Sowing annuals in September?

[caroline7758]

Got Sarah Raven's catalogue in the post today. She's got quite a lot of hardy and half-hardy annual seeds which she suggests sowing in September for next year and says she's had great success with them. I would never have thought of doing this, so would be interested to know whether you think it's worth it. If so, I'll go & buy some more half-price seeds from the garden cntre quick- not paying her prices plus postage!

[caroline7758]

[valmarg]

Hardy annuals, fair enough as they tend to be quite frost hardy.

Half hardies, are another matter.  Plants that spring to mind offhand are busy lizzies, geraniums, petunias, lobelia.  Having germinated them, and pricked them out, you are going to have to keep the greenhouse (or part of it) at a fairly high temperature.  Could be more expensive than sowing early in the year.  Just an amateur thought.

valmarg

[Robert_Brenchley]

You could get them and keep the half hardies back for spring planting. Mollycoddling them through the winter would be a lot of trouble.

[caroline7758]

Actually, the only half-hardy she has is Antirrhinum (snapdragon), which she advises to sow sept. then store in a frost free coldframe in at least 1 litre pots. She suggests the same for the hardy annuals in the north (where I am). i might try a few and see how they go.

[ACE]

What is the point. Most of use have limited room in our greenhouses etc. I would rather be looking after something a bit more exciting.

[sunloving]

Hi
I say sow sow sow.
I found that nigella, cornflowers, cerninthe, escholtzia and of course sweet peas just do brilliant! you sow them outdoors in sept when the soils still warm then just leave them and voila they make sturdy plants which flower early. in fact even sunflowers are hardy enough to make it through. :)
This has worked for me and i live in northern ireland. just pick somewhere relatively dry.
good luck and go for it!
sunloving :)

[caroline7758]

That's encourageing, sunlover. Think I'll sow some at the allotment where I'm not short of space.

[saddad]

I have Snapdragons which self seed in my cold greenhouse... just prick some out as I need them!
;D