Article by Pete

Growing your own bedding plants from seed is easy, enjoyable, and can also become very productive. Forget about all the scientific jargon about plants, soil, diseases and [...]]]> The easy lo-cost way to get started growing your own bedding plants from seed, Part 2.

Article by Pete

Growing your own bedding plants from seed is easy, enjoyable, and can also become very productive. Forget about all the scientific jargon about plants, soil, diseases and pests etc. with a few simple procedures you can be raising your own plants in no time with ease.

How to do it;Sow your bedding plant seeds during late winter and early spring for best results.Three-quarters fill your seed tray with compost making sure to break up any lumps. Firm the compost down with the hand or a block of wood, don?t overdo the pressure as the roots of your seedlings will need to grow and cannot do this if the compost is too firm. Top up again to three-quarters if required and firm again. Be sure to level the surface.What most gardening and seed growing writings do not tell you is that it is best to water your compost in the seed tray before adding the seeds. This is because the flow of water will disturb your compost and of course your seeds.Water the compost lightly and allow it to drain so as no puddles of water remain on the surface.You may need to level the compost again after watering, if this is required then level it before sowing the seeds.Spread your seeds evenly over the surface of the compost.If your seeds are very fine and dust-like (such as lobelia) then no more compost will be required. Otherwise spread a thin layer of compost over the seeds making sure that all are covered then firm it down. Some seeds (such as sweet pea) however are bulky enough to handle individually. If this is so then I always use the sharpened end of a pencil to make a small hole in the surface of the compost, drop the individual seed into the hole and then pinch the compost back together over the seed.

Be sure to label your seed trays so you know what they contain (a used margarine tub cleaned out, cut into strips and then written on with a CD marker pen makes excellent seed tray labels), when done put the seed tray in the greenhouse or cold frame, if you don?t have a greenhouse or cold frame then a cool indoor windowsill offers a good alternative. In a future article I will be guiding you on how to build your own super-effective minimal cost greenhouse of cold frame.

Check the progress of your newly sown seeds daily and water lightly if necessary, ?moist? is all that?s required. Try and use water of the same temperature of the seedlings and compost, they hate a cold shower, so try to store the water in the same location. With seeds and young seedlings I find it best to use a light spray to water the trays, hand operated horticultural grade spay canisters are available from most DIY, garden centre and large supermarket outlets for a small price – or alternatively a pre-used household detergent spray bottle works just fine, as long as it is all cleaned and rinsed thoroughly before hand.

If you have any small sheets of glass or sheets of clear solid plastic or Perspex then you should cover your seed trays with this as it will help to retain moisture as the water evaporates – much like the lid of a saucepan on the hob.

After a while – usually a few days but can take a week or two, so be patient – small leaves will begin to appear on the surface.

Congratulations! Your seeds have germinated!

Continue to water sparingly and allow them to grow. The first two leafs to appear are the primary leafs which are not usually the same shape as the adult leafs, these will die and fall of as the secondary leaves grow. The secondary leafs however will show signs of the right leaf shape for the plant you are trying to produce and will continue to grow and sprout more of these as the plant develops.

With the right care after a few weeks when your young seedlings reach a height of about half an inch (1.25 cm) to an inch (2.5 cm) your seedlings will be ready for ?pricking out?.

Of course this is just the basic standard procedure. Always refer to the information on the seed packet for the best results.

I will be guiding you through the process of ?pricking out? in my next article. In the meantime if you would like to reserve your copy of my new budget gardening ebook coming out soon, or to ask advice on the above or any other gardening related topic, then please feel free to email me and I will be glad to help.

About the Author

Pete EtheridgeQualified horticulturist and budget hobby gardener.Offering help & advice on garden matters.

shoestring.garden@gmail.com

Article by Pete

Growing your own bedding plants from seed is easy, enjoyable, and can also become very productive. Forget about all the scientific jargon about plants, soil, diseases and [...]]]> The most cost-effective way to get started growing your own bedding plants from seed, Part 1.

Article by Pete

Growing your own bedding plants from seed is easy, enjoyable, and can also become very productive. Forget about all the scientific jargon about plants, soil, diseases and pests etc. with some simple basic lo-cost equipment you can be raising your own plants in no time with ease.

Most bedding plants are half-hardy annual flowers – this means that they will grow from seed to adult plants and die again all in the same season but will require some protection from unfavourable weather conditions while young. Because bedding plants are relatively inexpensive and come in an amazing array of colours and form the thought of the plants dieing off at the end of the year is not enough to deter anyone from using them in their bedding, border and container displays.

Seeds can be purchased from less than ?1 per packet, but the cost does increase depending on the availability and newness of each variety; growing from seed however still remains the most cost-effective method of attaining your bedding plants. Go to your local garden centre, DIY store, or large supermarket and check out the availability and price, or alternatively purchase online or through mail-order (all the top seed producers are online and offer a mail-order service, as do many DIY stores. Type ?flower seeds? or similar into a Google search).

To raise your bedding plants from seed you will need a minimum of the following: Your seeds Compost Seed traysThat?s it, that?s enough to get you started.

Seeds;Try to purchase seeds of reasonable quality by a proven seed producer. Companies such as ?Dobies?, ?Suttons?, ?Unwin?, ?Mr.Fothergill?, ?Johnsons?, ?Thompson & Morgan?, are amongst the top brand seed producers in the UK. The ?top brand? status of these is sometimes reflected in the price you will pay but is still reasonable. However ?own brand? seeds from reputable DIY, garden and supermarket suppliers such as ?B & Q?, ?Homebase?, ?Asda?, and my personal favourite ?Wilkinson? are of excellent quality and often somewhat less expensive than the top producers. Seeds do have a shelf life so check the back of seed packets to be sure they are in-date.

Compost;Any decent quality multi-purpose compost is usually fine for the job but I personally prefer to use specific seed & cutting (sometimes called seed & sowing) compost to raise my seeds as the nutritional balance is just right for more success. Adult plants need a slightly different balance of nutrients to be at their best. Again top brands such as ?Levington?, ?Baby Bio?, ?John Innes? etc are excellent but tend to be rather highly priced. Store ?own brands? as above are usually good quality and will be good for the job in hand. I personally always purchase ?B & Q? or ?Wilkinson? brand compost and have never had any problems. A good seed & cutting (or seed & sowing) compost should contain small granules with no lumpy bits of anything whilst still showing good moisture retention. If possible check it before purchasing; grab a handfull, it should feel cool and moist, squeeze it in your hand and it should hold its form for a short while until more pressure causes it to fall apart. Many manufacturers now offer a peat-free range of composts of good quality, I have found however that peat-based composts rather than peat-free composts produce the best results, but of course the choice is yours.

Seed trays;If raising many of the same variety for a large area you will need what is known as full-sized seed trays. If however you only plan to raise a few (perhaps for your own garden), and possibly of different varieties then half-sized or even quarter-sized would be best. Again the DIY store or supermarket ones are the best-value. Always go for seed trays with holes in the bottom to allow water to drain freely, waterlogged compost will most likely harm your young seedlings.

In my next article I will guide you through the early stages of growing your own bedding plants from seed.

In the meantime if you would like to reserve your copy of my new budget gardening ebook coming out soon, or to ask advice on the above or any other gardening related topic, then please feel free to email me and I will be glad to help.

About the Author

Pete EtheridgeQualified horticulturist and budget hobby gardener.Offering help & advice on garden matters.

shoestring.garden@gmail.com