Topic: Senior moment - sowing Tagetes

[Georgie]

I need help!  I'm certain I've sown Tagetes at this time of year before and over-wintered them in my mini greenhouse.  Yet try as I might I can't find anything in my books or via a swift Google which suggests anything other than sowing late winter/early spring.  Am I going mad?

G x

[Hyacinth]

Am I going mad?

G x

errr....shall I be the first? ;) ;D

Well why not give it a go, Georgie? I'm sure you've got lots of saved seeds but if not I'll send you some of mine. I've only ever sown them early spring and as germination's so fast they're always ready to go out at the time my veggies do, as I grow them as companion plants. I've never tried winter sowing so I'm curious..

[Georgie]

Awww, thanks for the offer Hyacinth but as you guessed I've got the seed, just no sowing instructions.  I grow it as a companion plant too, in my case in the greenhouse to keep the whitefly away.  The thing is I got whitefly very early this year hence the idea of an autumn sowing.  I'll probably give it a try as there's not much to lose.

G x

[Hyacinth]

And report back, please?

Lish x

[theothermarg]

mmm interesting   think that when I sow them in the spring it,s a battle to keep the slugs away from them, not sure if I can do that or want to all through the winter as well. what is the advantage of doing this?
marg

[Georgie]

And report back, please?

Lish x

Of course, if someone reminds me.   ;)

... what is the advantage of doing this?
marg

Well the idea is too keep the whitefly off the tender stuff in the mini greenhouse.  I know what you mean about the slugs and snails, though.   ::)

G x

[Georgie]

Right, I bit the bullet and sowed 10 seeds on Sunday in a 9cm pot covered with the top half of a water bottle and put the pot on the kitchen windowsill.  Today I noticed that at least three of the seeds are starting to break through the surface.  So far, so good.   :)

G x

[caroline7758]

This what the experts say-

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0902/hardy_annuals.asp

[Barnowl]

Good Luck with you late/early sowing. Off topic, but something ate the tops off our marigolds after they were planted out. It wasn't slugs because open ended cloches stopped it happening. Which  suggests birds as the culprits.

[Georgie]

Good Luck with you late/early sowing. Off topic, but something ate the tops off our marigolds after they were planted out. It wasn't slugs because open ended cloches stopped it happening. Which  suggests birds as the culprits.

Thanks.  But I don't understand how 'open ended cloches' stop slugs. Can you explain?

G x

[Barnowl]

They don't stop slugs  - they stop the birds.  If it had been slugs doing the damage the flowers would have continued to get eaten despite putting on the cloches.

[Georgie]

They don't stop slugs  - they stop the birds.  If it had been slugs doing the damage the flowers would have continued to get eaten despite putting on the cloches.

Ah right, I'm with you now.  Funny though, birds eating Marigolds, new one on me.

G x

[Barnowl]

Seems to be a SW London thing  :)   Once they flower they're left alone.

[Georgie]

Seems to be a SW London thing  :)   Once they flower they're left alone.

How very strange.  Also off topic, up until now I've been put off growing crocuses because I've read that the flowers can be spoilt by the birds.  But this year I've decided to try a few under the Buddleia.  Yet another experiment.

G x

[Palustris]

Only crocus we ever had trouble by bird were yellow ones, they left other colours alone. Here we have no cocuses at all, but that is because the mice eat the corms long before they ever flower (the crocus not the mice!).

[Georgie]

Only crocus we ever had trouble by bird were yellow ones, they left other colours alone. Here we have no cocuses at all, but that is because the mice eat the corms long before they ever flower (the crocus not the mice!).

Oh right.  I've chosen a purple one called Ruby Giant.  That was lucky eh?   ;D

G x

[Georgie]

Right, I bit the bullet and sowed 10 seeds on Sunday in a 9cm pot covered with the top half of a water bottle and put the pot on the kitchen windowsill.  Today I noticed that at least three of the seeds are starting to break through the surface.  So far, so good.   :)

G x

Quick update.  Eight out of 10 of the seeds germinated.  Two weeks on they all had true leaves so they were pricked out into individual 9cm pots yesterday.  I put 5 pots in a gravel-lined tray in the 'sunny' mini greenhouse and the remaining 3 in the other mini greenhouse which is more shady.  They survived the night.   :)

G x

[thifasmom]

Following your lead George i sowed some harvested seed and about eight germinated out of 24 but i think some of the seed were a little mouldy to start with as a i collected those when they were a little damp, but i have a lot more viable ones to sow in the spring.

my own were sown about a week ago in the greenhouse and though the days were quite warm to hot in there i gave them extra protection by putting a propagator lid over the seed tray as the night temps were dipping quite low. they still came up fairly quickly but still only have their seed leaves at this time.

will check them later to see how everything faired in the very cold greenhouse last night as there was evidence of hard frost ie frozen bird bath.

[Georgie]

Hi.  I've checked mine again and they are fine: cold but no frost here.  Here's hoping yours made it too.   :)

G x

[thifasmom]

Didn't get to check them till yesterday afternoon. they appear to be fine with the beginning of their true leaves observed.

i know its early to say, but i think if this succeeds i may do this every year ie: try and sow the flowers for the vege garden in autumn (at least those that can be sown) as it will be one less thing to try and do early spring.