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Growing From Seed

© Marge Talt

It's raining. A chilly sort of dank rain; totally un-conducive to outdoor gardening. But, it's exactly the kind of day to think about starting some more seeds. Most real seedaholics have pretty much finished sowing perennial and woody plant seeds until late summer begins the process again. However, I'm always off sync. I tend to do things when I have the time, not when I'm "supposed" to.

Since seed is on my mind, I thought some of you may be wondering how to go about growing plants this way - or if you already grow from seed, you might be interested in what I do. If you have success by other methods, tell me about them.

Growing from seed is a great way to have large numbers of the same plant for making swathes and drifts or sharing with friends. It's also about the only way you can actually get your hands on some plants; those that are rare or slow and are not to be found in nursery catalogs. There is a lot of information on the web about growing from seed, see "More Information" at the end of this article for some of my favorite resources.

Actually, you can sow seed just about any time of the year if you're prepared to provide artificial heat or cold when needed. You do have to have some idea of the growing habits of the plants you want to start from seed, since they all differ in their requirements for seed germination. Even some species differ in their needs from most of a genus. For instance, most Primula seed germinate in warmth without requiring cold stratification, but the candelabra series needs a period of cold first (at least according to some sources, there is not general agreement on this as far as I can tell).

Basics - Kinds of Plants

If you're an experienced gardener, you already know this...scroll on down a bit. New gardeners need to be aware that there are different categories of plants who behave differently in the garden. Briefly:

Annuals grow to maturity, set seed and die within one growing season. They will often self-seed if conditions are right for them. Tender annuals are those from warm or tropical backgrounds who will not tolerate any frost and who need warmth to grow well. Marigolds and Zinnias come to mind. They germinate quickly in warmth and shouldn't be started until about a month before last frost date in your area, unless you've got a warm greenhouse or cold frame system to grow them on in. They will get gangly and spindly and not amount to much if they don't have sufficient light once they germinate.

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