Now is the perfect time to start sowing your seeds for the year ahead. I personally love growing plants from seed because of the sense of satisfaction you get from seeing a greenhouse and then a garden full of plants you’ve grown yourself.
Even more satisfying is collecting the seed yourself, but we’ll get into that another time!
If you haven’t sown seeds before you may have lots of questions about what you can sow and how you go about doing it.
Don’t worry though, sowing seeds is dead easy and a perfect way for any beginner gardener to start gardening.
So here are the answers to some of the questions you may have about sowing your seeds indoors.
What seeds should I be sowing now?
Now is the time to be sowing bedding annuals, hardy annuals and perennials to fill out your pots and borders. You can also sow some vegetables now such as tomatoes, celery, sweetcorn, courgette, lettuce, beetroot, broad beans, carrots, peas and leeks.
Should I buy a particular make of seeds?
In general this shouldn’t matter too much as they all have to go through certain processes to make sure the seeds are sterile before they can sell them. However, I would always go for a make I have either used before or are well known such as Sarah Raven, Mr Fothergill’s and Suttons.
Should I sow all the seeds in the packet?
This depends on how big your garden is, what facilities you have and how many plants you want.
If you have a look on the back of the packet you will find an approximate number for how many seeds are in the packet and a date for when they should be sown by.
Depending on how many plants you actually want, if a packet has 100 seeds in it, I would usually sow half to take into account that some may not germinate, but this is entirely up to you. The rest of the seeds will keep until next year if you store them in a cool, dark and airtight place.
What equipment will I need to sow my seeds?
You will need some seed trays or module trays, compost (just multi-purpose compost will be fine), a horticultural sieve, a board to level the compost, some fine horticultural grit or some vermiculite and a piece or glass or clear plastic to cover the tray with.
How do I sow my seeds?
Prepare your compost by rubbing it between your hands to get rid of any big lumps then fill your seed tray about two thirds full and use your board to gently push down the compost to level it.
Make sure that the compost surface is level and not sloping down into a corner as this may wash all your seed into that corner when you water them.
Tip your seeds into your hand and get some between two fingers and sprinkle them on the surface of the compost being careful to try and spread them out as evenly as you can using the whole compost surface.
Then you can either use a horticultural sieve to sieve a thin layer of compost on top of the seeds or just crumble some compost between your hands and cover the seeds with a thin later. Alternatively you can cover them with a thin layer of grit or vermiculite.
When it comes to watering seeds I prefer to place the seed trays in a tray of water so they can soak the water up from the bottom. This ensures that the seeds don’t get disturbed.
What do I do with my seeds once they are sown?
Once you have finished sowing your seeds you can either put them in the greenhouse or propagator if you have them. Otherwise place them on a warm sunny windowsill with a piece of glass, clear plastic or something similar over the top until they have germinated, at which point it can be removed.
How do I look after my seeds and seedlings?
After their initial watering you will only need to water them if they get dry. Again I would do this in a tray of water to avoid damaging the seedlings or disturbing the seeds. Once the seeds germinate you can remove the glass or plastic but keep them on the warm windowsill or in the greenhouse or propagator until they are ready to prick out.
How do I know when my seedlings are ready to prick out?
You will know the seedlings are ready to prick out into modular trays when they have two sets of leaves. The first leaves to appear are called the seed leaves. The second pair of leaves to appear are called the true leaves. When the true leaves appear they are ready to prick out.
How do I prick out my seedlings?
To prick out your seedlings you will need a dibber and some compost filled modular trays. Use your dibber to gently get underneath the seedlings to loosen them and then gently lift them out holding a leaf. Make a hole in the compost and gently insert the seedlings right down to the leaves making sure the roots are covered. Gently firm the compost around them. You can then water them as before in a tray of water, label them and put them somewhere warm and frost free to grow on.
The do’s and don’ts of sowing seeds
Do experiment with different varieties to see what you like, particularly with veg
Do sow from seed rather than buy in as plants. Its so much more rewarding growing your own
Do label and date all your seed trays so you know what they are and when you sowed them
Do make sure the compost doesn’t have any big lumps in it so that you have a fine tilth surface to sow on
Do make sure the compost surface is even before you sow your seeds
Do water your seeds and make sure not to let them dry out
Do keep them in a warm frost free spot
Do hold your seedlings by a leaf
Do have fun sowing your seeds!
Don’t sow too many seeds if you don’t have the space or facilities to grow them on
Don’t sow seeds which are out of date
Don’t sow your seed too thickly
Don’t sow onto an uneven surface of compost
Don’t cover the seeds with a thick layer of compost, vermiculite or grit
Don’t water your seeds again until the compost starts to dry out
Don’t water your seeds with a watering can or hose unless you have a rose or spray gun with a fine spray on it
Don’t handle your seedlings by the stem or roots
And that’s all there is to it
Happy seed sowing!
One Response