Over Wintering Autumn Sown Perennials

[vikkib]

Thanks to the 50p a pack scramble I have quite a few packs of perennial flower seeds which suggest they can be sown indoors in September and overwintered in a cold frame/greenhouse once hardened off as well as normal spring sowings.

I'm a little bit confused as I had some pots in the GH last winter and the soil in them froze. Wouldn't this kill the plants due to root damage?

My strawberry runners survived but I always think of strawberries as hard as nails anyway!

I've got a couple of polystyrene seeds trays which might help a little but would I be better off sinking the pots into the GH border or just starting the seeds in the GH border direct and treat it as a nursery bed?

I'm very new to growing flowers from seeds!

[Martin H]

Vikkib, hardy perennials will naturally drop their seed to the ground in late summer. Some of it will typically germinate in autumn and the plants will stay small until the spring. This gives the plants a head start over anything that waits until the spring to germinate.

This is why many perennials do quite well from an autumn sowing. But whereas in the wild the small plants will get some winter cover from dying foliage and leaf litter, they are much more exposed in a typical garden so you need to give them some artificial protection, like a frame or a cold greenhouse or even just some fleece.

Getting frozen solid in a pot obviously isn't ideal but these plants are tougher than they look.

I would sow some now and some more in the spring in case. With most flower seeds there are many more than you actually need plants.

[Two_Sheds]

I avoid autumn sowings, because my garden (and gh) just doesn't get enough light in the winter months. I wait for spring for most things

[vikkib]

Vikkib, hardy perennials will naturally drop their seed to the ground in late summer. Some of it will typically germinate in autumn and the plants will stay small until the spring. This gives the plants a head start over anything that waits until the spring to germinate.

This is why many perennials do quite well from an autumn sowing. But whereas in the wild the small plants will get some winter cover from dying foliage and leaf litter, they are much more exposed in a typical garden so you need to give them some artificial protection, like a frame or a cold greenhouse or even just some fleece.

Getting frozen solid in a pot obviously isn't ideal but these plants are tougher than they look.

I would sow some now and some more in the spring in case. With most flower seeds there are many more than you actually need plants.

That makes perfect sense! Thank you!

I avoid autumn sowings, because my garden (and gh) just doesn't get enough light in the winter months. I wait for spring for most things

I can't resist sowing some now and saving some for spring, I think I've got some kind of seedling empty nest syndrome... everything I have, veg wise, is in now so it will be great to have something else to sow now apart from some chard!

[Two_Sheds]

it will be great to have something else to sow now apart from some chard!

I understand the itch.

I've just sown Winter Gem lettuce & land cress in the gh. You could also be taking cuttings, of course: I've started pelargoniums, fuchsia, dahlia & lavender this week.

[Greenfingerpaula]

Two sheds how do you take fuschia cuttings, I have 2 hardys that I'd like to take cuttings from

[Martin H]

You could also be taking cuttings, of course: I've started pelargoniums, fuchsia, dahlia & lavender this week.

The rest I've done, but I've never tried doing dahlias at this time of year, I wait until the spring. How do you overwinter them?

[Two_Sheds]

how do you take fuschia cuttings

right now? like this: Cuttings: semi-ripe / Royal Horticultural Society

Other methods apply at different times of year. You can also have some success rooting soft cuttings in water

Fuchsia / Royal Horticultural Society

How do you overwinter them?

Indoors, on a cool light windowsill

[Greenfingerpaula]

Thank you I just need to find some rooting powder now

[Two_Sheds]

No you don't. It doesn't really do anything. Most of us never use it.

[Greenfingerpaula]

Oh ok that's good to know then! I'll be busy over the next couple of weekend then

[vikkib]

Brilliant! That will definitely keep me busy!

I'm going to experiment with cuttings from a couple of Gaura plants and have a nosy round my parent's garden for more things to snip!

[Martin H]

Okay, if you can do it with Dahlias I'm going to try lots of other soft stuff too!

[Two_Sheds]

As with all cuttings, expect only a 50% success rate, so take more than you think you'll need