Sowing Bedding, Hanging Basket Flowers

[veg4681]

I made the stupid decision of buying flower seeds last year thinking I would raise the bedding flowers myself than buying reasonably cheaply at B&Q just because I wasn sending out order to T&M .

Now panicking a bit. So can I leave sown bedding flowers to germinate in an unheated greenhouse or should you at least germinate them indoors first? After they've germinated, would they be alright to stay in the unheated greenhouse provided that I will bring them in times of frost (as I no suitable space inside the house).

I have the usual lobelia, geranium, petunia, bussie lizzie, sweetpea etc but is it too soon to be sowing them around now as I'm able to get these flowers from B&Q by Mar/Apr. Do I need to act soon?

[valmarg]

Oh dear veg, all the seeds you mention do need heat to germinate, other than sweet peas. The lobelia, geranium, petunia and busy lizzies all need to be sown now, and at quite high heat (ie 15-20C).

I stopped trying to grow from seed because, with the exception of lobelia (which I still grow from seed), the seeds are expensive, and I got poor germination rates.

I find it much easier to buy plug plants/small plants. I take cuttings from the small plants I get from B&Q, etc.

Obviously, having bought the seed you will have to sow them, and hope you get a good germination rate.

The bit that really hacks me off with regard to lobelia and busy lizzies - you go to such trouble to germinate them to put in your containers/hanging baskets, and blow me, come August/September the seeds are growing in the asphalt under the containers.

Sorry to be so negative, but I am giving the 'voice of experience'.

valmarg

[smallblueplanet]

....I have the usual lobelia, geranium, petunia, bussie lizzie, sweetpea etc but is it too soon to be sowing them around now as I'm able to get these flowers from B&Q by Mar/Apr. Do I need to act soon?

Soonish, further to what Valmarg was saying some seeds are more difficult to germinate, I found lobelia and petunia were easy, sow lobelia in quarter seed trays as they 'need' other seedlings for 'support', others on your list I found a bit variable. Our geraniums are sitting, and I mean sitting, in the heated prop atm - think we might buy some mini plugs off ebay!

[veg4681]

Oh dear veg, all the seeds you mention do need heat to germinate, other than sweet peas. The lobelia, geranium, petunia and busy lizzies all need to be sown now, and at quite high heat (ie 15-20C).

I stopped trying to grow from seed because, with the exception of lobelia (which I still grow from seed), the seeds are expensive, and I got poor germination rates.

I find it much easier to buy plug plants/small plants. I take cuttings from the small plants I get from B&Q, etc.

valmarg

Thanks for your reply but oh dear, what have I put myself up for . The only consolation is that I made sure to buy only those seeds that are rated as 'easy to grow' from T&M website. I've grown flowers from seeds before but it was a very long time ago, have recalled that it can be quite fiddly.

I'm alright for trailing flowers from last year's hanging basket as they overwintered nicely even with the frost we've had. That's one less sowing worries luckily except for making new cuttings from them.