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Nurturing plants from seed is an exciting and cost-effective way to fill your garden. Sally Petitt, head of horticulture at Cambridge University Botanic Garden, shares her expert tips THE JOY OF SEEDS
F or me, as a gardener, spring brings with it a sense of anticipation and excitement. No gardening activity reflects this more than growing plants from seed. This might seem like a fiddly, complicated challenge requiring a range of specialist equipment, but it doesn’t need to be difficult and can reward you with a real sense of achievement. It can also be a cost- effective way to fill your garden – a packet of seeds, compost and pots are far cheaper than buying a plant at the garden centre. What’s more, seeing freshly sown seedlings nudge their way through soil or compost always brings a sense of awe and wonder! No matter how many times I sow seed, I never fail to be thrilled by the first emerging seedlings, knowing that in some small way I’ve aided the process on its way. There are many plants that can be sown from seed without the need for specialist equipment, such as heated propagators or greenhouses. Broad beans ( Vicia faba ) and sunflowers ( Helianthus
annuus ) can both be sown directly in the garden into a clean, prepared bed. Flowers such as love-in-a-mist ( Nigella damascena ) can be thinly scattered over the surface of a fine tilth (finely raked soil) in the garden and, in just a few weeks’ time, will bring months of joy! Some plants such as tomatoes require a bit more input. Sow the seeds sparsely in a small pot of fresh seed compost and cover lightly with compost. Water gently, then cover the pot with a polythene bag secured in place with an elastic band. Place it on a windowsill and watch that the compost stays moist. After a week or two, you’ll see seedlings breaking through the surface of the compost. Once the first leaves are large enough to handle, you can prick out the seedlings into individual pots or modules of potting compost, and grow them on the windowsill until they’re large enough to harden off outside after the risk of frost has passed. Here at Cambridge University Botanic Garden, we grow thousands of plants every year from seed, including easy annuals such as sunflowers, herbaceous perennials, trees and tropical plants. While this requires great skill and patience, the benefits can be seen throughout the Garden and, in some cases, enjoyed for many years. It’s worth remembering, though, that even the most skilled gardener suffers losses at the propagation stage, but the successes far outweigh the failures. Sally Petitt is the head of horticulture at Cambridge University Botanic Garden, where she supervises a team of 17 permanent horticultural staff and eight trainees. She also oversees the trainee programme This might seem like a fiddly challenge but it doesn’t need to be difficult
SPACE TO GROW Controlled greenhouse conditions are perfect for seeds to germinate and grow on before planting into the garden
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