It’s a new season, keep up to date with the Grow-A-Long here
I have also included the last of the late Winter sowings jus to keep things simple.
There is a cold spell coming so, stay tuned we might have to move things around a bit.
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24th March 2023
Grow-A-Long Zinnias!
Zinnias are actually light sensitive so if you start them too late you’ll have to wait ages for summer flowers!
I’m mindful that it’s cold on Sunday night, so if you sow your Zinnias this weekend by the time they are up and ready to into the greenhouse the temperatures will have risen again and you won’t be tripping over seed trays. All the details are in the video
Page 33 of the Spring Grow-A-Long Handbook
21st March 2023
Grow-A-Long Wrinkled Cress
The perfect summer filler. Really easy to grow.
Germination should begin in about 4 days so if you are going to start them indoors (no heat mat) set an alarm on your phone to whisk them outside then.
Page 32 of your Spring Grow-A-Long Handbook
18th March 2023
Grow-A-Long Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea annua)
Hollyhocks
Mid March is the perfect time to start these first year flowering hollyhocks!
If you are wondering about standard Hollyhocks I have included information in the video for those as well.
14th March 2023
Statice – Limonium sinuatum
No immediate rush for this one, it’s going to be a cold night so your windowsills might be full.
You can even do a second sowing later which I explain in the video.
Page 30 of your ‘Spring Grow-A-Long’ Handbook.
But I thought you like the heads up so you can plan for the weekend and enjoy a little virtual trip into summer sunshine.
11th March 2023
Cosmos Grow-A-Long
Cosmos is light sensitive, sowing too late in the Spring can delay flowering resulting in the dreaded ‘Cosmos Trees’!
However from my trials I have found that sown too early the lower light levels initiate flowering too quickly at the expense of vegetative growth giving short plants with small flowers.
About now is the ideal time to start Cosmos for the best of both worlds.
7th March 2023
Grow-A-Long Apple mint Lamiaceae/Labiatae
Apple mint is a true perennial so there is no rush sow this today, however if you do fancy getting them started you only need a space for a small pot.
Apple mint seeds are seriously tiny and won’t need pricking out until April.
Once up and running as your see from my video that they make strong robust plants that are easy to grow and look after.
If nothing else just relax and enjoy the fast forward into Spring and Summer and see how I use it in arranging.
4th March 2023
Carnations ‘Dianthus caryophyllus’
Technically a tender perennial Carnations are best grown as an annual.
They dislike damp conditions so are unsuitable for Autumn Jump Starting.
Sown in late winter gives them not only the time and but also lower temperatures at the young plant stage to achieve strong bushy growth.
26th February 2023
Grow A Long Phlox drummondii
Late February into early March is the best time to sow Phlox.
They are daylight neutral so it’s the cooler temperature after germination that we rely on to bulk up plants.
Page 26 of your Spring Grow-A-Long Handbook.
24th February 2023
Sowing and growing Rudbeckia hirta ‘Sahara’
Now is the perfect time to start your Rudbeckia.
Technically a tender perennial it will take longer to germinate and grow than the seeds we’ve recently been sowing. Needing a warm germination period it’s the ideal job for a bit of indoor gardening.
In the video the big pot (60cm diameter) has 11 plants and the wheelbarrow contains 21 plants and will bloom through to the frosts.
Rudbeckia germination after 12 days indoors but not on a heat mat.
22nd February 2023
Agrostemma githagos late Winter 2nd sowing
Agrostemma grows quickly from a late Winter sowing giving you plants about a month later than those grown from an Autumn Jump Start.
They are a bit shorter, but in my opinion plenty tall enough to be worth the effort, more details in the video.
For the original Grow-A-Long Video click below.
21st February 2023
Greater Quaking Grass (Briza maxima) late Winter sowing
Sow only if you need to, plants will flower a tiny bit later but still around the same time so you won’t get much of a succession.
Late Winter sown plants will be shorter and more delicate.
The change is that seeds will need to be started somewhere warm around 18C. The greenhouse is much colder than it was in the Autumn when it was naturally both warm and humid.
For the original Grow-A-Long Video click below.
19th February 2023
Scabiosa atropurpurea Grow-A-Long
Also known as the ‘Pincushion Flower’, Scabiosa atropurpurea flowers on strong tall stems in high summer. These delicate blooms dance in the breeze attracting bees and butterflies.
Plants will grow too quickly from an autumn sowing, so we will delay sowing until late winter when the light levels return.
Sow one seed per cell making a small impression in the compost and laying the seed in the dip. As seeds germinate, I find they can push themselves up, out of the compost.
Light aids germination so we don’t want to cover seeds.
Simply back fill the dip with compost later to secure and support seedlings as they grow.
17th February 2023
Stocks (Matthiola incana) Grow-A-Long
This Weekend we will be sowing our Stocks (both ‘Pot’ and ‘Cut Flower’ varieties) In this video I will explain about sowing and growing including doing a 2nd sowing in 3 weeks time!
Here are the full videos on Stock Selection I mentioned.
15th February 2023
Malope trifida Grow-A-Long
Late Winter is the perfect time to sow Malope.
Plants grow too quickly from an Autumn sowing and dislike languishing in cold compost trays so we will delay sowing until late winter when the light levels return.
Sow one seed per cell. Chilling seeds for 2-3 weeks before sowing really helps speed up germination. I pre-chilled the January seed shop seeds, so if you ordered from us you are good to go!
Cover seeds lightly with compost.
16th February 2023
Snapdragons Late Winter Sowing
It’s time to pinch the Autumn Jump Starter Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) and sow another round.
12th February 2023
Late Winter Sweet Pea Sowing
If you missed the Autumn Jump Starter or you’ve discovered some new varieties that you would like to grow you have one last chance to sow your Sweetpeas now for flowers this coming summer!
For lots more information on Sweet Peas click below
11th February 2023
Round 2 Late Winter Started Anemones and Ranunculus
Pre sprout them indoors it’s much to cold out in the Greenhouse and Corms may rot!
This is the video I mentioned in the Tutorial
6th February 2023
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