Topic: When to sow wild primroses?

[caroline7758]

I just love wild primroses (Primula vulgaris) and bought some seed today. Just wondering whether it's better to sow now or in Sep/Oct ? Tempted to wait as I'm getting short of space, but if they are more likely to be successful from a spring sowing I'll do it now.

[Eristic]

All the primula require cold conditions to germinate so unless you want to keep your pots in the fridge it might be best if they are left till the autumn. I believe 16 deg c is the absolute max. May sound high now but a week or two hence it may be difficult to keep the soil cooler than that.

[Mrs Ava]

I always sow my primulas in late spring as they germinate better with fresh seed.  I have never had any problem getting them going from a spring sowing.  :-\

[Robert_Brenchley]

Sow all primula as fresh as possible, or they won't germinate. Put them straight in, and leave the pot out somewhere. If they don't get the cold they need this year, they may sit till next. Leave them in the packet and I'll guarantee they'll do nothing.

[caroline7758]

Ok, that's 2:1 for spring so far! Think I'll get some started today & save some for the autumn.

[Palustris]

Sadly the chances of germination are not good with stored seed. P. vulgaris are fascinating things. There are two types of flower, pin eyed and thrum eyed. they are functionally monoecious!  Basically that means that they have different sexes on different plants. The seed really needs to be sown even before it is ripe on the plant for good germination.  You need to find a plant with a seed capsule which is almost ready to open, take out the still green seeds and sow immediately and wait for spring. The plant produces germination inhibitors in between the green stage and the capsule opening. By sowing green you bypass that stage.
If your seed does not germinate, give me a PM in a few weeks time and I will see if I can find you some seed.
Pity you do not live closer, you could come and weed some of them out of our lawn, flower beds, gravel garden,veg patch etc.!

[triffid]

I got some last year (not great, about 40% germination) from spring-sown packet seed.

The instructions recommended popping the seed and some damp sharp-sand into a poly bag and leaving it in the fridge (NOT freezer) for a month before planting out.  That fakes the frosty early spring weather and helps trigger germination.

I'm with Robert here:

Leave them in the packet and I'll guarantee they'll do nothing

.
Now you've got the packet, you may as well try... :)

[caroline7758]

Thanks. I have got a couple in the garden already so will have a go at saving some seed too.