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When to sow ?

Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 8:00 pm
by Julia
My seeds have arrived :D
When can I sow?
Cordyline australis
Yucca glauca
Cycas revoluta
Echium
Nicotiana sylvestris
Trachycarpus fortunei
Canna
Cleome
Also any hints and tips in sowing these?
Thanks :)

Re: When to sow ?

Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:45 am
by Leigh
Though others might disagree and unless you got a Heated propagator and good lighting might be better to wait till next spring for any seed sowing though there are one or two that might be worth trying with the Baggy method (try a search on this site)

Hopefully others may chip in with replies now :D

Re: When to sow ?

Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 12:15 pm
by Vagetarian
The Cycas will probably take months and months so I would sow them in a bag/tub in the airing cupboard now. Maybe the Trachycarpus too (I didn't have bad luck with Trachycarpus seedlings sprouting last winter). 1-2 Tbsp. of water per pint of medium is plenty (especially after a good soak) and will help cut down on mould.

The Cannas should definitely wait til spring. I don't know much about the rest but unless they're going to take months and months to sprout then I'd guess it's best to wait til spring.

Re: When to sow ?

Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:38 pm
by flounder
Most would be best waiting till spring, but the trachys and cycas you can do now. Soak seeds for 48 hours, change water daily. Baggie method, room temperature for trachys, baggie and airing cupboard for cycas. I've not had a lot of success with yuccas, i think they need high heat, maybe 30c+.(must try them again methinks)
Spring sowing
cannas you will find a lot of info on here. Try Dave Browns hot water method, its better than taking your eye out with flying seeds when trying to nick the seedcoat!
Cleome, cordyline, echium and nicotiana
I mix mpc with coarse sand and perlite. Fill a pot to half inch from the top, gently firm. Sprinkle seeds on surface, sieve some sand over the top to lightly cover seeds, water from the bottom and label them, what they are and when you've sown them. Make sure you do it cos you won't remember.
Nicotiana and cleome should show from 7 days on, echium from 10 days, cordyline from 21 days. Prick out and pot on when they can be handled safely without crushing them. Don't leave them too long otherwise they go leggy.
These are just some of the methods I use. Others will swear by different methods

Re: When to sow ?

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 7:16 am
by Kristen
Good advice :)
flounder wrote: Cleome, cordyline, echium and nicotiana
I mix mpc with coarse sand and perlite.
I use a John Innes type Seed Compost. Reason being that it is very fine, and I think it makes pricking out easier. A small bag lasts me at least a season :)

Re: When to sow ?

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 8:38 am
by flounder
The amount I sow each year, a small bag would last me a session :shock:

Re: When to sow ?

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 9:36 am
by Kristen
flounder wrote:The amount I sow each year, a small bag would last me a session :shock:
Hahaha ... I sow a lot too. I use 1/4 sized seed trays (so not hugely deep). I reuse the seed compost through the season (can't see any reason to throw it away / compost it, unless something is diseased, but in practice that doesn't happen), so I only actually need what is in use at any moment in time. Only real risk is late-germinators in subsequent batches, and very slow germinators hogging their compost 8)

Re: When to sow ?

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 4:27 pm
by flounder
I'm also very tight, I find it cheaper for me to mix my own rather than pay for a pre mixed seed compost :wink:

Re: When to sow ?

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 9:13 pm
by Julia
Thanks guys for your help.

I sowed some Echiums (half a pkt) a couple of days after posting this and a few seedlings have already come up.
Trachycarpus haven't done anything yet . Still early days.

The cycas I laid them on their sides half in the soil. But I noticed 2 of the shells have got cracks in the ends, so I think I may of done something wrong :(

Re: When to sow ?

Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 10:05 pm
by leunerj
Julia wrote: I noticed 2 of the shells have got cracks in the ends, so I think I may of done something wrong :(
That's a good thing! When Cycas seeds are ready to germinate they crack open at one end and send out a root. Once this has established itself in the soil it will send up a leaf :DD

Re: When to sow ?

Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 4:16 pm
by Julia
leunerj wrote:
Julia wrote: I noticed 2 of the shells have got cracks in the ends, so I think I may of done something wrong :(
That's a good thing! When Cycas seeds are ready to germinate they crack open at one end and send out a root. Once this has established itself in the soil it will send up a leaf :DD
Ohhhhh :) it's only a small crack !!
I'm waiting with bated breath to see any signs of life :)