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Have you ever tried to start from seed pansies that looked too luscious to pass up in the seed catalog, but failed completely to sprout? How about impatiens, or petunias? All of these common garden plants have special germination requirements that make them almost impossible to start from seed if you haven't been introduced to their secrets. If you wish to germinate something more complicated than a zinnia, which sprouts so easily you almost have to get out of its way, you need to familiarize yourself with such terms as stratification, double dormancy, scarification, and light and dark sensitivity.
Now, I doubt I'll ever have the patience to grow a tree from seed. I visited our state forest nursery once where they do just that, and was glad I was employed elsewhere. Waiting as much as two years for a seed to germinate would drive me 'round the bend. However, I do like to try growing at least one unusual plant from seed each year. I get many of my way-out ideas from T&M. Another really nice feature of this catalog is what they call the "green fingers guide". It's part of the header for each plant description. This guide gives you the level of experience required of the gardener to grow the plant. The first letter of the guide indicates ease of germination and ranges from E for easy to C for challenging. Directly beneath the guide are listed germination notes, if applicable. These notes give hints about such things as length of stratification times. Though the notes are helpful, you'll need a better reference if you want to try starting a variety of more difficult plants from seed. A book I use all the time, and believe no serious gardener should be without, is Anne Halpin's Gardener's Desk Reference, published by McMillan and sponsored by "Horticulture" magazine. It touts itself as being "The ultimate resource for everything a gardener could ever want to know". Bold, confident words that aren't far off. Even if you never purchase any other gardening book, get this one. You won't regret the rather hefty price tag. You may have to search for it. It's not presently available from the Barnes and Noble website, though I have frequently seen it offered in bookstores. I got mine years ago, for almost nothing, as an introductory book purchase through a book club. I believe it's still offered this way, so shop around.
The copyright of the article Advanced Seed Starting in New England Gardens is owned by Diana Morgan. Permission to republish Advanced Seed Starting in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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