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#1
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
Hi
Can anyone tell me the best time and method of sowing Cowslip seeds? Do I put them straight in the ground or pot them to grow on? And when should I do it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Jaqy |
#2
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
I have had the best results via: sowing in moist not wet soiless mix and
encapsulating in a plastic baggie to prevent moisture evaporation....leaving at room temp. for a couple of weeks and then placing in the fridge for 3 to 4 weeks and then returning to room temp. for germination....if you have a good light set-up you can sow now and the transplants will be ready that much sooner..if you send your query to either Thompson & Morgan or Chiltern Seeds they may offer you their "expert" advice............HW. "MC Emily" wrote in message ... Hi Can anyone tell me the best time and method of sowing Cowslip seeds? Do I put them straight in the ground or pot them to grow on? And when should I do it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Jaqy |
#3
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
Can anyone tell me the best time and method of sowing Cowslip seeds?
Do I put them straight in the ground or pot them to grow on? And when should I do it? Like most species of Primula, they are best sown as soon as they are ready to be shed from the parent plant. If already packeted, then I guess substitute 'as soon as possible'. Whilst they can fend for themselves in the open ground (indeed I have them self-sow in the lawn, the pavement, the road, etc.), most people trying to cultivate them less erratically would go for a pot first. If in the UK (as one would expect in this newsgroup), then sow as soon as possible in a pot, cover with a bit of soil, then grit/gravel to keep rain/animals/etc. from disturbing the soil surface, and place outside. They'll come up in the Spring. -- Clarke Brunt |
#4
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
Oh yikes, I hadn't thought it would be that complicated!! I'm not really a
'fiddly' gardener and this seems awfully 'fiddly' to me. How would they go on if they had just fallen 'in the wild'? Do they not do very well? I'll try the seed companies, too. Thanks for the advice, it's much appreciated. Jaqy "Anne Middleton/Harold Walker" wrote I have had the best results via: sowing in moist not wet soiless mix and encapsulating in a plastic baggie to prevent moisture evaporation....leaving at room temp. for a couple of weeks and then placing in the fridge for 3 to 4 weeks and then returning to room temp. for germination....if you have a good light set-up you can sow now and the transplants will be ready that much sooner..if you send your query to either Thompson & Morgan or Chiltern Seeds they may offer you their "expert" advice............HW. |
#5
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
"MC Emily" wrote in
: Oh yikes, I hadn't thought it would be that complicated!! I'm not really a 'fiddly' gardener and this seems awfully 'fiddly' to me. How would they go on if they had just fallen 'in the wild'? Do they not do very well? Differences are that: - in the wild the seed is fresh, and appears at the right time for the soaking, chilling, etc to happen automatically. - in the wild you get a lot more seed than just one packet! Most of it dies, gets eaten, etc. But if you buy a packet of seed you expect to get more than one plant out of it. Thus HW's advice: by bagging, chilling, and cultivating in a tray, you make the best of seed that is bound to be a few months old (more germination) and you don't expose any of the seedlings to slugs, snails, etc until they are big enough not to be simply mown down and vanish. If it seems like too much hassle, you'd probably be better off getting some plants instead; they will seed themselves eventually, if the conditions are right, and with luck you will also be able to divide the clumps after a while too. Or you could try buying bags and bags of seed and just sprinkle it: you'll lose a lot, but you should get a few germinating. I also find British native wildflowers very fiddly from (bought) seed, though I've had a lot more luck with stuff that I've just picked straight out of the hedge and bunged into some compost. Victoria |
#6
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
Don't the seed companies do a lot of the pre-chilling etc. in advance for
you so the inexperienced gardener can just sow the seeds without the fuss? I recently sowed a couple of seed trays of oriental poppies. One tray was from a free packet with GW magazine, and the other tray was from my own seed, straight from the plant. The GW seed germinated within days but my own seed took weeks to get started. |
#7
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
"Martin & Anna Sykes" wrote in
: Don't the seed companies do a lot of the pre-chilling etc. in advance for you so the inexperienced gardener can just sow the seeds without the fuss? No idea, sorry. I think usually inexperienced gardeners would be encouraged to go for seeds of things that don't need special treatment. I've certainly seen plenty of seed packets that specify chipping, soaking or chilling, but haven't noticed any that say they are pre-treated - but maybe I just shop in the wrong places! I'm not sure how pre-chilling by the seed company would work - how could they be sure to chill for the right length of time? What about seed sold in garden centres that just sits there on a rack for months? And wouldn't the seeds need to be damp while chilling, not just in a packet? I'd guess the difference with your oriental poppies was more to do with different varieties of the same species - they are certainly easier from seed than things like cowslips, which I find fiddlier (I could be wrong though!). |
#8
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
Victoria, thanks for your good explanation. Now that I know that, there is
