Is it better to sow them right in the soil or in a propagator and then
into the soil.
the problem is they are all mixed up and i dont know what sizes will
be where.

"george" wrote in message
...
Is it better to sow them right in the soil or in a propagator and then
into the soil.
the problem is they are all mixed up and i dont know what sizes will
be where.

I sowed into plug trays - no need for a heated propagator. Sprinkle a few
seeds into each plug and once they're big enough you can plant out the
plugs. Sowing into the ground probably works OK if it has been prepared as a
seed bed but if you're sowing into an area which has grass etc. already then
the grass will overpower the young seedlings and the slugs will eat the
rest.

I'm not sure about them being 'all mixed up'. Unless you're going for a
very artificial wildflower area with larger flowers at the back. It will
look prettier if you let them grow all mixed up so you get a sort of haze of
flowers. Lots of the wildflowers have long stems with small flowers so they
don't really block the view of things behind them like most plants.

At the end of the season, collect seed so you can repeat the exercise to
ensure the same next year rather than relying on them to self-seed.

Martin

In article , george
writes
Is it better to sow them right in the soil or in a propagator and then
into the soil.
the problem is they are all mixed up and i dont know what sizes will
be where.

If you are starting from bare soil, then you can sow a wildflower mix
straight into the soil. If you are trying to plant into grassland, you
will need to grow them into reasonable plants before planting out.

You'll lose more by planting them straight into the soil. Are they
annuals or perennials? If annuals, they may not be quite so happy to be
transplanted, and you might want to go straight for sowing into the
soil. But if perennials, then my preference would be to grow till about
in a 3 inch pot and then plant out.

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/garden/

Dear George,
you need to sow the seed now on prepare ground and be prepared to mow the
area frequently during the summer at about 2 inch height, taking the
clippings away. If its an annual mix, down cut it but recultivate in the
autumn. With more information on the seed I could tell you a lot more, Andy

"george" wrote in message
...
Is it better to sow them right in the soil or in a propagator and then
into the soil.
the problem is they are all mixed up and i dont know what sizes will
be where.

On Thu, 30 Jan 2003 18:39:14 -0000, "andrew jones"
wrote:

Dear George,
you need to sow the seed now on prepare ground and be prepared to mow the
area frequently during the summer at about 2 inch height, taking the
clippings away. If its an annual mix, down cut it but recultivate in the
autumn. With more information on the seed I could tell you a lot more, Andy

"george" wrote in message
.. .
Is it better to sow them right in the soil or in a propagator and then
into the soil.
the problem is they are all mixed up and i dont know what sizes will
be where.



i have 3 types of mixed seeds .
english wild flowers .
californian w f
and texan w f

In article , george
writes

"george" wrote in message
. ..
Is it better to sow them right in the soil or in a propagator and then
into the soil.
the problem is they are all mixed up and i dont know what sizes will
be where.



i have 3 types of mixed seeds .
english wild flowers .
californian w f
and texan w f

Those will be pure flower seed mixes, not meadow mixes containing grass
and flowers. They will probably be mainly annuals. Prepare your soil to
a fine finish, breaking up any lumps, and plant the seeds thinly is
clumps (they'll look more natural in clumps rather than straight lines).

You could also take some of each and plant in small pots - that way you
can protect them better against slugs and so on, and you can transplant
each pot as a single clump, avoiding disturbance to the seedlings.


--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/garden/