An unheated propagator will be ok if you are able to maintain a fairly constant temperature.

Cling film, glass or rigid plastic is used to cover seed trays or pots if you are not using a propagator. (You will be able to germinate seeds ok with this method).

If you are just starting out any workbench will do for now!

But we prefer vermiculate as it is light in weight clean and easy to use, freely available, reasonably priced and it does the job superbly.

Now this is the time to decide if you want to sow your seeds in trays, inserts, pots or plug pots.

It is also time to calculate how many trays, inserts or pots you will need to sow the number of seeds you are going to sow.

As rule of thumb, you can easily sow up to 50 small seeds

or 10 medium seeds

or 3 large seeds in a 75mm (3 inch) pot.

Or up to 100 small seeds

or 30 medium seeds in a half size seed tray.

Or up to 200 small seeds

or 50 medium seeds in a full size seed tray and any combinations in between.

If you use plug pots or tray inserts you will want to sow one medium seed or one large seed in each insert or plug pot.

Sieve enough compost, on to your potting bench, or potting tidy/caddy, to fill all your trays or pots.

Don't discard the sieved out lumps and bits. These can be used in the bottom of larger patio pots when planting them up with your own home grown plants. (Save the lumps and bits in an old compost bag until needed).

Fill the plug pots, inserts , seed trays or pots with compost to about 5mm below the rim (this does not need to be exact - about 5mm will do).

Lift the plug pot, insert, tray or pot to a height of about 15cm (6 inches) and gently tap it on the bench. Do this a couple of times. This will settle the compost into the plug pot, insert, tray or pot to about the correct level.

The compost should now be about 10mm (1/2 inch) from the top of the plug pot, insert, tray or pot. This does not have to be exact so don't worry if it is a couple of mm higher or lower. It will make no difference to the end result.

Take your correct size tamper and gently level the surface of the compost. DON'T push the tamper with any force. All we want to do here is level off the surface of the compost, NOT compact it.

*This gives an ideal surface to sow the seed on.

That's it. You have now successfully filled your first tray or pot with compost.

Now Fill the rest of your trays or pots in the same way.

*(Doing this correctly will increase your propagation success rate).

This is the fun part, sowing the seeds.

But some seeds, such as antirrhinum, are quite small and fine and to count out the number of seeds you want is not really practical, or indeed even possible.

So this is where practice and experience really helps, (don't worry experience will come with practice).

Ok, how do we sow small fine seeds?

Well the easiest way to sow small fine seeds is to take a pinch between your thumb and forefinger and gently and lightly sprinkle the seeds over the surface of the compost.

The idea is to get the seeds spread out across the compost and not bunched up in patches.

The problem is once you have sprinkled the seed onto the compost it is difficult, if not impossible to see them because they are so small and similar colour to the compost.

So, you can practice sowing seeds quiet easily without using the seeds.

Take a pinch of sand between your thumb and forefinger and sprinkle it over the surface of the compost. (Use dry horticultural sand only).

The sand will show up on the compost, this gives a good idea of how well you will spread the seeds.

Mix the sand into the compost with your finger, dibber or similar, until it has disappeared and try again. The sand will not harm the seeds or the emerging seedlings, in fact it will assist with opening up the compost and provide additional drainage.

Do this as many times as you feel necessary until you are happy with the results.

Now do it for real with the seeds.

There you go see how easy it is?

All that is needed now is to cover the seeds with a very light "dusting" of sieved compost. Just enough to cover the seeds and no more.

If you are using medium size seeds, such as iberis, or large seeds, such as lathyrus, sowing is much easier.

You can easily pick up medium and large size seeds individually which makes them easy to handle and sow.

You can easily sow 10 medium size seeds or 3 large seeds in a 75mm (3 inch) pot. Or 30 medium seeds in a half size seed tray. Or 50 medium seeds in a full size seed tray.

If you are you using inserts or plug pots, recommended, you should sow one medium or one large seed in each insert or plug pot.

Inserts and plug pots are highly recommended for medium and especially large seeds. They prevent any root disturbance at transplanting time, which is ideal.

When you have sown all your seeds don't forget to label them with plant name and date of sowing.

Water your trays or pots with great care.

With your mist sprayer, set at it's finest spray, filled with tepid water and held at about 100mm (4 inches) from the pot or tray, lightly spray the surface of the compost. Don't get to close, or overdo it here, you will disturb the seeds which is exactly what you don't want to do!

The idea is to settle the surface of the compost with the fine mist from your sprayer. This prevents the seeds being disturbed.

