It’s time to start sowing
Ruth explains how to get the best from your free seeds
ONE of the side effects of the pandemic was that everyone became very attached to whatever growing space they have. Gardens became so much more than somewhere for the kids to play football and the parents to drink a glass of wine on warm summer evenings.
We became a nation of gardeners and growers, with people not just cultivating their own fruit and veg, but brightening their days by raising and nurturing seed-grown ornamentals.
Last year you sent us photos of flowers grown from the free seeds and we were blown away by the beauty you created.
Now they are back for 2021 and we would love to see how your growing goes. This year’s seeds are a mix of annuals, biennials and perennials, with veg seeds and herbs as well.
Each week I will show you the best ways of sowing each particular variety and as the months progress I will demonstrate pricking out seedlings into larger pots, hardening them off before you plant them out and the best places to put them in the garden.
I will also be showing you how to avoid the many potential pitfalls that can line the road between a packet of seeds to a colourful border or container.
In the column on the right I look at the essential equipment you need. To this I would also add labels, a sieve for removing large lumps of compost (essential when sowing very small seeds) and a tamper for flattening compost so the seeds lie flat and don’t fall through cracks.
Very tiny seeds, such as petunias, can be tricky to sow thinly, so I either mix them with a little horticultural sand (never builders’ sand as it contains too many chemicals) for easier sprinkling, or lift them from the packet with a dampened
match end or fingertip, so you can tap them off. One point that can’t be stressed strongly enough is that although plants germinate all over the place without human assistance, when growing at home you need to keep everything as clean as possible. If you are reusing pots, trays and lids, make sure they are washed and cleaned well. Always use fresh compost and fresh tap water, avoiding collected rainwater as it will contain impurities that can impair germination or kill seedlings. ■ Since leaving the EU we are no longer able to supply free seeds with copies of Amateur Gardening to our readers in the Republic of Ireland as well as Northern Ireland.