Sowing seeds in autumn can provide you stronger, more healthy vegetation and earlier flowers.
However it’s not proper for all seeds. Or, certainly, for all gardeners! Some folks want to take a relaxation from gardening in winter.
So I’ve requested Sue Oriel, who runs Nation Lane Flowers in Kent along with her enterprise associate, Stephanie Bates, for her recommendation.
Sue and Stephanie develop all of the flowers they promote in their very own gardens. They do weddings, particular occasions and have a roadside flower stall at weekends in Owens Courtroom Highway, Faversham.
Sue Oriel and Stephanie Bates, who develop the flowers for his or her Nation Lane Flowers in their very own gardens.
They plant a few of their seeds in September for flowering the next 12 months. So I requested Sue for her professional seed sowing ideas. You’ll be able to see them in video right here when you want.
Tina Worboys gained Finest Border at BBC Gardeners World Dwell for her meadow border, stuffed with flowers she had grown herself from seed. See extra lovely borders right here in 10 new backyard concepts from the present.
Sowing seeds in autumn – which flowers to sow?
Sue says that there are 4 sorts of flowering plant you may develop from seed. They’re perennials, biennials, half-hardy annuals and hardy annuals.
Perennials are vegetation which develop for 3 years or extra in your backyard. You’ll be able to sow many from seed in autumn, however most individuals purchase perennials as vegetation reasonably than rising them from seed.
Biennials are vegetation you sow from seed one 12 months to flower the next 12 months. Usually you’d sow seed for biennials early spring to mid-summer for flowering the next summer season. September is simply too late to sow biennial seeds.
Half-hardy annuals additionally develop from seed, flower and die in a single 12 months, however they gained’t survive winter. So sowing seeds of half-hardy annuals in September is a nasty concept.
Hardy annuals are vegetation that develop from seed, flower and die in a single 12 month interval. They are going to survive a UK winter, the place it’s uncommon for temperatures to drop under round minus 6C or 21F.
So when you’re sowing seeds in September or October, persist with hardy annuals. You must get stronger, more healthy vegetation and you could get earlier flowers, relying on the climate.
What are some great benefits of sowing seeds in autumn?
Sue says that sowing seeds in autumn provides the plant an opportunity to develop sturdy root system. She sows from seed in September after which typically vegetation the seedling out into its ultimate place within the backyard round 4-6 weeks later.
‘A cornflower that’s grown from seed after which planted out in autumn will all the time be stronger and straighter than one grown from seed in early spring and planted out in March or April,’ she says. ‘You’ll get a much bigger, bushier, more healthy plant in the event that they’re within the floor for longer.’
Many research have proven that flowers like candy peas can flower as much as six weeks earlier if sown from seed in autumn.
Nonetheless, you don’t should plant the autumn-sown vegetation out within the backyard. Many individuals preserve the vegetation on a cool window-sill or in a greenhouse till the spring. There are nonetheless advantages.
However Sue says that ‘some flowers will flower earlier if sown in autumn and others gained’t. It relies upon what occurs to them as they develop. If it’s chilly after they’re planted out, their root system will get higher established, however they gained’t essentially flower any earlier.’
Sowing seeds – insider ideas
Firstly, Sue says ‘be very sparing with the seed. After I was an novice, I planted the entire seed packet, scattering it throughout a tray of compost. Now I take advantage of modules and solely put one or maybe two seeds in every module.’
She says that when you retailer your seed accurately, in a darkish, dry place, then seed will final for years. ‘I don’t take a lot discover of ‘use by’ dates on seeds,’ she admits. Though, she provides, at any time or for any purpose, yow will discover {that a} packet of seeds simply doesn’t germinate.
Seed compost is vital
It’s important to make use of specialist seed compost reasonably than unusual potting compost, says Sue. ‘Seeds already have all their vitamin within the seed they usually don’t want any additional from the potting compost.’
However seeds want nicely drained compost and that’s what seed compost is.
When you’ve crammed your seed tray or pot, give it a delicate shake to settle the compost. This prevents any air pockets.
Use a heated propagator or mat
Sue all the time makes use of a heated propagator or stands her seed trays on a warmth mat – however solely till they’ve germinated.
A heated propagator actually helps seeds germinate, however as quickly as you see the primary two little leaves, transfer the vegetation someplace cooler.
They then should be someplace cool or frost-free. A greenhouse is right. however when you don’t have a greenhouse then you need to use a windowsill in an unheated room. In the event you attempt to develop seedlings in too heat a spot over winter, they’ll get leggy and gained’t accomplish that nicely.
What’s damping off and easy methods to keep away from it?
‘Damping off’ is a virus which makes seedlings collapse at soil stage. They by no means get well,’ says Sue.
