What is the best way to propogate seeds?

[Meg_T]

Everything I read says something completely different!!

Some things I read include:
5 days in the airing cupboard
leave pots on the windowsill
cover with brown paper and clingfilm
cover in a clear sandwich bag

and lots of others!!

I am new to this and am really confused!!

Thanks for your help

[wulf]

The answer (and the reason for all that different advice) is it depends. Different seeds have different requirements. For example, last year I sowed some Phacelia tanacetifolia (a flowering plant that attracts pollinators but also serves as a green manure). The instructions suggested you just scattered it on the surface but a bit of online investigation said it needed darkness to germinate. My experiments (scattering it on the ground and scatting some earth over some of the seeds) suggested the latter was correct.

Light, moisture and temperature can all affect germination of seeds and, in some cases you also need to break their dormancy with tricks like keeping in a cold place, soaking in water or scoring the surface of the seed.

Gosh!However, the good news is that seeds want to grow (so you don't have to get everything perfect for most of them to show some life) and also that they are generally pretty cheap, so you can afford to try different things and see what works. I've got some beans and sweet peas germinating on my windowsill at the moment, using old plastic food trays, covered with clingfilm and lined with kitchen paper; I'm amazed that they are working because both were collected at least three years ago and have been shunted through all sorts of less than 100% careful storage solutions as I have moved from London to Oxford.

Take notes as you go but don't be afraid to start.

Wulf

[boboff]

Agreed.

Keep them moist and at a consistent temp ( av 60 - 70 f, 12 - 15 c)when they germinate, get them in as much light as you can as soon as you can.

Windows can be a bit draughty, and change in temp, especially if in direct sun.

We keep a radiator on really low in the bedroom, and find this works, I have a propogator, but find this makes seeds a bit leggy as it's away from the light a bit more.

As Wulf says, get going, and try a variety of things, see what works best for you, in your house. Have fun.

[oldjerry]

All good advice,you might like to order from the library(while it's still there) The RHS' guide to propagation' small green, great to follow paperback.It's really easy to read as well as the standard text for RHS courses.

[grahamhobbs]

a futher point, once your seedlings appear, best to give some ventilation, a tiny bit at first, otherwise you might find fungus growing in the warm moist conditions.