Topic: Bedding Plants

[jo9919]

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice re bedding plants.

I have one raised bed, and last year I bought all my bedding plants to fill it from nurseries.

This year I would like to have a go at growing my bedding plants from seed.

I have an electric windowsil propagator, a plastic 3 tier greenhouse and a cold 4X6 greenhouse.

Do I start the seeds off in seed trays in the propagator? If so, how do I then plant on? Do I progress from the propagator into cells in the house, or in the greenhouse, or do I put them into the larger trays that you would buy from the garden centres i.e. pots of 6? Should I keep them in the warm house until frosts have passed or will they be ok in the cold greenhouse?

The bedding plants I am wanting to grow are Geranium, Nemesia, Busy Lizzie, Antirhinnum?, Petunia etc.

Thanks,
Jo.

[Marymary]

You took the words right out of my mouth, Jo.  I am doing exactly the same thing & have almost exactly the same equipment plus complete lack of experience.  I have started some seeds off in the propagator, geraniums are doing well so far.  Antirhinnums are ridiculous little things - I have started them off in a small seed tray but I have no idea how to pot them on as I'm sure they wouldn't survive being handled as they are really tiny.  I have decided to get a cheap parafin greenhouse heater to try & keep it frost free as I think they will all get leggy if I keep them indoors. 

Lets hope someone out there can set us straight.

[jo9919]

I planted my Geraniums in the heated propagator last weekend and they are popping through already.

I just don't know if I should pot them on into smaller cells rather than the larger ones which you get in garden cenres first, or if they would be ok going straight into the larger ones from the propagator.

Obviously, in February it's supposed to be cold (not that it is today) so wondered if, once potted on, I should keep them indoors or if it would be ok to put them into the cold greenhouse.

What plants are you growing?

Jo.

[Tee Gee]

This might help; http://tinyurl.com/yy5xkl

and this; http://tinyurl.com/ylmj3z

[Hyacinth]

I've not looked at the links and this year, for the first ever, I'm going to be growing flowers as well as all my veggies .....the only flowers I grow routinely are companion-plantings.....ie marigolds, nasturtiums, etc.

BUT....

ALL my sowings aren't going to be done until March, and mid-March at that...I live in the Midlands  and won't sow until danger of frost is passed..things have a habit of catching up 8) and germinate &  grow quickly and sturdily....

OK, you may well, with cossetting, produce plants to equal those  grown in polytunnels lord-knows-where which you can buy at gi-normous  expense from the GC's and therefore save some time and money,  but.......what are you going to do with them? It's still too early in our climate to plant them out .

So, for me, I'm holding back......

[jo9919]

Thanks for your replies.

Anyone else got any experience they wish to share?

Jo.

[manicscousers]

I have planted a perrennial that needs a week in the fridge ! :o, also 2 trays of perennials that it said on the pack to sow late winter so, I'm waiting to see what happens, they're on the windowsill  ;D

[Marymary]

I'm also following the packets & lots of flower seeds say to plant in January. 

Jo I have planted my geraniums in individual peat pots & they went in the propagator, I bought a packet of seed because I thought they were a pretty colour & when I went to plant them I found there were only 6 seeds in the packet - some new fancy hybrid - 50p a seed so I am treating them like gold dust  :) - strangely the seeds are actually gold colour! 

I have also planted gazinia, sweet peas [now in unheated greenhouse], dahlias, and antirhiniums - I have now another propagator so I shall be planting a lot more tomorrow.  I want to get a cheap greenhouse heater just for frost protection but until then I shall be keeping them all in the conservatory.

[vee]

I sowed dahlias, cosmos, snapdragons and tagetes last year on the 14th of March in small pots and pricked them out into cells when big enough to handle. I kept them in an unheated conservatory after pricking out and moved them into the house on very cold nights.
I planted them out, after hardening them off, on the 28th of May and they were fine except that I think they were started off too soon. It was a very long time to keep them warm enough and watered.
It's sometimes better to start later and grow plants fast when the weather is warmer and lighter. I'll probably sow them this year at the end of March.

