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Plants

Planting seeds and germination

Posted by: Jekka McVicar, 15 February 2008, 05.02PM

Nasturtium seedlings This has been a better week despite the weather. The days are getting longer, the light levels are increasing, the sun has shone off and on and the seedlings are emerging.

Our nasturtium seedlings will be beautiful flowering plants at the Chelsea Flower Show. They have been grown without extra heat and no extra light in a greenhouse where the temperature does not drop below 4°C at night. This temperature protects from frost but does not force growth. Another good tip for those that want to bring annuals into flower is to be mean and only feed the plants when changing the pot size; this way the plant won't produce too much foliage.

French parsley seedlings and plant label For the Herb Farm we have been sowing French parsley. The trick to get a good germination is to sow the seeds on the surface of the compost and cover with perlite, the white granular material that can be purchased at most garden centres. Then put the seed tray or module tray in a propagator or on a heated mat at 16°C. The seeds will germinate in about 20 days, depending on light levels. It's the constant temperature plus good light that encourages germination. The seedlings are growing in modular trays; this is a brilliant method that allows for easy transplanting into the garden as soon as the soil warms up. As the roots have minimum disturbance the plants are not stressed and the crops get a good kick start.

Blue tit at bird feeder This is a wonderful time of year, everything is emerging after the winter and the birds are certainly feeding and singing. Our land here is surrounded by woods and hedges so we have a large population of birds. Blue tits are very beneficial for the gardener as they feed their young on caterpillars.

Talking of which, it is very easy to unwittingly overwinter caterpillars in glasshouses and polytunnels. Only the other day I found a large juicy green caterpillar trundling across some thyme plants in our multi-span polytunnel.

Comments

  • asparagus

    17 February 2008, 08.30PM

    I bought some asparagus at the start of feb, I accidently left them inside and now the shoots have grown to about 3 foot tall, could I still put them outside, and should I cut them down. Please could someone offer some advice.

  • cook

    19 February 2008, 09.22AM

    how can you keep your greenhouse at 4 °C if you don't use any heat / and its -7 °C at your nursery?

  • jill crowther

    19 February 2008, 11.22AM

    I too would like to know the answer regarding the temperature inside an unheated greenhouse. I have just inherited a greenhouse and would like to know what the temperature is in a greenhouse without heating it? Is it the same as outside or higher?

  • Jekka McVicar

    20 February 2008, 07.45AM

    Response to asparagus: For planting it is the crown and the roots that are the most important. Cut the new growth back to 8cm. Plant the crowns 45cm apart in a well prepared bed. For the next two seasons only remove 1-2 spears per plant. In the third season you can cut regularly until mid June.

  • Jekka McVicar

    20 February 2008, 08.16AM

    Response to cook: The glasshouse is heated to 4 °C which at that temperature only protects the plants from frost it does not encourage new growth. And yes our lowest temperature recorded in the last few weeks has been -6 °C. Which to be honest has been great as it is clearing up all the bugs and pests we have wintered.

  • neil bryant south wales

    20 February 2008, 01.07PM

    is it too soon to sow seeds in the greenhouse i have a small parafin heater

  • 20 February 2008, 12.33PM

    Can I sow seeds(see below) in the coldframe outside from March without any heating. Seed packs are rose campian, cosmos, deliah, Agastache cana, Campanula Rockery ,Eryngium leavenworthii, Lysimachia atropurpurea, Papaver, Primula ,Sedum Rock Garden Mixed, Verbena bonariensis, Grass? Ornamental, Acanthus hungaricus, Eustoma grandiflorum, and many more...

  • Chrissie

    21 February 2008, 01.18PM

    How do i intice more butterflies into my garden this summer, what plants or shrubs can i introduce in addition to one new buddlia I planted last year?

  • Chrissie

    21 February 2008, 01.21PM

    I planted a grafted wisteria on the front of my house two and a half years ago when i moved in, so far it has lots of green growth but no flowers, i thought the grafted versions were supposed to flower, am i doing anything wrong ? what should i be doing to promote the flowers?

  • m metcalfe

    24 February 2008, 03.50PM

    i cant seem to find anywere who sellthe petunia surfinia seeds i can get the plants but not in the seeds could anybody help me please

  • the gardener

    06 March 2008, 07.44AM

    Reply to Petunia Surfinia: most prob the reason you cannot get the seeds is that the plants have plant breeders' rights on them. This means that your're not supposed to propagate without paying a royalty to the breeder so if seeds are available it will only be via the wholesale seeds houses.

    If you see PBR on a label or plant catalogue this is what it means and you cannot sell plants without paying a fee to the breeder (though this goes on with hobby nurseries and some car-boot sellers who sell plants).

    Garden centres and other nurseries have to charge higher prices then car boot sellers do to the higher cost for plants in first place

  • maria

    09 March 2008, 04.50PM

    I have a pot of crocosmia bulbs that i need some advice with. Half of them have rotted, but the rest are nice and hard still. what should be done with them and when should i re-plant them.

  • cook - replying to jekka

    12 March 2008, 04.14PM

    I have always thought if you grow with out heat that means you only have rays of sun to warm the plants? You do not burn gas or any other fuel to stop the plants from frezeing, though 4c might not get the plant growing it does keep the frost out and with the use of horticultural fleece this could bring the temp above the 5c plus. In the last month I have being growing a few plants myself in a plastic tunnel with out any heat just using horticultural fleece. My plants have been growing very well and with night time temperatures of minus 8. Love your blogs on here and find it very interesting reading your website regards, cook

  • jen- reply to marie

    22 March 2008, 08.24PM

    Plant as soon as poss, 2 or 3 depth of bulbs.they will multiply every year. Don`t like soil too dry.

  • sue

    26 March 2008, 09.04AM

    Is it to cold in an unheated greenhouse to start sowing seeds what should the temp. be?

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