Allotments 4 All

I like these plants but dont seem to have much luck growing them. I always seem to struggle getting them to germinate. I sow them in pots of seed compost, lightly cover with vermiculite and place them in a basic heated propagator in a brigjht but not sunny spot in the conservatory. This is the closest i can get to follwing the instructions on the packet. I sometimes sow seed from a preopened/used packet but more often use a fresh packet. What could i be doing wrong (if anything)?

Can i as those of you who grow them sucessfully from seed, what technique you use please?

I think you are doing it pretty much right so could be just bad luck. I sow most small flower seed on the surface of the compost completely uncovered not though obviously large seed and some others that must be covered.

The sowed pots/trays are watered from below by letting them stand in shallow water for a while until the surface of the container becomes damp, then drained and placed in the propagator if needed.

I have had success with snapdragons like this. Members of the daisy family (asteracae) are almost always surface sown.

It's almost like damp kitchen paper tissue sowing without the need for transfering them to pots early.

It's like most gardening once you find a trick that works, for snapdragons in this case, keep repeating it.

Likewise, I sprinkle them on the surface of prewetted (not soggy) purchased seeding mix (sterile) and don't cover the seed with soil but do cover the tray with plastic wrap . This year I bottom-heated the tray on a medical heating pad in a room that barely gets any sun. I planted a tall mixed color variety and also Deep Orange Chantilly. They germinated thickly and had to be trimmed away with scissors to not bother the roots. As soon as they germinated they came off the pad and went to windowsills.
Now they are about 2-3 inches and should be put outside but the temp was 26F last night so not likely to happen soon.

I wish you well as you try different ways. You'll get there and I imagine could still be ahead of the game replanting now.
(I never used to be able to grow poppies while nobody else had problems. Now that hurdle is down.)

Thanks. Kind of confirmed what I had guessed, that even a little bit of vermculite was too much coverage. Thought it didn't matter but clearly it does.

Weather hasn't helped. Keeping seeds needing heat warm enough has proved difficult and light levels haven't been great either.  Have decided hardy varieties have a better chance of success at the moment. Might try again with the snapdragon if I get time. As you say there is probably still time.

It is a puzzle why plants that eventually get such sturdy tough stems have to start out as seeds as fine as dust and seedlings like hairs!

mine self-seed from the alpine window box (gritty, plant congested) i have and they come up with no probs. the last 5 years. they transplant easily as well.

Quote from: irridium on April 09, 2013, 14:01:54
mine self-seed from the alpine window box (gritty, plant congested) i have and they come up with no probs. the last 5 years. they transplant easily as well.

what sort of exposure does the box get? Interesting how well many things germinate in gritty stoney pockets.

W-facing but it's v. sheltered (only morning sun till about 11). the alpine trough is only about 18" x 5" x 5" so it's quite small but packed with sedum, cyclamen, hypericum and crocus. if you want, i might have some saved seed which i could send you (i've not saved before and sown so this year's my first).

Quote from: irridium on April 09, 2013, 20:54:58
W-facing but it's v. sheltered (only morning sun till about 11). the alpine trough is only about 18" x 5" x 5" so it's quite small but packed with sedum, cyclamen, hypericum and crocus. if you want, i might have some saved seed which i could send you (i've not saved before and sown so this year's my first).

Thank you for the kind offer but my snapdragons are up and ready to be transplanted out soon. One plant that grows sheltered against the house usually reappears every spring.

Perhaps you'll find some takers on your side of the pond.

I have so much trouble with snapdragons....very fiddly. I have also bought plants, which have self seeded in my border and come up the following spring.....I wouldn't have said my garden is sheltered.

Strange 

GA: sorry, i didn't realise you're from the States..!

Star: how do you mean "fiddly"? I've found that transplanting them is easy enough but only when they're still v. young. They're up atm (are yours?)

I looked at my original batch yesterday and found i had more than i thought. Decided to transplant them. Maybe its down to getting older and less dexterous but my aren't they tricky to get hold of when small! Never used to be such a problem. although i have big hands i used to be quite nimble fingered. Now i am slightly put off growing plants with tiny seeds/seedlings because of the extra effort involved.

Might not need to sow any more. Got 12 out of the first sowing, with a few more left in the seed pot to grow on. Dont need masses, just a few for gap fillers/pots.

Thanks again fore replies.

Ah, fumbling fingers, I know it too well! That's why I sow the seeds in a plastic tray with individual cells filled with germinating soil, then when the forest of seedlings sprout all but two are trimmed down with small scissors and eventually the strongest is kept. One per cell is easy to transplant out when it gets another set or two of leaves. 

I love the mystery of what color they'll be and am guessing now by the color of the stems. Most are various shades of pale green but one has a deep dusky purple stem!

Quote from: irridium on April 11, 2013, 09:18:00
GA: sorry, i didn't realise you're from the States..!

Star: how do you mean "fiddly"? I've found that transplanting them is easy enough but only when they're still v. young. They're up atm (are yours?)

I never used to have a problem and it was one of my fav bits of growing....pricking out. Now poor eyesight and arfritic digits, well it aint so easy now. I'm with Garden Manager on this one 

Mine are not up nor will they be, I buy plugs if I want them these days, they are lovely happy flowers