[jo9919]

Thanks for your replies.

It seems that you are of the opinion that it's better to start them off later. It does say on alot of the seed packets to start off in January. I have started some off already and will make some later sowings too, just so that I can compare which is the best way for next year.

Jo.

[Tee Gee]

Quote; It does say on alot of the seed packets to start off in January.

I always think seed merchants take a bit of a liberty saying this without indicating what adjustments should be made to these dates to cater for your location in the UK.

Similar thoughts come into my mind when I see lots of bedding plants appearing in the supermarkets & garden centres next month(March).

I wouldn't hazard a guess as to how many people lose stuff due to this practice, but I guess if I had the value of all the plants lost as a result of this 'commercialisation' I would be a very rich man.

My advice would be;

Decide what you want to grow then consider "do you have the facilities to grow them?"

e.g coldframes. If not then delay your sowings!

[jo9919]

Thanks for your reply.

I've started some seed off now. I have a cold greenhouse, mini 3-tier greenhouse and an unheated conservatory, oh, and a windowsil propagator, so I'm going to see how they go on.

I'm going to use this year to experiment. Like I say, I've made some sowings already and will make some later too, moving the plants to different places at differing times and noting if they survive or not.

I think it will be interesting to see if the early sowings are that so much better than the later sowings (taking it that they survive!).

At least next year, I might have something to go by.

Thanks again everyone for your replies.

Jo.

[teresa]

I start 1st March seeds go in propergater in greenhouse which is bubblewrapped ( the greenhouse)  thats better for me I know.  ::)

by then I think the days have more daylight hours and plants dont go leggy. ;)

The craving to sow is so hard to control I have put a pinch of lettuce down in kitchen to get over the need to so. They may come to something but got the urge out of my system and better to sow a few cheep seeds then expensive ones ha ha. ;D

[jo9919]

I have got Petunia, Geranium and Antirrihum germinated. I just hope that I can keep them now. I'll keep you posted.

Jo.

[Dave John]

I agree with most of the previous replies especially the fact that the urge to sow is irresistable on a warm day in February. Past experience has taught me though ,that too soon on the sowing all to often means that a repeat sowing is needed, when a surprise cold spell comes along and kills of the early attempt. I have gardened from the very north of Scotland to the south of England and can only remind you of the great difference that local conditions control. From north to south approximately a month's difference in sowing times. There again here on the coast of Pembrokeshire the protection of the warm sea can make at least two weeks difference to just a few miles in land. Therefore as well as all the advice on the forum try and find some local gardener to advise you of local conditions

[fluffygrue]

It's not entirely practical to sow bedding plants, for me.. As I'm impatient, I want blooms as soon as possible, and if they've not been started til March there's not much chance of that. But if they're started earlier, they just don't get enough light. I tend to make a compromise and buy Plug-U-Grow plugs, as they always get reduced in Wilkos/etc.

Having said that, my petunias are still growing strongly from last year. Might get some really early flowers from those..!

[jo9919]

Did you leave your Petunia's in the ground or did you lift them?

Jo.

[Bambi.1]

This might help; http://tinyurl.com/yy5xkl

and this; http://tinyurl.com/ylmj3z

Thanks for putting up those sites Tee Gee ,they're really interesting and helpful  ;D

[fluffygrue]

Did you leave your Petunia's in the ground or did you lift them?

They stayed in a hanging basket over winter - so they were kept fairly dry, which will have helped. But the geraniums that were with them keeled over once we got a -4 frost, so they're obviously quite a bit hardier. Surprised me, as I always assumed geraniums were the hardier of the two!

[jo9919]

I lifted my Geraniums and covered them with fleece in the cold greenhouse, but I didn't bother trying to keep the Petunia's, I didn't think they'd live.

Jo.