Greenhouse &
propagation
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Raising plants from seed is cheap and easy.
Every flowering plant produces seed, so the choice of what you can grow is
virtually without limit.
Although some seeds need special treatment, the
vast majority are straightforward and will grow as soon as they are placed in
favourable conditions. Check the sowing date on the packet, and as long as you
provide the right conditions, at least 85% of the seed sown will come up.
Different seeds have different needs. To ensure good results,
always follow the growing instructions on the packet.
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To begin, you will need
sterile, seed-sowing compost and seed trays or pots. The following procedures
apply to most indoor sowing:
Step: 1 Fill the pots or pans with
seed-sowing compost and level off the surface without tamping down.
With a flat piece of wood, or the base of another
pot, very gently firm the surface so that the compost is roughly 1.5cm (half an
inch) below the side of the pot.
Step: 2 If fine seed is to be sown,
water with a can fitted with a fine rose until the compost is moist right
through, but not saturated. Allow surplus water to drain away. Pans or trays
with large seed can be watered after sowing.
Step: 3 Sow seed evenly and thinly
over the surface, by gently tapping the open packet. If you accidentally drop
seed in a clump onto compost, tease individual seeds apart with a pencil
point.
Large seeds can be sown individually into the
compost. An alternative, with large seeds, is to sow directly into cell trays.
These are divided into small, individual compartments where young plants can be
raised without the need for subsequent pricking out.
To speed up germination, large seeds, especially those with a hard
seed coat, such as runner beans, sweet peas, lupins and morning glory can be
soaked for a few hours in lukewarm water immediately before sowing. As soon as
they have visibly swelled, they're ready.
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Step: 4 If
instructed to cover, use a sieve or an old flour sifter to scatter a thin layer
of compost which just covers the seed. Alternatively, cover with a layer of
Vermiculite or Perlite.
Step: 5 Write a label, preferably
with the sowing date, as well as the plant name and place it with the seed
tray.
Cover sown seed, either with polythene, or with
newspaper and a single pane of glass. Protect from strong, direct sunlight,
never soak the compost, but do not let it dry out.
Step: 6 Inspect daily, removing
the covers as soon as germination has begun, but protecting the young seedlings
for a few days from strong direct sunlight.
To avoid 'damping off ' disease, hygiene is essential. Composts
must be sterilised and pots should either be new or scrupulously clean. Use
pure, clean water with young seedlings. Never apply liquid plant foods or
manures at this stage.
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