another good reason why I shouldn't just sprinkle them on the ground - my chickens would *love* them!!! So, I will put them in a tray and do it properly - fiddly or not! )) Many thanks, Jaqy "Victoria Clare" wrote in message .206... "MC Emily" wrote in : Oh yikes, I hadn't thought it would be that complicated!! I'm not really a 'fiddly' gardener and this seems awfully 'fiddly' to me. How would they go on if they had just fallen 'in the wild'? Do they not do very well? Differences are that: - in the wild the seed is fresh, and appears at the right time for the soaking, chilling, etc to happen automatically. - in the wild you get a lot more seed than just one packet! Most of it dies, gets eaten, etc. But if you buy a packet of seed you expect to get more than one plant out of it. Thus HW's advice: by bagging, chilling, and cultivating in a tray, you make the best of seed that is bound to be a few months old (more germination) and you don't expose any of the seedlings to slugs, snails, etc until they are big enough not to be simply mown down and vanish. If it seems like too much hassle, you'd probably be better off getting some plants instead; they will seed themselves eventually, if the conditions are right, and with luck you will also be able to divide the clumps after a while too. Or you could try buying bags and bags of seed and just sprinkle it: you'll lose a lot, but you should get a few germinating. I also find British native wildflowers very fiddly from (bought) seed, though I've had a lot more luck with stuff that I've just picked straight out of the hedge and bunged into some compost. Victoria |
#9
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
Hi
These seeds aren't from a seed company, they're straight from the plant so, like yours, will probably take a while. I'll have to be patient! Jaqy "Martin & Anna Sykes" wrote in message ... Don't the seed companies do a lot of the pre-chilling etc. in advance for you so the inexperienced gardener can just sow the seeds without the fuss? I recently sowed a couple of seed trays of oriental poppies. One tray was from a free packet with GW magazine, and the other tray was from my own seed, straight from the plant. The GW seed germinated within days but my own seed took weeks to get started. |
#10
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
The message
from "MC Emily" contains these words: Hi These seeds aren't from a seed company, they're straight from the plant so, like yours, will probably take a while. I'll have to be patient! Jaqy However, I would say that if you sow in a tray or pot and put it outside in a sheltered position or under a sheet of glass, the seeds stand a good chance of germinating in the spring. Fluctuating temperatures, including some frost, will break dormancy. It's simply not as certain: more chance of rodents, acts of god etc. If you've got loads of seed you could try both methods and compare results. Janet G |
#11
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
Victoria Clare wrote:
I also find British native wildflowers very fiddly from (bought) seed, though I've had a lot more luck with stuff that I've just picked straight out of the hedge and bunged into some compost. But don't forget that this is illegal without the permission of the landowner. And anyway, there's few enough wildflowers in the wild, why remove them? |
#12
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
To pull all the points together here, if I sow the seeds in compost in a
tray, cover it with glass and put it somewhere where it will get very low temperatures but be protected from being eaten, am I on the right track? How low does the temperature have to get? I have a shed with a south facing window it could go in but I have to have a frost beater on at night because my washing machine and dryer are in there (we're in the middle of renovating our house). Would that be OK for the seeds or would it be too warm? And what about watering? Do I lightly water to start with and the moisture will be retained because of the glass? Blimey, I'm sounding veeeery amateurish here, aren't I? Jaqy |
#13
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
In article , bigboard
writes Victoria Clare wrote: I also find British native wildflowers very fiddly from (bought) seed, though I've had a lot more luck with stuff that I've just picked straight out of the hedge and bunged into some compost. But don't forget that this is illegal without the permission of the landowner. And anyway, there's few enough wildflowers in the wild, why remove them? I think she meant she was taking the seed, not the plant! -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/garden/ |
#14
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
In article , bigboard
writes Victoria Clare wrote: I also find British native wildflowers very fiddly from (bought) seed, though I've had a lot more luck with stuff that I've just picked straight out of the hedge and bunged into some compost. But don't forget that this is illegal without the permission of the landowner. And anyway, there's few enough wildflowers in the wild, why remove them? A 'Tree Hugging' 'Net Nanny' WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've seen the lot now!!!!!! Mike. Who doesn't really like Tree Huggers OR Net Nannies, but has found BOTH IN ONE GO :-(((((((((((( -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- H.M.S.Collingwood Association reunion. Chatham May 30th - June 2nd River Class Assn Dinner Leamington Spa Sept 20th 2003. Castle Class Corvettes Assn. Reunion October 2003 Isle of Wight. National Service (RAF) Association reunion. Nov 2003 Scarborough. |
#15
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When to sow Cowslip seeds?
I think taking seed is also illegal but who's to say she doesn't own the
hedge from where they came?! )) Jaqy "Kay Easton" wrote in message ... In article , bigboard writes Victoria Clare wrote: I also find British native wildflowers very fiddly from (bought) seed, though I've had a lot more luck with stuff that I've just picked straight out of the hedge and bunged into some compost. But don't forget that this is illegal without the permission of the landowner. And anyway, there's few enough wildflowers in the wild, why remove them? I think she meant she was taking the seed, not the plant! -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/garden/ |
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