It’s attributable to rising seedlings in too-damp circumstances, which is why free draining seed compost is so essential. And it will also be transferred by way of re-used seed trays and modules.
So Sue advises that you just all the time wash your seed rising gear after each use.
The way to plant seeds
Sue says that seeds often should be planted at about twice the depth of the seed. So a really small seed gained’t should be planted deeply. She suggests making a melancholy within the soil along with your finger or a pencil.
Drop one – or on the most – two seeds into every module. Cowl over with the soil and provides the tray a delicate shake to settle the soil. You too can sprinkle seed compost excessive when you want.
Don’t overlook to label your tray!
Then water the seed tray from the underside.
The way to water seedlings
‘All the time water seedlings from under,’ advises Sue. ‘By no means spray from above.’ She fills a barely bigger tray with water, then lowers the tray of seedlings in and leaves it for about 10 minutes so the soil will soak up all of the water it wants.
When sowing seeds, it’s important to water the seed tray or pot from under. By no means spray water onto the seeds from above. You’ll trigger damping off and different issues.
Hardening off can also be very important
While you’re transferring seeds from a greenhouse or potting shed to outdoors, it’s important to harden them off. This implies leaving them outdoors for an growing size of time for a few week or 10 days.
Begin with a few hours outdoors a day. And go away them outdoors for an hour or so longer every day.
The way to deal with seedlings
In the event you’ve sown a tray of seeds they usually have all germinated, you’ll have to skinny them out. Meaning taking out the least wholesome wanting seedlings so that they’re not competing with the others.
Wait till they’ve a pair of ‘true’ leaves.
When a seed sprouts and grows its first pair of leaves, the leaves don’t seem like those they’ll have after they’re a correct plant. The subsequent set of leaves might be their ‘true’ ones, which can seem like the leaves on the grownup plant.
Don’t transplant or skinny out seedlings till you may see their first ‘true’ leaves.
The primary leaves that emerge from the seed are little spherical issues that don’t resemble the plant. Don’t transplant seedslings at this stage, however take away from a propagator or warmth mat.
All the time deal with seedlings by the leaves. Don’t contact the roots or the stems as they’re very fragile.
Sowing seeds and not using a greenhouse
In the event you’re rising seeds indoors with none particular gear, Sue suggests beginning them off in a heat room on a sunny windowsill.
In the event you’re rising seeds on a windowsill, select a shiny, heat place equivalent to a kitchen window. A heated mat or propagator will assist germination.
Then, after they germinate, transfer them to a cooler place. However they nonetheless want good sunshine. ‘An unheated spare room, a porch or perhaps a window in your storage will all be good locations to develop seedlings,’ says Sue.
Transfer seedlings to an unheated however sunny space as soon as they’ve germinated. That is backyard author Francine Raymond’s storage, transformed to a sunroom. See how she went from storage to backyard room on a good funds right here.
Seed sowing gear and extra
I purchased two propagators. One is meant particularly for a windowsill. The opposite is the usual measurement heated propagator tray. You’ll be able to decrease particular person pots or a tray of particular person modules into it. Word that hyperlinks to Amazon are affiliate, which implies I’ll get a small price when you purchase, however it gained’t have an effect on the value you pay.
I typically re-use the trays that include small vegetation once I purchase them from the backyard centre. They are often re-used time and again for years. Or I’ve used these seed trays, additionally re-usable. Sue says all the time wash your trays whenever you re-use them.
Peat-free seed sowing?
I’ve seen a couple of folks on social media saying that they’ve tried peat-free seed composts for the primary time, however had disappointing outcomes.
I’ve been solely peat-free for 5 years. In that point, I’ve had the identical proportion of successes and failures in my seed trays as I did once I was utilizing peat-based seed composts.
I now realise that I used to be doing a number of issues incorrect. Primarily I used to be watering an excessive amount of and watering from above.
However typically it wasn’t my fault. Generally a pack of seeds is defective. You’ll be able to’t choose a seed compost on the efficiency of 1 or two trays of seeds. I do know many gardeners who’ve been peat-free for years. And so they all say that their seeds frequently germinate nicely.
I used to be lately despatched some peat-free Carbon Gold Biochar composts to strive. The Carbon Gold Biochar seed compost accommodates mycrorrhizal funghi, biochar, worm casts and different components to assist enhance root growth whereas the seedlings are rising within the compost. The chemistry round biochar is advanced and analysis continues to be ongoing, however research to this point present that it improves drainage in soil, which is essential for seed compost.
And whenever you transplant seedlings on, the mycorrhizal funghi, seaweed feed and different components within the Carbon Gold Biochar potting compost helps enhance seedling and plant development and resilience.
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