Now fill a container, large enough to put the tray or pot in, with tepid water *(preferably water that has been standing in a warm place for about twenty-four hours) and definitely NOT rainwater, use good old tap water!

Stand the tray or pot in the container of water, (the water should be about 12mm (1/2inch) deep), and leave it until you see the surface just becoming moist.

This usually happens fairly quickly so don't be tempted to go off and do something else.

*Do not overdo the watering process, you don't want the compost saturated, or your seeds may rot and not germinate.

*(By doing this correctly you will greatly increase your chance of success).

Cover your trays or pots with glass or clear plastic (or preferably, for ease of use, place in a covered propagator - unheated will do).

Keep your tray or pot in the light, (not direct sunlight) and maintain the temperature range given on your seed packet. (Light from a north facing window is ideal)

When your seeds have germinated and are large enough to handle it is time to transplant them.

The time taken for your seeds to germinate depends on the plant type and the conditions you have provided.

So follow carefully the instructions in these pages to dramatically increase your germinating success.

If you have sown small or medium size seeds in pots, half size seed trays or full size seed trays you will want to transplant your seedlings on in to half size seed trays or full size seed trays.

If you have sown medium or large size seeds individually in inserts or plug pots you will need to transplant them in to individual 75mm (3 inch) pots.

You need to transplant your seedlings to give them room to spread their roots and grow their stems and leaves.

As the seedlings develop they need more space as they grow.

They also need air to flow between them to prevent problems such as damping off disease. Common in seedlings that are cramped to close together.

Right let's get transplanting…..

Be very careful handling the seedlings. Do not handle them by their stems as this will cause irreversible damage resulting in the seedling collapsing.

Handle the seedlings very gently and only by their seed leaves.

If you are transplanting from pots or seed trays you will need to very carefully separate the seedlings from each other.

Using a widger, or similar, tease the seedlings roots out with great care ensuring not too many roots are damaged.

Make sure the stems are not damaged either.

Time and care taken hear will really pay dividends giving your seedlings the best possible chance of growing on successfully. Too many damaged roots or a damaged stem will only result in the collapse and loss of your seedlings.

Take you time, be patient, it is really not difficult. With practice it becomes second nature and you will soon be able to tease out seedlings and transplant them quite quickly and without any damage to roots or stems.

Plant them in your seed trays about 5cm (2in) apart in a good quality potting compost. A sieved peat based or peat alternative compost will be fine.

If you have individual seedlings in inserts it is fairly easy to transplant them. Just gently and carefully push the whole root ball out from the bottom of the insert.

(Turn the insert upside down and support the pot with one hand, allowing the seedling, still firmly in its compost, to hang between your fingers without damaging it.

With the other hand using fingers or thumb, the choice is yours, push the bottom of the insert gently.

You will find the whole root ball will come out of the insert easily.

You can pot the seedling on into a 75mm (3 inch), or larger if necessary, pot.

If you have individual seedlings in plug pots it's a piece of cake.

Just pot the seedling on into a 75mm (3 inch), or larger if necessary, pot

You don't have to remove the seedling from the plug pot as the roots grow on through the sides and bottom of the plug pot.

Ideal, absolutely no root disturbance. Just what's needed for seedlings to grow on strong and healthy.

Plug pots are highly recommended for medium and large seeds, that‘s why we strongly recommend plug pots.

All seedlings transplanted?

Don't forget to label them with plant name, sowing date and transplanting date.

Well done you are on your way to becoming an experienced 'plant propagator'!

Ok what's next?

Well you now need to water in your transplanted seedlings.

Water your trays or pots with great care.

Fill a container, that is large enough to put your seed tray or individual pots in, with tepid water *(preferably water that has been standing in a warm place for about twenty-four hours) and definitely NOT rainwater, use good old tap water!

Stand the tray or pots of transplanted seedlings in the container of water and leave it until you see the surface of the compost just becoming moist (the water should be about 12mm (1/2inch deep).

This usually happens fairly quickly so don't think about going of and doing something else. Or you will come back and find your transplanted seedlings over-wet.

Disasterious!

*Do not overdo the watering process, you don't want the compost saturated, or your transplanted seedlings will rot and die.

*(By doing this correctly you will greatly increase your chance of success).

Keep the transplanted seedlings in good light (not direct sunlight, light from a north facing window is ideal) and warm (ideally just a couple of degrees below the germinating temperature, or thereabouts) until they are large enough to be hardened off.

If you want any further information on how to sow seeds please feel free to contact us

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