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Growing From Seed - Page 6

© Marge Talt

Some people swear you should always water your pots from below. Balderdash! I water from above and it works fine. Mother Nature waters from above, not below unless the seeds land in a bog. The secret is gentle watering so that you don't displace the seeds.

I have become a proponent of putting pots outdoors to let Nature take care of any cold stratification needs - unless, of course, it's a plant that wants warmth for germination. But, if you sow in summer or autumn or latish spring, you can still put seeds from warm germinators outside and let them get on with it.

I use fine screenwire to make covers for the flats of pots. It's quite easy since this can be cut with scissors. Just take an oblong about six inches larger all around than the size of your flat. Cut the corners diagonally toward the center to the six inch mark and bend the sides down, folding the corners and cutting off the excess. Secure with thin wire pieces or nylon thread. These screen tops keep out leaves, twigs, bits of garden detritus and critters but let water, light and air through. Put your flats in a shady spot that you pass frequently, so you will remember to check them, as they will need regular watering. You do not want the seed pots to dry out for an instant.

Pots stay in these flats until germination, some for two or three years. Don't throw out a seedpot until you've had it for a year or two. Some seeds just take much longer to germinate than you'd think.

Pricking Out Seedlings

Except for bulbs, Arisaema, Cyclamens and some others who want to stay in their seed pots for at least their first year, it is best to prick out seedlings once they either have a true set of leaves or are large enough to handle. Depending on their size, they can be moved to individual pots, rowed out in flats or put in large cell packs.

I like to pot on rather than try to line small seedlings out in an outdoor seedbed. There's just so much that can happen to a seedling in the big wide world and I prefer to keep an eye on them until they graduate to six inch pots or quart pots. When they've filled this size, I figure they are ready to take their place in the garden. With perennials or woody plants, this can take a few years, so you really need a cold frame if you don't have a greenhouse.

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