last summer so I've used seed from the previous year. No soaking, so it will be interesting to see if anything comes up.

[Thelma Sanders]

8 pots of sweetpeas, each sown with 4 seeds on 27th Jan, all have at least 2 germinated. A few more might still come through, but as some of these varieties were more than a couple of years old - I'm quite happy with what I've got

[Starch]

Sowed 88 mixed sweet peas in 44 toilet rolls yesterday, seems to work well with good root growth and no need to disturb the plants just use a large dibber and push the whole tube in.

[bramble]

Sowed lupins, nigella, nicotania cosmos and zinnia yesterday.

[farendwoman]

Sowed cleomes, statice, helichrysum, amaranthus and cosmos today.

[annie8]

Can I ask a basic question. Have just got my first propogator, mainly for growing things like chillies. Am pretty new to growing flowers from seed. Can I use it for them too? Have got a selection of seeds I'm planning to grow and can give a list of that helps.

[nickdub]

Can I ask a basic question. Have just got my first propogator, mainly for growing things like chillies. Am pretty new to growing flowers from seed. Can I use it for them too? Have got a selection of seeds I'm planning to grow and can give a list of that helps.

The basic answer is "Yes you can", just go a bit steady with the heat for some sorts of seed, too hot can inhibit germination as well as being too cold. Having said that there is a potential issue of timing with some types of flowers and veg - so if you want detailed advice, your best bet is to tell us what seeds you are planning on sowing, so we can comment on specifics.

[annie8]

Ok so here goes

Ridolfia segetum/corn parsley
Nocotiana alata lime green
Amaranthus caudatus
Angelica archangelica
Verbena boriensis
Echinacea bravado
Orlaya grandiflora
Cosmos purity
Osteospermum sky and ice
Night phlox midnight candy
Cosmos sulphureus bright lights
Nigella love in a mist
Hollyhock nigra
Ragged Robin
Corn cockle
Rudbeckia
Few poppy types
I've also got sweet peas (started some in autumn)
And some seeds I collected last year from my plants
Acqueligia
Eryngium big blue
Lupins

It's possible i might have got a bit carried away but I have a new border the length of the back garden to fill and a front garden that's pretty empty too. Am cutting back on chilli and tomato plant numbers to give myself more space in the cold frame and greenhouse.

[annie8]

Oh and foxglove one called silver fox

[Guest]

^^^Your half hardy annuals are the ones that will prefer the heat but I would still leave it a little while yet. The more you start of sooner the more you have to home somewhere until it is warm enough outside. Avoid heat on your hardy annuals such as nigella, poppy and sweet pea as you are more likely to end up with weak leggy plants. You may want to try and start some of the foxgloves in the prop if you want them to flower this year but I think foxgloves are best grown as a biennial.

Hope this helps

[annie8]

Thanks for the advice.

[annie8]

Thanks guys. Have also got a notion to try growing mechanopsis in my shady back border. I know it's a bit tricky so not sure it'll work. Got to be some advantages to living up north. Has anyone tried growing it?