GROWING ON THE SEEDLINGS.
If after recording all your seed in the record book and sowing the seed, you eventually get seedlings, how do you grow them on to mature plants? The following is the method that I have used successfully for a number of years. The pots that were put outside for a cold spell in the winter usually start to germinate at the end of February or early march. But don't despair if they do not, for sometimes they come sporadically until June or later, and may not appear until next year.
I make a point at this time of the year to inspect all seedpots at least three times a week. Anything that shows the slightest sign of germinating is brought into the alpine house immediately. This is more for my convenience than for the seedlings, and a gold frame or even a sheet of glass will serve the same purpose. It is easier for to keep an eye on moisture levels, which are critical at this stage, and to avoid slug damage when they are at waste level, and it also stops the heavy rain from beating them to pulp.
It is surprising how much moisture is required at the germinating stage for all seedlings, even those like Dionysias that like a dry atmosphere when they get older, this is the cause of most failures in seed raising techniques.
The seed pots can be placed in full sunshine at this time of the year as the sun in not very strong, but great vigilance is required as to watering requirements. I usually make an early morning inspection and water everything that looks like it might dry out before the end of the day. If you use a well-drained soil based compost as I do, then over-watering is not usually a problem. (Peat based compost will have to be treated differently at this stage.) After all if they were still outside they would get rain almost every day.
In about four weeks the seedlings are ready for picking out, and as only a few of each variety are required, I tip the pot out on the bench and carefully separate the long roots. They are then potted up in the same size pot, of which fifteen fits in a standard seed tray, and placed under the bench for two days to recover form the trauma.
Latest Articles