Growing from seed is one of the most rewarding things you can do in the garden and it saves a fortune, too. Ten Stipa tenuissima (a delicate grass) in two-litre pots would set you back £100, whereas the same plants grown from seed will cost around £6, including pots and compost. Now is the time to start sowing seed and the method shown here is simple for the vast majority of annual and perennial plants.
The secret to success, in my experience, is all about creating and maintaining the perfect growing environment for the first two weeks after sowing your seeds. Get this right - I'll tell you how - and the rest is a cinch.
Success with seeds
While big seeds such as those of sunflowers are best sown in pots, a seed tray is perfect for most fine seeds. Here's my method for reliable germination every time.
1 Fill a clean seed tray nearly to the rim with a peat-free, fine-textured seed compost, breaking up any lumps. Firm it down with your fingertips.
2 Use a clean, flat bit of wood to level it off, firming as you go. The end result should be a flat bed of compost that is lightly compressed but not compacted.
3 Choose a wind-free place for sowing. I prefer to pour seeds into the crease of my hand as it gives greater control than sowing direct from the packet.
4 Hold your hand close to the tray and gently tap it with your other hand to begin releasing the seeds. I aim to space them about 5mm apart.
5 Move apart any seeds that are clustered too close together on the surface of the compost, using the tip of a pencil or a plant label.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2023-Ausgabe von Gardeners World.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2023-Ausgabe von Gardeners World.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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We love June
We're cruising towards midsummer: this is a month full of love and abundance. Wherever you look there will be something in your garden that lifts the spirits and makes you glad to be alive. We have colour to cheer us, we have leaves that still have the bounce and freshness of small puppies, we have the first berries fattening up, there are birds frantically parenting very demanding broods of chicks, the bees are all over the place, it's prime barbecue and picnic season, and we have lawns as lush and green as billiard tables. What a month to fall in love.
Your wildlife month
The female will usually lay one clutch of up to eight eggs
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Join Lucy Bellamy in creating an edible container garden for all seasons, as she harvests what's ripe now and starts later-season crops
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Fill the summer holidays with fun nature makes for kids, including botanical printed t-shirts, seed sowing in upcycled food containers and a hanging home for beneficial insects. Jaime Johnson and family show you how
Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN
Using a colour theme is an easy way to give any garden a strong, unified character - Nick Bailey shows you how
Indoor plants, outdoor treats
Break the rules and give your house plants a summer holiday, with Michael Perry's mixed pot display ideas
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
The first few weeks of summer are a good time to get spring-flowering plants in shape. Follow Frances' guide for best results
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As the pressures of modern living bear down, our outside spaces can provide soothing respite for our minds and bodies, says Arit Anderson
Your greenhouse guide to A fruitful summer
Get the best from your greenhouse fruit and vegetable crops this summer, with these tried and trusted growing tips from Adam Frost
Stars of the show
Agapanthus is the perfect midsummer plant, flowering with spectacular blooms from June onwards and, as Monty explains, it loves to grow in a pot