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What to sow in January

nodlisabnodlisab Posts: 414

Just got a new propagator for xmas and cant wait to start sowing some seeds,what flowers can be started this month ?

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  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    Not a lot to be honest-the fateful mistake is to think it is a new year I must get started-so your seeds germinate -it is the middle of January-what do you do next with them?

    Experience tells me wait till March for most things-then you can give your seedlings better treatment-there is plenty of time and things always catch up

    Sow now-and you have wasted time,energy and seed-anything that needs heat to germinate is probably a half-hardy annual-the clue is in the title-and wont be planted out until Mid-May at the earliest-so that is why you don't need to start now

    Patience is a virtue after allimage

    Having said all that-what flowers are we talking about?image

  • You could sow sweetpea now, I always sow in the autumn but again anytime now and I've been growing them for years.

    Also what about Cornflowers and Calendula, they could be sown now too perhaps.

    I do have a covered back yard with perspex as a roof so I can keep everything frost free.

  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    None of those need a propagator though-they are hardy annual-so do not need heat, sowing indoors or under coverimage

  • kate1123kate1123 Posts: 2,815

    @nodlisab last christmas I had a propagator and started it going in January. As sotongeoff has already mentioned it is a bit of a problem as once the seedling were ready to be potted on I soon had a problem with lack of window sills.

    I started with dahlias, lupins, delphiniums, gaura and euphorbias

  • Tropical SamTropical Sam Posts: 1,488

    I agree with Sotongeoff. The sunlight is just not enough yet and you will end up with leggy plants. The only seeds to germinate now are those difficult or lengthy ones such as Banana/musa, perhaps Canna etc.

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    You should sow anything that needs a chill to start it off. Otherwise it's as sotogeoff says



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Tropical SamTropical Sam Posts: 1,488
    nutcutlet wrote (see)

    You should sow anything that needs a chill to start it off. Otherwise it's as sotogeoff says

    Very true, though he says in the OP that has a propagator. I was thinking of winter salad, Onion seed and even Pansies - he would need to stunt their growth in a coldframe after germination but I can see them working.

  • lisa69lisa69 Posts: 119
    nutcutlet wrote (see)

    You should sow anything that needs a chill to start it off. Otherwise it's as sotogeoff says

    Hi Nutcutlet, I was reading my Larkspur seeds today and its says they need a chill to germinate, I haven't had much luck with them before nor holly-hocks, does that mean I can sow them yet?

    Good luck nodlisab let us know how you get on the with the new prop image

  • Tropical SamTropical Sam Posts: 1,488

    @Lisa69 - just sow the Larksprur seeds where you want them and some will come up in spring.

  • Matty2Matty2 Posts: 4,817

    Looking at seed packets I have, perrenial flower seeds can be grown from Jan using a heated propagator, just make sure you have somewhere for them to go once they have germinated.

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